Polonius advises his son
to think well before speaking and taking actions
. Asks his son to be friendly but never to cross limits. He tells him to make friends but warns him about false friends. He asks him not to enter into a quarrel if he can not avoid it then make the opponent aware of his strength.
What is Polonius most famous line?
Polonius’s most famous lines are found in Act 1 Scene 3 (“
Neither a borrower nor a lender be
“; “To thine own self be true”) and Act 2 Scene 2 (“Brevity is the soul of wit”; and “Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t”) while others have become paraphrased aphorisms (“Clothes make the man”; “Old friends are …
What are three pieces of advice that Polonius gives to Laertes?
As Laertes sets off for France, Polonius peppers him with advice. This includes worldly advice fit for a courtier’s son:
dress as well (expensively) as you can, but in good, subdued taste
; listen more than you talk; keep your opinions to yourself; be friendly but not too friendly.
Is Polonius’s advice good?
A far more interesting view is that Polonius is giving advice that Shakespeare finds hypocritical and falsely felt, that the speech is to be heard by the audience (and reader) as the opposite of “good advice.” Is “
To thine own self be true
” really good advice (some critics amend the ending: “Thou canst then be false to …
What advice does Polonius give Laertes and Ophelia?
Polonius sternly echoes Laertes’ advice and forbids
Ophelia to associate with Hamlet anymore
. He tells her that Hamlet has deceived her in swearing his love and that she should see through his false vows and rebuff his affections.
What are the best pieces of advice Polonius offers to his son?
Polonius’s last piece of advice to his son is
to be true to himself
. After listening to his father ramble about how he should conduct himself in France, Laertes says goodbye to his family and leaves for school.
What is ironic about Polonius advice to his two children?
Herein lies the irony. For example, his first bit of advice to Laertes is don’t tell people what is on your mind, or act hastily. Certainly this is ironic because
Polonius is unable to act as he instructs his son to act while away at school
. Polonius cannot keep his mouth shut.
What are Polonius last words?
Dead, for a ducat, dead! [Behind]
O, I am slain
! O me, what hast thou done?
What kind of man is Polonius?
A Danish lord
, Polonius is the father of Laertes and Ophelia. And he’s exactly the kind of dad who’s so embarrassing that you don’t even want to bring friends to meet him: he’s self-absorbed, long-winded, and dull.
How does Polonius conclude Hamlet is mad?
Therefore, Polonius has come to the conclusion that
Hamlet does actually love Ophelia
, and he thinks that Hamlet believes that his love for Ophelia is unrequited—that she does not return his feelings since she has refused to see him or accept any tokens from him (at her father’s direction)—and that this has driven …
What does the phrase brevity is the soul of wit mean?
Brevity is the soul of wit comes from the play Hamlet, written by English poet William Shakespeare around 1603. Polonius says it in act 2, scene 2. Simply put, brevity is the soul of wit means
that clever people can express intelligent things using very few words
.
Who first said to thine own self be true?
‘To thine own self be true’ is a line from act 1 scene 3 of Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. It is spoken by
King Claudius’ chief minister, Polonius
as part of a speech where he is giving his son, Laertes, his blessing and advice on how to behave whilst at university.
Why is Polonius angry with Ophelia?
Hamlet suspects that Polonius may be watching, which, of course, he is. He is angry with
Ophelia for setting him up in this way
and with Polonius for trying to use Ophelia to determine his motives.
What does Polonius say to Ophelia?
give me up the truth
. He tells Ophelia that she must be careful since she is not yet old enough to have even a clear understanding of herself as much as she should, being his daughter and for the protection of her honour (chastity). She is still immature and therefore naive.
What do Polonius and Laertes agree on?
Polonius enters, and offers Laertes lengthy advice on
how to live in Paris
; he spouts a string of aphoristic clichés enumerating the shoulds and shouldn’ts of a young man’s life. Laertes agrees, telling Polonius that he really must be going, and reminding Ophelia of his directive to her.
How does Polonius respond to his daughter?
In the same scene, Polonius advises his daughter Ophelia
to avoid Hamlet
because he’s worried about her. … The happiness of Polonius’s family is reflected in his children’s reaction to his murder. Laertes passionately pursues revenge, and Ophelia feels so struck with grief that she goes mad.
