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Short note on character of polonius in hamlet
Short note on character of polonius in hamlet
Essay on polonius
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In William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Polonius, Laertes and Ophelia’s father, gives a long lesson and advice when Laertes going to aboard to Paris. During the lesson, Polonius tells Laertes to “ Give thy thoughts no tongue,/Nor any unproportioned thought his act.” (Shakespeare I.iii.60-61). From these line, audience can understand that Polonius is a careful thought person. He did not allow his son to express his opinion and even you consider something in you brain, just don’t act it out. He’s advice seems restricting the action of his son. I believe the reason he really care about how he’s son act outside of his control is important because he afraid the inappropriate action and saying might affect the family’s honor. This information gives
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
The Manipulation of Polonius and Ophelia in Hamlet. The main plot of Shakespeare's Hamlet centers around Prince Hamlet's desire to repay King Claudius for his evil deeds. This central action revolves around the stories concerning the minor characters of Polonius and Ophelia. Though they do not motivate Hamlet's actions towards the King, these characters act as forces upon Hamlet himself, trying to spur him to do things he does not want to do.
As Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero once stated, “Never go to excess, but let moderation be your guide” (BrainyQuote). The theme of moderation and balance is seen in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. In the tragedy, Prince Hamlet is given the task of avenging his father’s murder by killing his uncle Claudius, who has usurped the throne of Denmark. Meanwhile, through a series of unfortunate events, Laertes comes home to find out that his father, Polonius, has been murdered by Prince Hamlet. While Hamlet struggles throughout the play to fulfill his oath to murder Claudius, Laertes immediately takes up arms, stating that he would do anything, even “cut [Hamlet’s] throat i’ th’ church” to avenge his father (IV, vii, 144). Since audiences frequently
The obedient Ophelia has followed her father's injunctions and repelled Hamlets letters and denied him access to her. Polonius is certain that these rebuffs have driven Hamlet mad. His only action is to inform the king and queen, and to let them decide what the next move will be. In Polonius lengthy discussion with the king and queen he explain the situation:
of readers seem to come to the conclusion that his final act was an act of
Polonius is the one character who always wants things to go his way, all the time, and tries to make it happen in an almost controlling and manipulative way. This is seen early in Act 1, Scene 3, as Polonius orders both of his children, Laertes and Ophelia, to follow his instruction on proper behavior. Polonius advises Laertes and tells him that he must act with practicality and integrity, and expects his soon to do so in order for him to keep hold of his prestige position as the chief counselor of the King’s court. It’s obvious that Polonius pretends to give good advice to his son about being a man, but only does so to make himself look better. Lord Polonius is obviously only concerned about his own
Although initially perceived as a devoted father and beneficial counsellor, Polonius’s true character is swiftly revealed as inherently unethical, establishing the adverse effects of his actions upon his own self. To begin, Polonius utilizes the hesitant Reynaldo as an informer to gather intelligence of his son’s affairs. His great desire for self-progression overcomes reasoning upon entrusting Reynaldo “[through] indirections [to] find directions out” (II, i, 66). Polonius’s ethical paralysis leads him towards familial betrayal in order to gain relevance in the eyes of the new king and such faithlessness reveals his lack of parental understanding and genuine concern. Thus, his general social and moral ineptitude is the key factor in his death
Within his speech to Laertes, Polonius advises him to not borrow from others, to remain
Before Laertes is about to go to France, Polonius talks to him and tells him all of his good advice. While Polonius tells Laertes all of his good advice, he says, “My blessing with thee'; (I.iii.61). This statement shows that Polonius really wants Laertes to be successful when he goes to France. Polonius says, “Beware of entrance to a quarrel';, (I.iii.69) because he wants him to be safe. Polonius wants Laertes to stay out of trouble, and to be friendly with everyone he meets. Another point Polonius wants to make is that it is better to listen than to talk. “Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice'; (I.iii.72). Polonius believes that it is better to listen too much than to talk too much, because sometimes people who talk too much get into trouble, and others don’t like them. Whereas, people who listen more than they talk rarely have others who don’t like them and they don’t get into much trouble. Another way Polonius tells Laertes to stay out of trouble is when he says, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be'; (I.iii.80). This is important because sometimes when things are borrowed, the lender will get mad that the borrower didn’t return when it was needed or the borrower ruined part of it. Even when it is an accident, it is still better to not borrow or lend anything from anyone just in case one person has a short temper. Polonius lastly and most importantly tells Laertes, “This above all to thine own self be true';. This is good advice because if people are not true to themselves, then they can’t really be true to anyone else. Polonius believes that Laertes should have enough self-respect to be true to himself.
In Laertes, Hamlet sees himself, for Polonius' son is only exacting the revenge that is his due, as Hamlet attempts to exact his. When Hamlet uses th...
In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, act 1 scene 3, Polonius decides to give Laertes school advice and to Ophelia, some relationship advice. Some would consider Polonius’s advice to his kids fair and show that he is a caring and wise father while others might see his advice as strict, concerning, controlling, and a direct reflection towards his own character. By taking a closer look, Polonius may be pointing out hidden flaws and weaknesses that he wants his children to work on when interacting with others. To start off, he begins to explain to Laertes about making smart decisions by listening more than talking and choosing his friends wisely, thus proving that Polonius doesn't want Laertes to embarrass
He held a knife and just as quick as Polonius came into this world he was taken from it... in this scene Hamlet accidentally slays Polonius (the father of his lover). Hamlet is very shook even before this scene. He has made everyone around him nervous and scared; some even worried. Many of Hamlets decisions throughout the play make him mad; but is it justified? That is the question. Does he have a reasonable reason to be this way?
... the only way to honour his father Polonius is by killing Hamlet. In addition, as Claudius reads the letter from Hamlet to Laertes he says “'Tis Hamlet’s character. “Naked” And in a postscript here, he says “alone.” Can you advise me?” (IV, VII, 52-53). This shows that Claudius takes advantage of Hamlet’s return alone as an opportunity for Laertes to kill him. Through Claudius’s actions the readers observe how he deceives Laertes into killing Hamlet for his own benefit without getting blood on his hands. Furthermore, Claudius’ desperation to kill Hamlet leads to him losing sight of what is important, which is being the king of Denmark, what he originally wanted, instead the lies he told and the manipulation he spread is now taking over. To conclude, it is evident through the play that the words and actions of Claudius have only lead to the spread of deception.
All in all based on their duty and protection, trustworthiness, and loyalty to each other Laertes remained the most normal relationship in the play and it’s clear that they both loved each other deeply though they didn’t have the change to tell it to each other. The long list of normal fatherly advice that Polonius gives creates a somewhat stereotypical father-son signifying his love for Laertes, in the play’s many family relationships. Though Polonius was distrustful of Laertes in France it’s arguable that he could have been over protective of his son because of his love for him. The headstrong, active, loyal and affectionate Laertes when his father died contrasted with Hamlet becoming his foil in the play. The purpose of Polonius and Laertes father – son relationship is important as it enriches the conflicts occurring in Fortinbras and Hamlet’s family.
His father was killed by Hamlet and his sister was driven insane due to the series of events that took place because of Hamlet. Like Hamlet, Laertes wants to avenge his father by killing the man who killed Polonius. As described earlier, Hamlet is slow to act. Laertes, on the other hand, acts quickly and with precision, wasting no time in acquiring his target and formulating a plan. Robert Palfrey Utter, Jr., puts it best, Hamlet and Laertes both come to the same conclusion that murder must be carried out, but Hamlet reaches that conclusion only “after he has had a few minutes to think it over.” (140) Once Laertes finds out that the man who killed his father was Hamlet he is ready to charge in and kill him as soon as possible. He is only stopped by Claudius, who advises him on a more subtle approach. Straight off the bat it is clear how efficient Laertes is compared to Hamlet. Hamlet wastes a large amount of time scheming up complex ideas on how to get a confession out of Claudius and how to kill him. Laertes on the other hand wastes no time in getting a straight and to the point plan that he can execute immediately. After spending more than half the play watching Hamlet squirm around on the stage getting almost nothing accomplished, the audience would be acutely aware of the stark difference between Hamlet and Laertes even though they share the same motivations. Laertes has his speed but he shares in Hamlets lack of critical thinking when he gets hot headed. He is in such a blind rage that he doesn’t think on what he is agreeing to do with Claudius. Just like Hamlet, his brash actions cost those around him his life. In carrying out the plan, the King, the Queen, Hamlet, and he all die to the poison that was used in the duel. Hamlet was slow and reckless while Laertes was quick and reckless. Wilds sums up the relationship between Hamlet and Laertes perfectly, “Laertes and Hamlet have been foils to each other