CLAUDIUS      Nor have we herein barred

Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone

With this affair along. For all, our thanks.

Now follows that you know: young Fortinbras,

Holding a weak supposal of our worth

Or thinking by our late dear brother’s death

Our state to be disjoint and out of frame –

Co-leagued with this dream of his advantage –

He hath not failed to pester us with message

Importing the surrender of those lands

Lost by his father with all bands of law

To our most valiant brother. So much for him.       (1.2.14-25)

One of the things about Claudius’s opening speech is that it’s ‘statesmanlike’ in its sense of covering all bases, meeting possible objections, smoothing over potential cracks. Nor have we herein—in marrying the dead king’s widow—barred your better wisdoms, which have freely gone with this affair along. You all thought this marriage was a good idea! You’ve all supported it! For all, our thanks, and thank you for the toaster-kettle set too. Great to have you all on side! (Pause for applause.)

Now follows that you know: the implication is that the courtiers know already what he’s going to say, but it’s not quite, perhaps: he’s bringing everyone up to speed, making sure that everyone’s in the picture about the current political situation, including the audience. Young Fortinbras—ah, him, the audience can think—holding a weak supposal of our worth, making the assumption that we’re below par, unprepared in military terms, or thinking by our late dear brother’s death our state to be disjoint and out of frame—he assumes that we’re in disarray because of the death of old Hamlet! that there hasn’t been an entirely smooth transfer of power! (Disjoint and out of frame is vivid, a body politic that’s under strain, or a building that’s out of plumb, creaking, precarious.) And so, co-leagued with this dream of his advantage, flattering himself that he’s got the upper hand, he hath not failed to pester us with message (pester is good: Fortinbras as the annoying kid, Claudius as The Elder Statesman, swatting him away) importing the surrender of those lands lost by his father with all bands of law to our most valiant brother. He keeps writing to us, the puppy, sending ambassadors to us, asking us to give up to him those territories which my brother—such a great warrior he was, so honourable—won from his father, old Fortinbras, fair and square, all above board and totally legit. The cheek of it! So much for him!