Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Act 4 - Scene 2
Elsinore. A passage in the Castle.
Hamlet : Safely stow'd.
Gentlemen : [within] Hamlet! Lord Hamlet!
Hamlet : But soft! What noise? Who calls on Hamlet? O, here they
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
[p]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
[p]demanded of a sponge, what replication should be made by the
son
[p]of a king?
Rosencrantz : Take you me for a sponge, my lord?
Hamlet : Ay, sir; that soaks up the King's countenance, his rewards,
[p]his
authorities. But such officers do the King best service in
[p]the end.
He keeps them, like an ape, in the corner of his jaw;
[p]first
mouth'd, to be last swallowed. When he needs what you have
[p]glean'd,
it is but squeezing you and, sponge, you shall be dry
[p]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
[p]the
King.
Hamlet : The body is with the King, but the King is not with the body.
[p]The
King is a thing-
Guildenstern : A thing, my lord?
Hamlet : Of nothing. Bring me to him. Hide fox, and all after.
Previous: Act 4 - Scene 1
Next: Act 4 - Scene 3
