How Does Polonius Manipulate Hamlet

In Act 3 Hamlet finally decides that now is the time for action, he must betray both Claudius and Ophelia if he is to get anywhere. The first scene in act 3 includes Hamlet acting berzerk towards Ophelia while Claudius and Polonius watch from the shadows. In this scene the pride of Polonius is what will lead to his demise. Due to Polonius thinking so very highly of himself, he must get involved in the affairs of Hamlet and Ophelia. This ends up draws him into

If it weren't for Polonius none of this would have happened. If you think about it everyone's death was because of Polonius because it was a domino effect. First, it started off with Polonius telling Hamlet that he couldn't date Ophelia, And Hamlet was upset and sad. Hamlet then figured out the truth about his Father and Claudius, Claudius then found out Hamlet knew and didn't want Gertrude or anyone to know that he murdered Hamlet's Father. So, Claudius planned to kill Hamlet but, Hamlet planned to kill Claudius so one day he went to kill him, but ended up stabbing Polonius which made Ophelia depressed and crazy. Ophelia then drowned and it was all because of the other

As with many plays, actors in Shakespeare’s, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, are at liberty to alter the portrayal of their characters. Because of this, the significance and subtleties of various characters can be lost in varying adaptations of the play. This holds true for the character Polonius, who is often incorrectly portrayed as a oblivious and foolish yet caring father. Rather, Shakespeare implicitly and explicitly establishes Polonius as a character in full control of his wits. Polonius’ interaction with other characters throughout the play highlights his cunning, wit, and selfishness.

   As a secondary character, Polonius' roles in Hamlet are ingenious in their variety and purpose. Shakespeare's masterfully crafted play contains such a multi-faceted character in a sense of economy; Polonius fulfills the roles potentially played by several insignificant characters. Polonius plays the wise old man, the fool, the substitute for the king, and the scapegoat (Oakes). Shakespeare's reasons behind the creation of such a significant secondary character are important to the play as a whole. Polonius roles add a crucial dimension to the play's development of plot, the characterization of Hamlet, and the themes Shakespeare ultimately conveys.

In Hamlet, William Shakespeare utilizes direct and indirect characterization to reveal Polonius character traits. Polonius is a chief counsellor of the king, and the father of Laertes and Ophelia. Furthermore, using direct characterization, we find out “You shall do marvelous wisely, good Reynaldo, Before you visit him, to make inquire Of his behavior.” (Shakespeare 263). We can, therefore, infer that he sends specifically Reynaldo to go spy on Laertes in Paris.

In Hamlet, Shakespeare depicts alienation among the younger characters. Trusting no one, Claudius, the new king, and Polonius send out spies to obtain information from others to assure Claudius's rule of Denmark runs smoothly. Claudius killed Old Hamlet for the rule of Denmark and he fears that Hamlet might know of the murder. Both Claudius and Polonius spy on Hamlet to find out if he knows of the murder. Polonius sends his daughter, Ophelia, out to also gain information. Hamlet begins going mad and people claim that the cause is from the death of his father. Truly, though, Hamlet knows of the murder. But Claudius and Polonius are not the only ones, Gertrude, the queen, blames Ophelia for Hamlet's madness.

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 seemly hear all these vulgar and misogynistic rants and becomes ever more convinced that Hamlet is mad. He never rests easily until he ends up behind yet another arras, scheming, yet this time in Gertrude’s room and gets himself killed. The act of betrayal, by both Polonius and Gertrude has far-reaching consequences; Polonius is killed by Hamlet, Ophelia becomes mad and Laertes demands vengeance. Polonius’s betrayal disgusts Hamlet and he can only but refer to him as ‘a foolish prating knave’ and his mistreatment of his body when he says he will ‘lug his guts in the neighbour room’ can equally be taken as his disgust towards him.

Polonius also acquires his daughter to stop courting Hamlet by ordering her to instead of allowing her to decide for herself. He is looking out for his daughter. The King and Queen were very troubled at Hamlet’s superficial insanity. They tell Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that discovery of what is hypocritical with Hamlet would be “the supply and profit of our hope “(Hamlet 2.2.24). They are noticeably embittered at his behavior, and Polonius knows this, and tries to use his daughter to demonstrate his notion. When Ophelia approached and pronounced to him her get-together with Hamlet in Act I, Polonius instantaneously brought her to the King. Polonius, performing on his duty to “both God and to gracious king” (Hamlet 2.2.45) took Ophelia to Claudius to understand if he could be any assistance in demanding to find out what is iniquitous with Hamlet. He rapidly tells the King that he will “loose my daughter to him“(Hamlet 2.2.161) and fabricates a premeditated plan to do so. This plan, and Polonius’ role of Ophelia, is all to gratify the Royal Court, and has no space in it for Ophelia’s feelings. Polonius treats his daughter practically like one would use a mare, with his loos of her and organizes it so just to try and get on the respectable side of Claudius and Gertrude.

The Accidental Murder of Polonius For centuries, critics and common readers alike have debated about different interpretations of Shakespeare’s many plays. One short scene can result in dozens of clashing analyses, and determining what Shakespeare aimed to represent often remains an enigma. One scene that commonly draws contrasting views is act three, scene four of William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark. In this scene, Hamlet and Gertrude are having a discussion, and as tension builds, Gertrude suddenly feels threatened by Hamlet and begins to shout for help.

Polonius uses Ophelia as a pawn and manipulates her to get information from Hamlet. When Polonius sees that Hamlet has gone mad, he thinks it is the result of Ophelia’s lack of affection. Claudius says “We have closely sent for Hamlet hither, / That he as ‘twere by accident, may here / Affront Ophelia”(III. i. 32-34). He then says that Polonius and him are going to listen to the conversation. Polonius is hoping that Hamlet shows signs that his madness is due to Ophelia and being lovesick. Polonius is manipulating Ophelia to do whatever he wants. He doesn 't seem to care what she wants. He just wants to be happy. First he tells her to

Polonius was not very well off. He told his daughter to stay away from Hamlet, which caused some problems. Then he decided to eavesdrop on Hamlet and Gertrude’s private conversation which gets him killed by Hamlet, who thought he was the king. His death pretty much is the last straw for Ophelia, who goes into utter madness.

One of the more subtle elements of corruption in the play is the manner in which the court of Denmark functions. It is a game of favors, a constant play, with the director as the King, his subjects the players, and none more prominent than Polonius, the royal advisor. Polonius' two main faults lie in his ingratiating manner and his incessant spying. While he tells his daughter Ophelia that Hamlet is not true in his affections, he explains to the King that he warned Ophelia against Hamlet because the Prince it far above her station in life. Polonius perceives himself to be witty and tries to weasel his way around with actions and words to best fit the situation and above all benefit himself. His inclination to spy on people is obvious for he sends a man to France to find out how his son is behaving, he spies on his daughter while she is with Prince Hamlet, and he hides behind the arras to listen to the confrontation between the Queen and Hamlet. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern also try to win favor with the King, foregoing any friendship they once had with Hamlet, to 'play upon [him] . . . pluck out the heart of [his] mystery,' acting as little more than spies for the King, feigning friendship to obtain Hamlet's secrets (3.2.372-374).

Hamlet's surrounding are increasingly affected by his flaw. Hamlet begins to forget all important obligations in his life and neglects his responsibilities, causing other problems. One very important commitment Hamlet has which he lets go is his relationship with Ophelia. Ophelia becomes very confused and hurt. Hamlet hurts her in a couple of ways. First, he neglects her, and second, he insults her. "Ha, ha! Are you honest??Are you fair??That if you be honest and fair, your honesty should admit no discourse to your beauty. ?I loved you not? Get thee to a nunnery." Then Hamlet kills Polonius, Ophelia's father, which in turn makes her go mad and in her madness she commits suicide. Hamlet loses objectivity. He does not respect the King nor his mother's feelings. Hamlet meets with his mother and insults her. He calls her a whore and a sinner for marrying a murderer. Since he knows that the King is a murderer, he attempts

Issues of power are foremost in Polonius' mind. He immediately seeks the King in order to legitimate his accusations concerning Hamlet. By doing this, not only does Polonius gain power over Hamlet, but also with the King himself. Polonius tries to control the way Hamlet is seen around the court so as to rise in stature himself. Through his manipulation of Ophelia, Polonius becomes a character not as much concerned with familial ties as one whose concern rests within the world of court intrigue and position.