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All Site ContentHamletAct 2Scene 2
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Children's acting companies
Historical Allusion
Act 2,
Scene 2
Lines 334-340

A discussion of the competition among theater companies in Act 2, Scene 2 of myshakespeare's Hamlet.

Rosencrantz   

Nay, their endeavor keeps in the wonted 
pace. But there is, sir, an eyrie of children, little eyases,
that cry out on the top of question, and are most
tyrannically clapped for't. These are now the fashion, and so
berattle the common stages (so they call them) that
many wearing rapiers are afraid of goose quills and dare
scarce come thither.

This speech by Rosencrantz, along with the following two speeches, reflect the nature of the competition among the London theaters at the time Hamlet was first being performed. Acting companies made up entirely of young boys had become popular and were taking away customers from the established theater companies like Shakespeare’s.