In Act I of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Denmark is portrayed as being in a state of political and social unrest. The character Horatio helps to convey this state of unrest and to foreshadow, through his words and actions, impending war with Norway and possible turmoil for the country. The new King Claudius proves himself to be an inferior leader through his dishonest speech and riotous, disgraceful behavior; he is the leader of the nation and therefore represents the state of the nation. .
In the first scene, the guards are on duty outside of the castle when the ghost of the dead King Hamlet appears. Horatio asserts that the ghost brings words of caution to the men that the county is headed for some sort of struggle, which probably means an attack from Norway. Horatio also speaks of Hamlet's battles with King Fortinbras of Norway; Hamlet had conquered much of Fortinbras" land, so now the Norwegian king's predecessors seek to win that land back. The appearance of deceased King Hamlet is, in itself, a sign of something wrong in Denmark, as any country that has recently lost a king must have some unrest. The fact that Horatio thinks upon first sight of the ghost that it must bring a warning to the men about the possibility of conflict with another nation is a sign of unrest in Denmark, as Horatio would probably have to have a preconceived idea that the nation should expect some sort of trouble to be convinced that the ghost brings such a warning. Horatio's account of the past battles between Denmark and Norway and the fact that those who now rule Norway are seeking to regain the land they lost to Denmark are direct evidence that Denmark is going to be attacked by Norway. .
After seeing the ghost, Horatio makes an allusion to Rome before the fall of Julius Caesar; .
A little ere the mightiest Julius fell, .
The graves stood tenantless, and the sheeted dead.