Novels Exam  >  Novels Notes  >  Hamlet- Summary, Themes & Characters  >  Act IV, Scene ii - Summary, Hamlet

Act IV, Scene ii - Summary, Hamlet | Hamlet- Summary, Themes & Characters - Novels PDF Download

  • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern meet with Hamlet, and try to convince him to give up Polonius' body, which Hamlet has hidden.
  • Hamlet points out that Claudius' little helpers are like a sponge: they're soaking up Claudius' favors now, but Claudius is sure to wring them dry again as soon as he's done.
  • Rosencrantz doesn't get it, which suits Hamlet just fine. 
  • They ask him again where the body is, and Hamlet answers with a riddle. He says "the body is with the king, but the king is not with the body" (4.2.27-28). This is a reference to a law that says the king has the right to enforce the laws, but that the laws don't just go away when the king dies. 
  • Hamlet starts to explain himself, but he trails off, leading Guildenstern to interrupt. This probably exactly what Hamlet wanted, because it lets him deliver the punchline that the king is nothing—nothing at all. Not a king, not a ruler, maybe not even alive when Hamlet's through with him. Then Hamlet runs off, like a kid playing tag.
The document Act IV, Scene ii - Summary, Hamlet | Hamlet- Summary, Themes & Characters - Novels is a part of the Novels Course Hamlet- Summary, Themes & Characters.
All you need of Novels at this link: Novels
59 docs
59 docs
Download as PDF
Explore Courses for Novels exam
Signup for Free!
Signup to see your scores go up within 7 days! Learn & Practice with 1000+ FREE Notes, Videos & Tests.
10M+ students study on EduRev
Related Searches

study material

,

Hamlet | Hamlet- Summary

,

Scene ii - Summary

,

shortcuts and tricks

,

Hamlet | Hamlet- Summary

,

Viva Questions

,

Extra Questions

,

Themes & Characters - Novels

,

Hamlet | Hamlet- Summary

,

Summary

,

pdf

,

video lectures

,

Act IV

,

Important questions

,

Free

,

MCQs

,

Scene ii - Summary

,

Act IV

,

practice quizzes

,

Previous Year Questions with Solutions

,

Semester Notes

,

ppt

,

Objective type Questions

,

mock tests for examination

,

Sample Paper

,

Exam

,

Themes & Characters - Novels

,

Scene ii - Summary

,

past year papers

,

Themes & Characters - Novels

,

Act IV

;