The Character Polonius in Shakespeare's Hamlet *No Works Cited In Hamlet, Polonius is a well-respected and important person. Analysis (5) Characters (9) Essays (72) Quotes (104) All Books (21) Ridiculous and instinctively smart, Polonius is a kind of comic relief in the play. Grebanier states on the foolishness of Polonius’ speech: “Such guidance will do for those who wish to make the world their prey, but it is dignified by no humanity. Osric, Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern | Hamlet settings | Hamlet themes | Hamlet in modern English | Hamlet full text | Modern Hamlet ebook | Hamlet for kids ebooks | Hamlet quotes | Hamlet quote translations | Hamlet monologues | Hamlet soliloquies | Hamlet performance history | All about ‘To Be Or Not To Be’. Polonius foolishly believes that he knows what underlies Hamlet’s madness; while Hamlet, and the audience, knows that he is wrong. His daughter, Ophelia, commits suicide under the extreme pressure placed on her by three powerful men – Claudius, Hamlet and Polonius, led by Polonius, who uses her as bait to prove his theory about Hamlet’s madness. Elizabeth Oakes comments on this scene, “Although Polonius is not in motley, Hamlet calls him a fool often enough, although nowhere more significantly than in the closet scene after the murder” (Oakes 106). After a short debate, Ophelia receives her father’s new instructions, almost completely contradicting the previous ones: now she is literally a bait for Hamlet. Oakes, Elizabeth. 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. Study: In-depth Character analysis of Gertrude. Still harping on my daughter. 113-119.”. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. It’s interesting that those quotes have become the epitome of wisdom, considering that they come from someone who is in many ways a meddling, insincere, foolish old man. Thus, Polonius’ role in the play as Hamlet’s foil would be the role of the fool. In conclusion, Shakespeare created Polonius as a very unique and complex character. I took thee for my better. In this way, Hamlet is using his power of analysis, and therefore cannot be truly crazy. (3. New York: G.K. Hall and Co, 1995. Scholars believe that Shakespeare created Polonius as a fool because of his foolish dialogue throughout the play. In that, he is an important dimension to the characterisation of Hamlet, and the themes Shakespeare conveys through the text. When Gertrude tells Claudius of Polonius’ death, Claudius responds by saying: O heavy deed! Need Custom Character Analysis Sample With Quotes or Maybe Help With Editing? 1. 2. Martin Dodsworth comments on the reaction of Polonius after Hamlet insults him: “Polonius accepts the bad treatment sent out to him as that of a man who is out of his mind: ‘How say you by that? The conversations between Polonius and Hamlet can make the play almost comic. … (4. (2. Pompous and arrogant, Polonius is also the overbearing father of Ophelia and Laertes. Polonius Polonius behind the curtain by Jehan Georges Vibert, 1868 . Article last reviewed: 2019 | St. Rosemary Institution © 2010-2020 | Creative Commons 4.0. good lord. 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. It had been so with us, had we been there. 93-102). As Laertes sets off for France to continue his studies, Polonius gives him paradoxical advice, including the famous quotation, "to thine own self be true”—an ironic line from a man who cannot keep his advice consistent. Parts of Hamlet present Polonius as a fool, whose love of his own voice leads to … A major dramatic device, he is essential to the development of the play’s plot, driving it throughout most of the text. ‘Mad’ call I it, for, to define true madness, What is ‘t but to be nothing else but mad? States, Bert O. Hamlet and the Concept of Character. Polonius is one of the major characters in Hamlet, his role in the play is of great interest to scholars. While this advice is simple, when looked at in full context his advice to his son is all about self-advancement. He, as the Lord Chamberlain of Claudius' courts, is no longer a private person but a public one. This was extremely hard to follow. You Are One Click Away From Getting Your Work Done, Father-Child Relationships in Hamlet and Fences, Hamlet a Domestic Play or a Commentary on Power Politics, Importance of Minor Characters in Shakespear, Death theme In the play "Hamlet" by Shakespeare, Character Traits of Shakespeare's Gertrude and Ophelia, Laertes and Ophelia as Character Foils in Hamlet. Polonius hides and gracelessly listens to the young couple’s conversation. What he or his children do has important communal, not just personal … He is, at the same time, the wise old man, the scapegoat, the fool, the politician. He says that he will be brief, but continues to babble. It has been acted live in countries throughout the world and has been translated into every language. Hamlet is the most popular of Shakespeare’s plays for theater audiences and readers. He does not consider other possibilities and foolishly jumps to the conclusion that Hamlet is mad for Ophelia’s love. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. White believes that Polonius should have considered other options for Hamlet’s madness: “But when saying that it is simply Ophelia’s rejection that has made Hamlet mad, he is ignorant of the predisposed mental state of the young man caused by his mother’s remarriage, the recent encounter with the ghost and the whole repressive machinery of Denmark’s social and political life” (White 67). The Queen responds to his statement by saying “More matter with less art” (2. Shakespeare, William. “Hamlet and the Security of the South African State.” Critical Essays on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. 2. New York: Washington Square Press published by Pocket Books, 1992. Parts of Hamlet present Polonius as a fool, whose love of his own voice leads to his constant babbling. Polonius, a secondary character in Hamlet, is a good example of the difference between a Shakespeare text as ‘literature’ that can be individually read and a Shakespeare text that is meant to be performed on the stage.

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