Polonius (Counsellor of the King)
“Give thy thoughts no tongue” Polonius advises Laertes to keep his
thoughts private, warning against
speaking rashly. Exemplifies the
theme of restraint and the courtly
need to control appearances.
“Of entrance to a quarrel; but Polonius cautions Laertes not to
being in” seek fights, but if he must, to
behave with dignity. Exemplifies
Renaissance ideals of honour —
measured, not reckless.
“Take each man’s censure,° but Advises Laertes to listen to others’
reserve thy judgment.” opinions but keep his own counsel.
Exemplifies worldly wisdom and
political caution in a corrupt court.
“Thou canst not then be false to Famous line: “To thine own self be
any man. Farewell. My blessing true…” Polonius suggests integrity
season this° in thee!” is the key to honesty with others.
Exemplifies Renaissance humanist
values — though ironically, Polonius
himself is duplicitous.
“Affection pooh! You speak like a Polonius dismisses Ophelia’s
green girl, Unsifted° in such feelings for Hamlet as childish
perilous circumstance.” naivety. Exemplifies patriarchal
control and the belittling of female
emotion.
“I will teach you. Think yourself a Polonius infantilises Ophelia,
baby” claiming she is too immature to
judge for herself. Exemplifies the
lack of agency granted to women,
and Polonius’s authoritarian role as
father.
“Tender yourself more dearly… Wordplay: if Ophelia does not value
thus you’ll tender me a fool” herself, she will make Polonius look
foolish. Exemplifies how women’s
chastity is tied to male honour and
reputation.
“Ay, springes to catch woodcocks.° Polonius compares Hamlet’s
I do know, When the blood burns,” passion to a trap (springes) for the
foolish (woodcocks). Exemplifies
the theme of sexual deception and
his distrust of Hamlet’s intentions.
“These blazes, daughter, Giving Polonius likens Hamlet’s love to a
more light than heat, extinct in fleeting blaze that quickly dies out.
both, Even in their promise, as it is Exemplifies cynicism about youthful
a-making, You must not take for passion and the view that Hamlet’s
fire.” affections are insincere.
“Set your entreatments at a higher Polonius urges Ophelia to raise her
, rate” value by resisting Hamlet’s
advances. Exemplifies the
transactional view of women in
marriage and the pressure to
preserve chastity as currency.
“And how, and who, what means, Polonius’s list of questions
and where they keep, /What, exemplifies his suspicious and
company, and what expense; and controlling nature as he sends
finding Reynaldo to spy on Laertes. His
obsessive detailing shows his
mistrust and tendency to
manipulate others.
“Such wanton, wild, and unusual This quote exemplifies the
slips as are companions noted and perception of youthful freedom as
most known to youth and liberty” dangerous. Polonius assumes
Laertes will inevitably fall into
reckless behaviour’s, reflecting his
cynical view of human nature.
“Drinking, fencing, swearing, The list exemplifies stereotypical
quarrelling, drabbing. You may go youthful vices, which Polonius
so far” expects of Laertes. Shakespeare
shows how quickly virtue is
overshadowed by suspicion in a
world ruled by distrust.
“Breathe his faults so quaintly that This exemplifies manipulation in
they may seem the taints of language. Polonius advises
liberty” Reynaldo to frame Laertes’s faults
as natural to youth, making
dishonour seem harmless and
normal.
“- what was I about to say? By the Polonius’s forgetfulness exemplifies
mass, I was about so say his comic side. While he schemes,
something! Where did I leave?” his wandering mind reveals him as
verbose and foolish, undercutting
his authority.
“Come, go with me. I will go seek Here Polonius exemplifies the
the king. This is the very ecstasy tendency to misinterpret Hamlet’s
of love, whose violent property behaviour. He attributes the
fordoes itself and leads the will to prince’s madness to love, showing
desperate undertakings as oft as how people project their own
any passion under heaven that assumptions rather than seeing
does afflict our natures. I am sorry. deeper truths.
What, have you given him ant
hard words of late?”
“That hath made him mad. I am Polonius exemplifies regret,
sorry that with better heed and admitting he dismissed Hamlet’s
judgement I had not quoted him. I affection as trifling. This shows his
feared he did but trifle and meant shortsightedness and how his strict
to wrack thee.” control over Ophelia contributes to
“Give thy thoughts no tongue” Polonius advises Laertes to keep his
thoughts private, warning against
speaking rashly. Exemplifies the
theme of restraint and the courtly
need to control appearances.
“Of entrance to a quarrel; but Polonius cautions Laertes not to
being in” seek fights, but if he must, to
behave with dignity. Exemplifies
Renaissance ideals of honour —
measured, not reckless.
“Take each man’s censure,° but Advises Laertes to listen to others’
reserve thy judgment.” opinions but keep his own counsel.
Exemplifies worldly wisdom and
political caution in a corrupt court.
“Thou canst not then be false to Famous line: “To thine own self be
any man. Farewell. My blessing true…” Polonius suggests integrity
season this° in thee!” is the key to honesty with others.
Exemplifies Renaissance humanist
values — though ironically, Polonius
himself is duplicitous.
“Affection pooh! You speak like a Polonius dismisses Ophelia’s
green girl, Unsifted° in such feelings for Hamlet as childish
perilous circumstance.” naivety. Exemplifies patriarchal
control and the belittling of female
emotion.
“I will teach you. Think yourself a Polonius infantilises Ophelia,
baby” claiming she is too immature to
judge for herself. Exemplifies the
lack of agency granted to women,
and Polonius’s authoritarian role as
father.
“Tender yourself more dearly… Wordplay: if Ophelia does not value
thus you’ll tender me a fool” herself, she will make Polonius look
foolish. Exemplifies how women’s
chastity is tied to male honour and
reputation.
“Ay, springes to catch woodcocks.° Polonius compares Hamlet’s
I do know, When the blood burns,” passion to a trap (springes) for the
foolish (woodcocks). Exemplifies
the theme of sexual deception and
his distrust of Hamlet’s intentions.
“These blazes, daughter, Giving Polonius likens Hamlet’s love to a
more light than heat, extinct in fleeting blaze that quickly dies out.
both, Even in their promise, as it is Exemplifies cynicism about youthful
a-making, You must not take for passion and the view that Hamlet’s
fire.” affections are insincere.
“Set your entreatments at a higher Polonius urges Ophelia to raise her
, rate” value by resisting Hamlet’s
advances. Exemplifies the
transactional view of women in
marriage and the pressure to
preserve chastity as currency.
“And how, and who, what means, Polonius’s list of questions
and where they keep, /What, exemplifies his suspicious and
company, and what expense; and controlling nature as he sends
finding Reynaldo to spy on Laertes. His
obsessive detailing shows his
mistrust and tendency to
manipulate others.
“Such wanton, wild, and unusual This quote exemplifies the
slips as are companions noted and perception of youthful freedom as
most known to youth and liberty” dangerous. Polonius assumes
Laertes will inevitably fall into
reckless behaviour’s, reflecting his
cynical view of human nature.
“Drinking, fencing, swearing, The list exemplifies stereotypical
quarrelling, drabbing. You may go youthful vices, which Polonius
so far” expects of Laertes. Shakespeare
shows how quickly virtue is
overshadowed by suspicion in a
world ruled by distrust.
“Breathe his faults so quaintly that This exemplifies manipulation in
they may seem the taints of language. Polonius advises
liberty” Reynaldo to frame Laertes’s faults
as natural to youth, making
dishonour seem harmless and
normal.
“- what was I about to say? By the Polonius’s forgetfulness exemplifies
mass, I was about so say his comic side. While he schemes,
something! Where did I leave?” his wandering mind reveals him as
verbose and foolish, undercutting
his authority.
“Come, go with me. I will go seek Here Polonius exemplifies the
the king. This is the very ecstasy tendency to misinterpret Hamlet’s
of love, whose violent property behaviour. He attributes the
fordoes itself and leads the will to prince’s madness to love, showing
desperate undertakings as oft as how people project their own
any passion under heaven that assumptions rather than seeing
does afflict our natures. I am sorry. deeper truths.
What, have you given him ant
hard words of late?”
“That hath made him mad. I am Polonius exemplifies regret,
sorry that with better heed and admitting he dismissed Hamlet’s
judgement I had not quoted him. I affection as trifling. This shows his
feared he did but trifle and meant shortsightedness and how his strict
to wrack thee.” control over Ophelia contributes to
