Polonius' Ignorance: A Catalyst in Hamlet's Tragedy

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The second scene of Act 2 of Hamlet is a good example of how a simple scene, which at first glance seems to be trivial, could rather significantly affect the plot development. I will try to analyze the given excerpt and prove that its themes bear a rather unexpected significance for the play as a whole. First I will analyze the meaning of this scene and the possible reasons for Polonius to speak in such manner. Then I will try to present evidences that the themes present in this scene indirectly affect the development of the plot and serve as a kind of a “catalyst” for the ensuing tragedy.
The first theme of this excerpt is Polonius' ignorance. Polonius seems to be rather incompetent when it comes to eloquence, for instance he knows that Gertrude …show more content…

Though Polonius claims that “brevity is the soul of wit”(2.2.90), he is not being brief at all. It is rather ironical, especially when we take into consideration his description of how time should never be wasted (2.2.89). Even after being reprimanded by Gertrude (“More matter with less art.” at 2.2.95) , he still goes …show more content…

Perpend.
I have a daughter--have while she is mine-- (2.2.97-105)
Polonius declares Hamlet as mentally incompetent and bases his claim solely on Hamlet's recent behavior. This again shows that Polonius is a pretty ignorant old man, who only tries to show that he is still useful to the King. After spying on Hamlet and questioning Ophelia, all three of them (Polonius, Gertrude and Claudius) come to a conclusion that Hamlet is truly insane. However, there is, in fact, a textual evidence that Hamlet feigns his insanity:
Make you to ravel all this matter out
That I essentially am not in madness
But mad in craft. 'Twere good you let him know, (3.4.184-186)
According to Arden edition's footnotes Hamlet reveals that he is not really afflicted by madness. Hamlet could have been feigning his madness to get himself into a more advantageous position when observing Claudius.
On the other hand we have Ophelia, who also goes insane and even commits suicide. In her case the cause of madness was her love for Hamlet and her being unable to take revenge on Hamlet. It is hinted here:
My lord, he hath importuned me with love
In honorable fashion. (1.3.110-111)

And I, of ladies most deject and

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