Fortinbras
| Prince Fortinbras | |
|---|---|
| Hamlet character | |
1828 illustration of Fortinbras (at far right) giving instructions for the funeral of Hamlet | |
| Created by | William Shakespeare |
| Portrayed by | Fritz Achterberg Rufus Sewell Michael Ebert Casey Affleck Ian Charleson |
| In-universe information | |
| Title | Crown Prince of Norway King of Denmark (at the end of the play) |
| Family | King Fortinbras (father) |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
Fortinbras /ˈfɔːrtɪnbræs/, also called Young Fortinbras to distinguish him from his father, is a minor fictional character from William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet. A Norwegian crown prince with a few brief scenes in the play, he delivers the final lines that represent a hopeful future for the monarchy of Denmark and its subjects. His father, the fictional former king of Norway, is also named Fortinbras and was slain in the play's antecedent action in a duel with King Hamlet. The duel between the two is described by Horatio in Act One, Scene One (I,i) of the play.
His name is not Norwegian in origin, but is a French–English hybrid (fort in bras) meaning "strong in arm."