VOLTEMAND Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy,

Gives him threescore thousand crowns in annual fee

And his commission to employ those soldiers

So levied (as before) against the Polack,

With an entreaty herein further shown

That it might please you to give quiet pass

Through your dominions for this enterprise

On such regards of safety and allowance

As therein are set down.

CLAUDIUS                  It likes us well,

And at our more considered time we’ll read,

Answer and think upon this business;

Meantime, we thank you for your well-took labour.

Go to your rest, at night we’ll feast together.

Most welcome home.

Exeunt Voltemand, Cornelius [and Courtiers].         (2.2.72-85)

So it’s all great news, Voltemand continues. The Norwegian king was so pleased by his nephew Fortinbras’s contrition, overcome with joy (a MODEL of a good uncle-nephew relationships, uncle-king firmly in control) that he gave him threescore thousand crowns in annual fee—massive increase in his allowance—although not so much a personal allowance as a budget, here—and his commission to employ those soldiers so levied (as before) against the Polack. Fortinbras gets significantly more money to play with, and also he gets to keep his private army, in order to mount a campaign against Poland.

And—bit of business for you, therefore, a polite request—there is an entreaty herein further shown (presumably a document is produced; it might be handed to Claudius and then at some point to Polonius) that it might please you to give quiet pass through your dominions for this enterprise on such regards of safety and allowance as therein are set down. Fortinbras will have to bring his troops over Danish territory in order to invade Poland, and so he’s asking for safe conduct; the details are all here. All straightforward and watertight, I think, is the implication. (Part of what’s going on here is setting up a contrast with Polonius: Voltemand doesn’t waste words; he’s polite, concise, clear.)

It likes us well—and Claudius can crow a bit, exchange a pleased glance with Gertrude, or attempt to; she’s preoccupied. And at our more considered time we’ll read, answer and think upon this business. When I’ve got a window in my very busy diary to deal with this, you can be assured that I will be on to it. (A politician’s answer: he’s not going to appear too eager, even though this is an excellent outcome for Voltemand’s mission; Norway is now at least partly in Denmark’s debt and Claudius has the upper hand in the relationship.) Meanwhile we thank you for your well-took labour. Good job! Go to your rest, at night we’ll feast together. Most welcome home. Efficient, authoritative kinging from Claudius; at least in some respects, the wheels of government are turning smoothly.

There might be a gesture of dismissal for everyone, as the ambassadors leave, as Polonius prepares to tell Claudius and Gertrude about Ophelia’s encounter with Hamlet. If a production has decided that Ophelia is present in the scene, she could be summoned forward, perhaps reluctantly, by Polonius.