"The play's the thing, wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king"
[DOC] [TLE] Shakespeare Quotes: The play's the thing Meaning Then - Shmoop [PAR]  [DOC] [TLE] Shakespeare Quotes: The play's the thing Meaning Then - Shmoop [PAR] So when Hamlet tells us "the play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king," he's saying that Claudius' guilty conscience will shine through when he's watching the play that Hamlet's arranged.