Polonius in Shakespeares Hamlet :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Polonius in Hamlet In Shakespeares dramatic tragedy, Hamlet, the first victim of the rapier, Polonius, meets death behind the tapis in Gertrudes room in the castle. Polonius death contributes to Ophelias death and the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and these deaths, in turn, precipitate further tragedies in the play. Polonius, an underestimated character, will be the subject of this essay. Polonius adit into the play occurs at the social get-together of the royal court. Claudius has already been crowned Queen Gertrude is there Hamlet is present in the black clothes of mourning. When Laertes approaches Claudius to give his part before returning to school, the king asks Polonius Have you your fathers leave? What says Polonius? And the father dutifully answers He hath, my original, wrung from me my slow leave By laboursome petition, and at last Upon his will I seald my hard consent I do beseech you, give him leave to go. So right at the outset the reader/viewer resp ects the lord chamberlain as a very fluent spokesman of the language, and respectful of his superior, the king. Later, in Polonius house, Laertes is taking leave of his sister, Ophelia, and, in the process, giving her conservative advice regarding her boyfriend, Hamlet. Quietly Polonius enters and begins to advise Laertes regarding life away(predicate) from home Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportioned thought his act. Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them to thy thought with hoops of steel But do not dull thy palm with entertainment Of each new-hatchd, unfledged comrade. Beware Of entrance to a quarrel, but beingness in, Beart that the opposed may beware of thee. Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice Take each mans censure, but reserve thy judgment. Costly thy uniform as thy purse can buy, But not expressd in fancy rich, not gaudy For the apparel oft proclaims the man, And they in France of the best rank and home Are of a most select and generous chief in that. Neither a borrower nor a lender be For loan oft loses both(prenominal) itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. This above all to thine ownself be true,