When Hamlet's father was King of Denmark, he fought a battle against the King of Norway and won. As a result, Hamlet, Sr. took over some of Norway's land and that land became a part of Denmark. Now, Fortinbras, the son of the late king of Norway, has come of age and wants his father's land back. He has raised an army and is threatening to invade Denmark. He believes Denmark is still unstable because of its loss of a king and this will make it easier for him to reclaim the property. Thus, Denmark is preparing for a possible invasion by Fortinbras.
Later in the first act, Claudius will deal with this problem by sending an emissary to Fortinbras' uncle, who is still the head of state in Norway. He will ask Fortinbras' uncle (called Old Norway) to put a stop to his nephew's plans.
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