"HAMLET [...] we fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service, two dishes, but to one table; that's the end. CLAUDIUS Alas, alas. HAMLET A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm. CLAUDIUS What dost thou mean by this? HAMLET Nothing but to show you how a king may go a progress through the guts of a beggar."

3 likes

Source: 'Hamlet' (1601) act 4, sc. 2, l. [29]

About the author

William Shakespeare

Playwright, Poet

William Shakespeare was an English playwright and poet, renowned for his profound exploration of human emotions in works like 'Hamlet' and 'Othello.'

All quotes by William Shakespeare →

Same author

More quotes by William Shakespeare

See all →
William Shakespeare Playwright, Poet

"When I got enough confidence, the stage was gone. When I was sure of losing, I won. When I needed people the most, they left me. When I learnt to dry my tears, I found a shoulder to cry on. And when I mastered the art of hating, somebody started loving me."

Read quote