How Does Polonius Change In Hamlet

Shakespeare’s Polonius is often not viewed as one of the more popular characters in Hamlet, even within the play itself he is often dismissed by others because of his constant and rather comical babbling. However, Polonius is the keystone that is holding everyone else together, his ending can ultimately be seen as the first domino that triggers everyone else's. His death is used for another’s gain, but what did Polonius attempt to gain from the others throughout the play? Polonius’ character doesn’t change within the play from what Claudius describes him “As a man faithful and honorable” (2.2.139). He can be seen as a loving and protecting father who gives fatherly advice when having a father to son talk with Laertes, when asking his daughter

Ophelia about the supposed love of her life Hamlet. However, he turns to be deceiving to his own children, two faced, and hypocritical for reasons that are almost unclear. Ironically, Polonius says that “...If circumstances lead me, I will find/ where truth is hid” (2.2.169-70) yet, Polonius has yet to reveal his own truth or motives for willing probing Hamlet and his madness.
When Laertes is preparing to head on his way to France, Polonius gives him conceivably one of the best speeches you could give to a son right before he goes away for college “ Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice/ take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgment” (1.2.74-75).

Although he gives good advice, Polonius does not practice what he preaches, not only is he always excessively speaking throughout the play but to flatter his ownself he openly talks about his son’s bad habits to his uninterested server ““But if’t be he I mean, he’s very wild, / addicted so and so”’(2.1.20-21). Polonius chooses to send Reynaldo to spy on his son “You shall do marvelous wisely, good Reynaldo, / before you visit him, to make inquire / of his behavior” (2.1.3-5) to make sure that Laertes “... does not do anything to endanger his status or the status of his family…”(Cardullo 492). Polonius shows that he is not only controlling of his children but, has a lack of trust for others and is constantly prying. Polonius uses Ophelia as his pawn in order to find the reasoning behind Hamlet’s behavior. His talk with Ophelia is extremely important because “...Polonius who first suggests that Hamlet may be “mad” for love” with his daughter (Gierasch 701). He takes a personal matter between him and his daughter and in turn uses it against her “Polonius is blind to the implications in Hamlet’s words that bear directly upon his own sacrificial use of Ophelia. After ordering her to avoid

Hamlet…Polonius later forces her into Hamlet’s presence…” (Parker 341) whether for political gain or for just being plain nosy. Despite the reasoning, Polonius shows that he can be extremely foolish of himself as his ego is regularly filled by his children genuinely and ungenuine by others.
Polonius shows an excessive amount of loyalty and wants everyone to know that he is faithful as well, as he’s constantly asking what others think of him as person. He asks Claudius what he thinks of him and when Claudius responds that he is a man of faith and honor, Polonius responds but fawning over Claudius to further flatter himself over knowing about the root cause of Hamlet’s actions. “Polonius’ delay in Hamlet derives from his need to please or impress Claudius.... as well as from his need to assert his parental prerogatives….” (Cardullo 491). Assuming that Polonius was the lord chamberlain during King Hamlet’s time “The nature of the relationship between [Polonius and Claudius] provoke suspicions that Polonius was privy to - or complicit in - the murder of King Hamlet....” (Sacks 56) could explain the redundant nature of Polonius wanting to ignite and participate in conspiracies against Hamlet. Although, Polonius is known for his exorbitant ranting which leads to doubts that Claudius would trust him enough to know such information. Obviously Claudius does not instill as much faith into Polonius as he wants Polonius to think. “Claudius, however does not always show full confidence in the acuteness of Polonius...his doubt is noticeable especially...after Claudius and Polonius have been eavesdroppers together” (Gierasch 700).
In act three, scene four, Polonius’ adventure in solo espionage is stopped rather quickly and abruptly. Here he is spying on a conversation between Hamlet and Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude. “Polonius is acting impulsively now, not delaying, and ironically his action gets him killed at once. He is too late in his impulsiveness, it could be said, since it is his delay that has put him where he is in the first place” (Cardullo 493). This leads to his death because as he his hiding behind the arras Hamlet mistakenly kills him for eavesdropping. When Claudius hears of this news, he uses the hurt that a son has for his father for his own personal gain. Which makes Polonius’ hard work to please and impress the kings all for what appears to be nothing when the person he spent effort into impressing doesn’t seem to genuinely mourn his death. Other than Ophelia and Laertes, no one else seemed dismayed about Polonius’ accidental death, Hamlet especially calling Polonius “Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool…” right after he murdered him (3.4.39). While Hamlet is perceived as mad for killing a man without hesitation, no one speaks but Hamlet about believing that Polonius’ death was called for.
However, Hamlet’s rather dismissed “mistake” is what moves and inspires Claudius to take action against Hamlet by convincing others that Hamlet’s madness makes him dangerous “How dangerous is it that this man goes loose!” (4.3.2). Hamlet uses Polonius’ body as a tool “This counselor / Is now most still, most secret, and most grave, / Who was in life a foolish prating knave” to finally leverage take on his action of revenge against Claudius for poisoning his his father and marrying his father's wife (3.4.236-380).
Perhaps the conversation between Hamlet and Polonius in act two, scene two is what Shakespeare wanted to reveal to his audience about Polonius.

Here Hamlet calls Polonius “[A] Tedious old [fool] ” and refers to him as the fishmonger (2.2.237). It is clear that Hamlet lacks respect Polonius. Perhaps Polonius is crying for attention, more respect, or exert more power from Hamlet. “...Ophelia, Laertes, and Claudius all have high regard for Polonius. Hamlet disdains the man.” It seems as if he can place power over his own children but not necessarily anyone else. Polonius has similar characteristics to that of the classic “Igor” or Fritz character. He is the uncredited but needed sickick to the villain but that has little to no benefits however, he does it because he feels that he has must provide the honor for his family “How say you by that? Still harping on /my daughter. Yet he knew me not at first; he said I / was a fishmonger. He is far gone. And truly, in my /youth, I suffered much extremity for love, very near / this” (2.2.204-09) because being the sidekick provides better opportunities and outer appearance than being known as the fishmonger. Polonius does most of the work with gaining information about Hamlet as Claudius stays hand off everything that can make him out to be the villain. In fact Claudius almost only uses the Polonius name to do the majority of his dirty work. By having Laertes attempt to kill Hamlet during a duel but also using Ophelia to get to Hamlet

as well.
In the end Hamlet may have killed Polonius but only Polonius is responsible for causing his death. “When he hesitates so long to tell Claudius and Gertrude what he thinks is causing Hamlet’s madness, it is not to anger or alienate the King and Queen, but to tease or titillate
them with the ‘‘facts’’ (in addition to savoring his own ‘‘discovery’’) that he believes
they want so much to hear” (Cardullo 491). Polonius’ own need to indulge in his ego caused his downfall.