Hamlet · Chapter
Scene II explained
Hamlet is confronted by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern about the whereabouts of Polonius's body.
What happens
Hamlet is confronted by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern about the whereabouts of Polonius's body. He speaks in riddles and insults them, calling them sponges for the king, and refuses to give a straight answer before agreeing to go to the king.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Spying
Hamlet's cryptic responses and the interrogation by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern highlight the atmosphere of surveillance and deceit.
Corruption and Decay
Hamlet's remark about the body being 'compounded with dust' and his metaphor of the king as a 'thing of nothing' evoke decay and moral rot.
Characters to notice
- Hamlet
Taunts Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with cryptic remarks about the body and the king.
- Rosencrantz
Demands to know where Polonius's body is, but is mocked by Hamlet.
- Guildenstern
Accompanies Rosencrantz and is similarly dismissed by Hamlet.
Key passages
“Compounded it with dust, whereto ’tis kin.”
I mixed it with dust, which is its relative.
Hamlet cryptically says he has returned the body to the earth.
“Ay, sir, that soaks up the king’s countenance, his rewards, his authorities.”
Yes, you soak up the king's favor, rewards, and power.
Hamlet calls Rosencrantz a sponge, implying he absorbs the king's benefits.
“The body is with the king, but the king is not with the body.”
The corpse is with the king, but the king is not with the corpse.
Hamlet plays on words to confuse Rosencrantz and Guildenstern about Polonius's location.