SCENE II. Another room in the castle. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark  Shakespeare homepage  |  Hamlet  | Act 4, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE II. Another room in the castle. 

 Enter HAMLET  HAMLET  Safely stowed. 

 ROSENCRANTZ:  GUILDENSTERN:  [Within]  Hamlet! Lord Hamlet! 

 HAMLET  What noise? who calls on Hamlet? 

 O, here they come. 



 Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN  ROSENCRANTZ  What have you done, my lord, with the dead body? 

 HAMLET  Compounded it with dust, whereto 'tis kin. 

 ROSENCRANTZ  Tell us where 'tis, that we may take it thence 

 And bear it to the chapel. 

 HAMLET  Do not believe it. 

 ROSENCRANTZ  Believe what? 

 HAMLET  That I can keep your counsel and not mine own. 

 Besides, to be demanded of a sponge! what 

 replication should be made by the son of a king? 

 ROSENCRANTZ  Take you me for a sponge, my lord? 

 HAMLET  Ay, sir, that soaks up the king's countenance, his 

 rewards, his authorities. But such officers do the 

 king best service in the end: he keeps them, like 

 an ape, in the corner of his jaw; first mouthed, to 

 be last swallowed: when he needs what you have 

 gleaned, it is but squeezing you, and, sponge, you 

 shall be dry again. 

 ROSENCRANTZ  I understand you not, my lord. 

 HAMLET  I am glad of it: a knavish speech sleeps in a 

 foolish ear. 

 ROSENCRANTZ  My lord, you must tell us where the body is, and go 

 with us to the king. 

 HAMLET  The body is with the king, but the king is not with 

 the body. The king is a thing-- 

 GUILDENSTERN  A thing, my lord! 

 HAMLET  Of nothing: bring me to him. Hide fox, and all after. 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  Hamlet  | Act 4, Scene 2 

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