SARAH: In this eloquent speech, Horatio fills us in on events that transpired in Denmark before the play starts. King Fortinbras of Norway challenged King Hamlet to one-to-one combat, was defeated, and forfeited his family lands.

RALPH: Now, King Fortinbras's son, Prince Fortinbras, has raised an army with the intention of taking back the family lands.

SARAH: This is one of the many magnificent speeches which occur in Shakespeare's plays—magnificent, not so much for the content, but for the language.

RALPH: To help you appreciate the richness of Shakespeare's language, Sarah and I are going to analyze a few lines from this speech. "Now, sir, young Fortinbras, Of unimproved mettle hot and full, Hath in the skirts of Norway here and there Sharked up a list of landless resolutes, For food and diet to some enterprise that hath a stomach in't; which is ... to recover of us, by strong hand And terms compulsatory, those foresaid lands So by his father lost."

SARAH: Fortinbras threatens to get back his lands by "strong hand"; that is, he's going to "strong arm" Denmark into returning them. Shakespeare is making a pun on Fortinbras's name, which in french means "strong in arm".

RALPH: Horatio describes Fortinbras as "of unimproved mettle, hot and full". Unimproved means untested. And someone's mettle is their strength of character. Though Fortinbras may be hot in temper and full of desire, his mettle has never been tested.

SARAH: Metal is also the material out of which Fortinbras's sword is made, which is also untested because Fortinbras has never fought in battle.

RALPH: In the "skirts", or outskirts, of Norway, Fortinbras has snatched up men for his army, like a shark snatches up fish.

SARAH: Horatio describes the army as a "list of landless resolutes". Modern english speakers would think that the word "list" refers to the list of names of the men who have signed on for this military campaign.

RALPH: But this was not at all the case with Shakespeare's audience. In that period, the word list had an entirely different meaning. It meant a border or bordering strip.

SARAH: For example, a knight participating in a jousting match was said to be "in the lists" when he was inside the strip of land marked off for the combat.

RALPH: Or it could mean a strip of clothing, or a strip of parchment on which something could be written.

SARAH: What Shakespeare is doing here for the very first time is using the word list, not to refer to a strip of parchment, but to refer to the words written on that parchment.

RALPH: So this line in Horatio's speech is the first recorded example of anyone using the word "list" with it's modern meaning: a written series of items.

SARAH: So who are these "landless resolutes" that Fortinbras has recruited for his campaign against Denmark.

RALPH: It was the custom in noble families that the eldest son inherited the entire estate; therefore the younger sons, though of noble birth, were "landless".

SARAH: It is these young nobles who Fortinbras is recruiting. They would be eager, or resolute, to accompany him on this adventure in hope of of acquiring their own fortune from the defeated Danes.

RALPH: There is an interesting history associated with this phrase, "landless resolutes". When Shakespeare's play was first published, the printer made a typo and printed "lawless resolutes" instead.

SARAH: It is indicative of how influential Shakespeare's plays have been, that even this typo has left a lasting mark on the english language.

RALPH: Because of this misprint 400 years ago, the noun "resolute" is used today not just for someone who is determined, but particularly for someone who is determined to commit a criminal act.

SARAH: Fortinbras has raised this army of landless resolutes "for food and diet to some enterprise that has a stomach in it."

RALPH: It's clear that the enterprise is the war against Denmark, but the rest of the phrase has two meanings.

SARAH: The war is a beast with an appetite — has a stomach in it — and the men will be the casualties — the food and diet —it consumes.

RALPH: In the second meaning, the nobles are eager for a fight — have a stomach for it — and are willing to join the campaign just for their provisions, for food and diet.