First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
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| Enter Hamlet. | Enter Hamlet | | Ham IV.ii.1 | |
| Ham. | HAMLET | | | |
| Safely stowed. | Safely stowed. | | Ham IV.ii.1 | |
| Gentlemen | GENTLEMEN | | | |
| within. | (within) | | Ham IV.ii.2 | |
| Hamlet, Lord Hamlet. | Hamlet! Lord Hamlet! | | Ham IV.ii.2 | |
| Ham. | HAMLET | | | |
| What noise? Who cals on Hamlet? | But soft, what noise? Who calls on Hamlet? | soft (int.) [used as a command] not so fast, wait a moment, be quiet | Ham IV.ii.3 | |
| Oh heere they come. | O, here they come. | | Ham IV.ii.4 | |
| Enter Ros. and Guildensterne. | Enter Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and attendants | | Ham IV.ii.5 | |
| Ro. | ROSENCRANTZ | | | |
| What haue you done my Lord with the dead body? | What have you done, my lord, with the dead body? | | Ham IV.ii.5 | |
| Ham. | HAMLET | | | |
| Compounded it with dust, whereto 'tis Kinne. | Compounded it with dust, whereto 'tis kin. | | Ham IV.ii.6 | |
| Rosin. | ROSENCRANTZ | | | |
| Tell vs where 'tis, that we may take it thence, | Tell us where 'tis, that we may take it thence | | Ham IV.ii.7 | |
| And beare it to the Chappell. | And bear it to the chapel. | | Ham IV.ii.8 | |
| Ham. | HAMLET | | | |
| Do not beleeue it. | Do not believe it. | | Ham IV.ii.9 | |
| Rosin. | ROSENCRANTZ | | | |
| Beleeue what? | Believe what? | | Ham IV.ii.10 | |
| Ham. | HAMLET | | | |
| That I can keepe your counsell, and not mine owne. | That I can keep your counsel and not mine own. | counsel (n.)secret, inmost thought, confidence | Ham IV.ii.11 | |
| Besides, to be demanded of a Spundge, what replication | Besides, to be demanded of a sponge, what replication | replication (n.)reply, answer, response | Ham IV.ii.12 | |
| | demand (v.)request to tell, question, ask [about] | | |
| should be made by the Sonne of a King. | should be made by the son of a king? | | Ham IV.ii.13 | |
| Rosin. | ROSENCRANTZ | | | |
| Take you me for a Spundge, my Lord? | Take you me for a sponge, my lord? | | Ham IV.ii.14 | |
| Ham. | HAMLET | | | |
| I sir, that sokes vp the Kings Countenance, | Ay, sir, that soaks up the King's countenance, | countenance (n.)favour, patronage, approval | Ham IV.ii.15 | |
| his Rewards, his Authorities (but such Officers do the | his rewards, his authorities. But such officers do the | authority (n.)authoritative influence, dictatorial opinion | Ham IV.ii.16 | |
| King best seruice in the end. He keepes them like an Ape | King best service in the end. He keeps them, like an ape | | Ham IV.ii.17 | |
| in the corner of his iaw, first mouth'd to be | an apple, in the corner of his jaw, first mouthed, to be | mouth (v.)take into the mouth | Ham IV.ii.18 | |
| | first (adv.)at first | | |
| last swallowed, when he needes what you haue glean'd, | last swallowed. When he needs what you have gleaned, | last (adv.)at last | Ham IV.ii.19 | |
| | glean (v.)collect, scrape together, gather up | | |
| it is but squeezing you, and Spundge you shall be dry | it is but squeezing you and, sponge, you shall be dry | | Ham IV.ii.20 | |
| againe. | again. | | Ham IV.ii.21 | |
| Rosin. | ROSENCRANTZ | | | |
| I vnderstand you not my Lord. | I understand you not, my lord. | | Ham IV.ii.22 | |
| Ham. | HAMLET | | | |
| I am glad of it: a knauish speech sleepes in a | I am glad of it. A knavish speech sleeps in a | knavish (adj.)rascally, mischievous, roguish | Ham IV.ii.23 | |
| foolish eare. | foolish ear. | | Ham IV.ii.24 | |
| Rosin. | ROSENCRANTZ | | | |
| My Lord, you must tell vs where the body | My lord, you must tell us where the body | | Ham IV.ii.25 | |
| is, and go with vs to the King. | is, and go with us to the King. | | Ham IV.ii.26 | |
| Ham. | HAMLET | | | |
| The body is with the King, but the King is not | The body is with the King, but the King is not | | Ham IV.ii.27 | |
| with the body. The King, is a thing--- | with the body. The King is a thing – | | Ham IV.ii.28 | |
| Guild. | GUILDENSTERN | | | |
| A thing my Lord? | A thing, my lord? | | Ham IV.ii.29 | |
| Ham. | HAMLET | | | |
| Of nothing: bring me to him, hide Fox, and all | Of nothing. Bring me to him. Hide fox, and all | | Ham IV.ii.30 | |
| after. | after. | | Ham IV.ii.31 | |
| Exeunt | Exeunt | | Ham IV.ii.31 | |