The sycophantic crew. My tragedy
Was more than even sycophants could stand!
Q. Was it, my lord, so very very bad?
Cl. Not to deceive my trusting queen, it was!
Q. And when the play failed, did'st thou take no steps
To set thyself right with the world?
Cl. I did.
The acts were five—though by five acts too long,
I wrote an Act by way of epilogue—
An Act by which the penalty of death
Was meted out to all who sneered at it.
The play was not good—but the punishment
Of those that laughed at it was Capital.
Q. Think on't no more, my lord. Now, mark me well!
To cheer our son, whose solitary tastes
And tendency to long soliloquy
Have much alarmed us, I, unknown to thee.
Have sent for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern—
Two merry knaves, kin to Polonius,
Who will devise such revels in our Court—
Such antic schemes of harmless merriment—
As shall abstract his meditative mind
From sad employment. Claudius, who can tell
But that they may divert my lord as well?
Ah, they are here!
Enter Guildenstern, who kneels.
Guild. My homage to the queen!
