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The role of polonius in hamlet
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Polonius: A Fool in Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Hamlet is the most popular of Shakespeare’s plays for theater audiences and readers. It has been acted live in countries throughout the world and has been translated into every language. Polonius is one of the major characters in Hamlet, his role in the play is of great interest to scholars. Parts of Hamlet present Polonius as a fool, whose love of his own voice leads to his constant babbling. Scholars have been analyzing the character of
Polonius for centuries, and his role in Hamlet will continue to be analyzed for centuries to come. Scholars believe that Shakespeare created Polonius as a fool because of his foolish dialogue throughout the play.
Polonius granted Laertes permission to go back to school in France. While saying good-bye in his chambers, Polonius tells his son: Beware Of entrance to a quarrel, but, being in, Bear’t that th’ opposed may beware of thee. Give every man they ear, but few thy voice. Take each man’s censure, but reserve they judgment. Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not expressed in fancy (rich, not gaudy) For the apparel oft proclaims the man, And they in France of the best rank and station (Are) of a most select and generous chief in that. Neither a borrower or a lender (be,) For (loan) oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing (dulls the) edge of husbandry. This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.
(1. 3. 71-87) The advice that Polonius gives to Laertes is simple and sounds foolish being told to a person of Laertes’ age. Martin Orkin comments on the nature of Polonius’ speech: 2 “Shakespeare’s first audience would recognize in Polonius’ predilection for such commonplace expressions of worldly wisdom a mind that runs along conventional tracks, sticking only to what is practically useful in terms of worldly self-advancement” (Orkin
179). Polonius gives Laertes simple advice, to keep his thoughts to himself and to never lend or borrow money. While this advice is simple, when looked at in full context his advice to his son is all about self-advancement. Polonius will go to all extremes to protect his reputation. Grebanier states on the foolishness of Polonius’ speech: “Such guidance will do for those who wish to make the world thei...
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...speare created Polonius as a very unique and complex character. Scholars argue and will continue to argue over the reasons for Polonius’ foolishness. Throughout the play Polonius tends to act foolish thinking that he knows the reason for Hamlet’s madness, while the audience knows that he is wrong.
Shakespeare created Polonius as a controversial character and only he will ever know why
Polonius was created so foolish.
Bibliography
Works Cited Grebanier, Bernard. The Heart of Hamlet. New York: Thomas Y. Cromwell
Co, 1960. Hartwig, Joan. “Parodic Polonius”. Texas Studies in Literature and Language: vol. 13, 1971. Kirschbaum, Leo. Character and Characterization in Shakespeare. Detroit:
Wayne State UP, 1962. Oakes, Elizabeth. “Polonius, the Man behind the Arras: A Jungian
Study.” New Essays on Hamlet. New York: AMS Press, 1994. Orkin, Martin. “Hamlet and the Security of the South African State.” Critical Essays on Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
New York: G.K. Hall and Co, 1995. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet,
Prince of Denmark. New York: Washington Square Press published by Pocket Books,
1992. States, Bert O. Hamlet and the Concept of Character. Baltimore: John Hopkins UP,
1992.
In the Mel Gibson version, Polonius possesses the ability to listen though we see this in many characters the main one is towards Ophelia. Polonius takes time to let her talk as he listens. Although, in the David Tennant film, he tends to focus more on what he has to say other than simply listening. One instance in which Polonius talks about giving advice to others but he is not taking for himself is when he says, “This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow as the night the day, Though canst not then be false to any man.” He learns that listening to others can
“What is the matter, my lord?” asks Polonius. Hamlet answers, “Between who?” (2.2.193-194). Tenney Davis responds to this by saying that Hamlet feigned his insanity convincingly by taking things too literally, which manifested in a desire to “split hairs” (Davis 630). Hamlet was always annoyed with Polonius and his garrulous speeches, but reacted not in an irrational way, but to the contrary, with the most simple, though rude, coherent answers.
After Laertes knows about the mysterious death of his father and thinks the King Claudius killed him, he organizes a rebellious army and fight all the way into the castle to get revenge for his father. By the time the messenger comes and tells Claudius and Gertrude that [Young Laertes, in a riotous head, overbears [the King’s] officers.] (Act IV scene iv l.102-103)Laertes’s rebellious army are already at the last door to where the King is. Laertes, as a gentleman from a noble family and a scholar studying abroad, has fairly high self-respect and sense of honor. When his father’s been killed and buried secretly his family lost their honor. Therefore his self-respect pushes him to regain the pride that has been lost, even if it means that he has to act against the head of the kingdom, the King of Denmark, to find out the truth of the death of his father. However his father, Polonius, is the totally opposite of him. Polonius has always been a sycophant to Claudius, everything he says is to please the King. He tells his daughter, Ophelia, that Hamlet doesn’t love her, he is only playing with her. Yet, what he says to the King is that “[He] went round to work, and [his] young mistress thus [he] did bespeak: ‘Lord Hamlet is a prince, out of [Ophelia’s] star. This must not be.’” (Act II scene ii l.147-149) Also, Polonius is willing to “loose [his] daughter to [Hamlet]. Be the [King and him] behind an arras then, mark the
After hearing this description, Polonius assumes that only one thing could cause Hamlet to behave like this so he asks is Hamlet is “Mad for thy love?” (II, i, 94) This scene is full of beautiful language spoken b...
one of Polonius’ most ironic lines: "Madam, I swear I use no art at all," (II. ii 104). Readers
Oakes, Elizabeth. A. "Polonius, the Man behind the Arras: A Jungian Study. " New Essays on Hamlet.
Both Laertes and Polonius recognise that Hamlet, being young and foolish, is also not subject to the same consequences of reckless behaviour as Ophelia: “with a larger tether may he walk.” But there are two main differences in what Polonius says and doesn’t saw: his warning lacks the political slant, and he attacks Hamlet’s integrity.
The scene between Hamlet and Polonius took place in Act II Scene 2. In Hamlet's first encounter with Polonius, he immediately insulted the old man by calling him a "fishmonger". He then quickly changed his opinion and complemented Polonius by calling him an honest man. Hamlet said, "to be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand". As we know Polonius definitely was not such a man. Hamlet was portrayed as a clever lad, who was playing a psychological game with an old fool. He asked Polonius whether or not he had a daughter, pretending he did not know that Ophelia was Polonius's daughter. When Hamlet was asked about what he was reading, he replied by saying, "words, words, words". Throughout this scene, Hamlet revealed himself to Polonius as a mentally unstable man. He was playing a fool himself, while ingeniously using this to make Polonius look like an even bigger fool. He cleverly insulted Polonius' appearances indirectly, by referring to the book he was reading. According to that book old men had grey beards, their faces were wrinkled, they had a plentiful lack of wit, and so on. He was describing Polonius exactly. Perhaps the most humorous part took place when Hamlet, while saying, "for yourself, sir, shall grow old as I am, if like a crab you could go backward", he advanced towards Polonius, causing him to walk backwards. Those words and the actions on the stage revealed Hamlet to be a daring young man. When Polonius finally left, Hamlet dropped his pretense and yelled, "These tedious old fools!". In Act III Scene 2, Hamlet used a recorder, the musical instrument, as a telescope when Polonius entered the scene. He asked Polonius, "Do you see yonder cloud that's almost in shape of a camel?". Hamlet always pretended to be the madman in front of Polonius, while he actually made him look like an old fool.
"That I may pour my spirits in thine ear,/And chastise with the valor of my
says “To thine own self be true” to Laertes after many lines of a speech in which Polonius tells
The older gent in Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, namely Polonius, is no type character. Rather he is quite rounded and complex. This essay will explore his character.
Polonius is over-eager and tries to give unwanted advice, during the play he is tactless and often rude. For instance, Polonius is a comic relief during his conversation with Gertrude and Claudius regarding Hamlet’s madness. Polonius rambling through his conversation contrasts with Gertrude’s seriousness of wanting to find out the reason to Hamlet’s madness. As Polonius begins to deliver to the king and queen the results of his investigation, he makes this statement, “My liege, and madam, to expostulate/ What majesty should be, what duty is,/ What day is day, night is night, and time is time,/ Were nothing but to waste night, day, and time;/ Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,/ And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,/ I will be brief. Your noble son is mad. . . .”(IIii,86-92) . Polonius’ speech is windy and nonsensical he wastes ti...
I agree with the statement that Polonius, adviser in the court of King Claudius of Denmark, is a good father who desires what is best for his children. Although he may be a fussy and overcautious old man, Polonius constantly gives good advice and his best wishes to both his children, Laertes and Ophelia.
In response to Polonius’ question, “Do you know me?” Hamlet responds, “Excellent well you are a fishmonger” (II,ii,174). This is the first of much ridicule that Hamlet directs at the ignorant Polonius. The reason for ridicu...
Polonius gives his advice only to appear to be the loving, caring, and loving father. For example, Polonius gives Laertes his. blessing to go away, only to have a spy follow him and keep an eye on him. him. I will be a sailor. This shows his lack of trust in anyone he gives the appearance.