Polonius played a vital role in Hamlet even though he was not one of the main characters. He continued to reinforce the theme of corruption and displayed the social and ethical collapse of Denmark. His deceitful actions show the reader that he is one of dishonesty and chicanery. In the play, Polonius was portrayed as someone who is a deceiver and pretender that betrays people he is supposed to be devoted to; and who only cares about things that will benefit him. These characteristics of Polonius are seen through his interactions with Ophelia, Hamlet, Laertes, Reynaldo and the King.
Polonius can be depicted as two faced. This is evident with his interactions with the King. Polonius was loyal and faithful to King Hamlet, Gertrude, and Hamlet. Polonius was King Hamlet’s loyal advisor yet, he jumped bandwagons whenever he saw there was something he could gain. However, his loyalty to the King and Prince Hamlet was restricted. Polonius declares his allegiance to Claudius, the new King in the following speech, ‘I assure my good liege, I hold my duty as I hold my soul, both to God and to my gracious king…’ If Polonius were indeed loyal to King Hamlet, he would not have supported the devious and cruel Claudius. He declares that his soul belongs to God, yet if he were a committed Christian, as he says he is, he would have been faithful towards his children and the King.
Polonius is selfish and only cares about his well-being. Polonius does not care about Ophelia and her relationship with Hamlet, but only cares that it makes him look bad. Polonius is more worried about where he stands with King Claudius, than his standing with his daughter’s thoughts and feelings. When he discusses Hamlets love with her he states, “You’ll tender me fool,” a...
... middle of paper ...
... about Polonius, “Thou wretched, rash intruding fool, farewell! I took thee for thy better…let me wring your heart for I shall if it be made of impenetrable stuff…” (III.iv.31-36). It is evident, throughout the play, that Polonius lacks compassion and respect. In the end, Polonius faces the ultimate consequence for all of his actions- death.
Works Cited
"Introduction to Shakespeare's Polonius from Hamlet." Introduction to Shakespeare's Polonius from Hamlet. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
“Hamlet Haven: Polonius.” Hamlet Haven: Polonius N.p, n.d, Sun. 20 Apr. 2014
"Polonius." Polonius. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
Shakespeare, William. “Hamlet” Literature for Composition. Ed. Sylvan Barnet, William Burto, and William E. Cain. 10th ed. New York: Pearson, 2013. 878-980. Print.
Stimpson, Catherine R. “Polonius, Our Pundit.” American Scholar 71.4 (Aut. 2002): 97-108.
Hamlet is a play by Shakespeare that tells a story of desired revenge. King Hamlet dies and Hamlet comes home to find his mother interested in someone else and King Hamlet comes back as a ghost. One of the minor characters but has an important role is Polonius, an old wise counselor of the king. He is also the father of Ophelia and as most fathers he is loving and loves his daughter. Two film versions of the play that seem to display Polonius quite differently are Hamlet by Mel Gibson and David Tennant. Polonius is portrayed different in three areas of the films, his ability to listen, ability to focus, and his compassion.
"Hamlet." Shakespeare for Students: Critical Interpretations of Shakespeare's Plays and Poetry. Ed. Anne Marie Hacht. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2007. 193-225. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 28 Nov. 2011.
In Hamlet, The new king Claudius is able to gain respect from the kingdom. He even steals the love of Hamlet’s mother Gertrude. The old king’s councilor, Polonius, becomes Claudius’s councilor and his best friend. He helps Claudius keep an eye on Hamlet and tries to keep him from finding out anything about his father’s death. Polonius believes that if he helps Claudius that he can make life better for himself and for his daughter and son. But in the end, his actions get him slayed, drive his daughter to insanity, and eventually set...
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet (The New Folger Library Shakespeare). Simon & Schuster; New Folger Edition, 2003.
character Polonius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet fits the description of one who tries to deceive others
Oakes, Elizabeth. A. "Polonius, the Man behind the Arras: A Jungian Study. " New Essays on Hamlet.
Shakespeare, William. “Hamlet.” The Norton Introduction to Literature. Ed. Kelly J. Mays. 11th ed. New York: Norton, 2013.1709-1804. Print.
The. Stockton, Carla Lynn. CliffsNotes on the Hamlet. 02 Mar 2014 /literature/h/hamlet/hamlet-at-a-glance>. Weller, Philip.
Hamlet – the Wise Polonius 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.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 2nd ed. Vol. C. Ed. Sarah Lawall. New York: Norton, 2005. Print.
good-bye in his chambers, Polonius tells his son: Beware Of entrance to a quarrel, but,
...ot he was completely guilty for Polonius’s death, but as I studied his actions and mannerisms I came to the conclusion he was guilty of both. I was assured when his feelings of depression over his fathers continued and his only goal in life became power over the situation and avenging him. Being in control became somewhat of an obsession because he thought he could overcome any situation if that was the case, but it was just a simple minded way of trying to justify the situation. When you pretend to be something for so long it either unintentionally reflects off you automatically, you begin to forget whom you really are and what you stand for, or you end up liking the front you’ve created for yourself more than your true self; and I believe that is exactly what happened.
Mack, Maynard. “The World of Hamlet.” Yale Review. vol. 41 (1952) p. 502-23. Rpt. in Shakespeare: Modern Essays in Criticism. Rev. ed. Ed. Leonard F. Dean. New York: Oxford University P., 1967.
... 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.
Hamlet: one of the most analyzed tragic heroes in all of literature. Hamlet, the main character in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is conflicted throughout the whole play. He obsesses over avenging his father’s death, and this leads to rash, irresponsible actions that cause others to suffer, as well. He plans to kill Claudius, his uncle, for murdering his father and then marrying his mother. In an act of outrage, Hamlet unknowingly kills Polonius, the King’s assistant, instead. This creates even more problems because now someone else’s father is dead. Hamlet is somewhat of an inconsistent character; he’s different almost every time we see him. Hamlet displays characteristics of depression, irony, timidity, and being hurt.