Classic Literature

HamletAct 4, Scene 2

Act 4

Scene II

Another room in the castle.

	Enter Hamlet.
Hamlet	Safely stowed.
Rosencrantz Guildenstern	Within. Hamlet! Lord Hamlet!
Hamlet	But soft, 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.

Companion

Previously

Act 4, Scene 1: The Queen tells the King that Hamlet killed Polonius in a fit of madness and has taken away the body. The King fears for his own safety and reputation, sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find Hamlet and recover the body, and plans to ship Hamlet away at dawn.

Who's who so far

Francisco A soldier on guard outside the castle, cold and sick at heart, who leaves when Bernardo relieves him.
Bernardo A member of the night watch who has seen a figure like the dead king with Marcellus and now witnesses its appearance with Horatio.
Horatio Entrusted with Hamlet's account of his father's death, he agrees to watch the King during the play and confirms noticing his reaction to the poisoning.
Marcellus A watchman who joins Horatio in swearing to keep secret what they have seen and heard that night.
The Ghost The spirit appears to Hamlet in his mother's room, renews its command and urges him to help his distressed mother, who neither sees nor hears it.
The King Alarmed by the Queen's report of Polonius' killing, he orders a search for Hamlet and the body and plans to send Hamlet away before the death damages his own reputation.
Queen Gertrude She tells the King that Hamlet killed Polonius in madness and says that he weeps for the deed.
Hamlet He kills the hidden Polonius, confronts his mother about her marriage, sees the Ghost again and tells her that his madness is an act.
Polonius Hiding behind the Queen's wall hanging to overhear Hamlet, he cries for help and is stabbed to death through it by the prince.
Laertes Ophelia's brother, who leaves after warning her that Hamlet's rank limits his freedom to choose a wife and that she must guard her honour.
Voltimand The returning envoy who reports that Norway's king has restrained Fortinbras and now requests passage through Denmark for an expedition against Poland.
Cornelius The envoy who returns from Norway with Voltimand and receives the King's thanks for their work.
Ophelia Watched secretly by her father and the King, she tries to return Hamlet's gifts and mourns what she believes is the collapse of his reason after his cruel rejection.
Reynaldo Polonius' messenger, sent to take money and notes to Laertes and question his acquaintances in Paris, who objects that invented accusations could dishonour him.
Rosencrantz He agrees to accompany Hamlet to England and argues that protecting a king safeguards the many lives dependent on him.
Guildenstern He agrees to prepare for the journey to England with Hamlet and praises the King's concern for the safety of those dependent on his rule.
First Player An actor whose speech about Priam and Hecuba brings tears to his eyes, and who agrees to perform The Murder of Gonzago and learn an extra speech that Hamlet proposes to write.
Prologue A performer who briefly asks the court to hear the tragedy patiently before the Player King and Player Queen enter.
Player King The ruler in the players' performance, identified by Hamlet as Gonzago, who questions the permanence of human promises and is poisoned while sleeping.
Player Queen The wife in the players' performance, identified by Hamlet as Baptista, who swears never to marry again if her husband dies.
Lucianus The murderer in the players' performance, introduced by Hamlet as the king's nephew, who pours poison into the sleeping ruler's ears.

Words to know

Compounded: mixed or combined
replication: a reply or answer
countenance: favour or support

Spoiler-free: these notes only cover what you have read.

Act 4, Scene 2 in brief

Hamlet announces that the body is safely stowed before Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive to question him. Asked what he has done with it, he answers with an image of the body's kinship with dust. He calls Rosencrantz a sponge that absorbs the King's favour, rewards and authority until the King chooses to squeeze it dry. The comparison attacks the dependence of royal servants and turns the questioning back on the questioners. Hamlet's riddling language about the king and the body continues to withhold a clear answer. He finally agrees to go to the King, ending with words that turn the pursuit into a game.

Key quotes

Compounded it with dust, whereto ’tis kin.

Why it matters Hamlet substitutes a general truth about mortal bodies for the practical answer Rosencrantz wants. The cold reply distances his speech from the person he has killed.

Death and griefAppearance, truth and deception

when he needs what you have gleaned, it is but squeezing you, and, sponge, you shall be dry again.

Why it matters The sponge image makes royal favour temporary and exploitative. Hamlet presents Rosencrantz as a tool whose usefulness depends entirely on the King's needs.

Kingship and the stateCorruption and moral judgement

Themes in this chapter

Appearance, truth and deceptionKingship and the stateCorruption and moral judgementDeath and grief

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