The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: ACT IV
Introduction ACT I ACT II ACT III ACT IV SCENE I. A room in the castle. SCENE II. Another room in the castle. SCENE III. Another room in the castle. SCENE IV. A plain in Denmark. SCENE V. Elsinore. A room in the castle. SCENE VI. Another room in the castle. SCENE VII. Another room in the castle. ACT V About the Play Feedback			Search: All the plays Hamlet Coriolanus Julius Caesar King Lear Macbeth Othello Romeo and Juliet Richard II Richard III Titus Andronicus Antony and Cleopatra Timon of Athens Henry IV Part 1 Henry IV Part 2 Henry the Fifth Henry VI Part 1 Henry VI Part 2 Henry VI Part 3 Henry VIII King John Pericles Troilus and Cressida All's Well... As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Cymbeline A Midsummer... Love's Labour's Lost Measure for Measure The Merry Wives... Much Ado about Nothing The Merchant of Venice Twelfth Night The Taming of... The Tempest The Two Gentlemen... The Winter's Tale    for: 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 5     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 10    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 15    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 20    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 25    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 30    Of nothing: bring me to him. Hide fox, and all after. Exeunt Return to top of page ... or ... Go to next scene