Morality And Redemption : An Admirable Treatise On The Nature Of Guilt And Individual Fate

First they think that Hamlet is lovesick over Polonius' daughter, Ophelia, but after the king spies on Hamlet and Ophelia in conversation, he comes to the conclusion that Hamlet is mad, a threat to his rule, and must be sent to England to be executed.  This is a sign of the king's uneasiness over the mettle of Hamlet's anger which is directed towards him.  The last thing that Claudius wants is for Hamlet to be unhappy with him, in fear that Hamlet will overthrow him, discover the murder, or possibly kill him.  The king becomes increasingly nervous as time passes, making him a bit paranoid over Hamlet.

Polonius is one of the most corrupt characters of the play. However, we can see that his corruption is in his nature and not caused only by the murder of King Hamlet. In his speech to his son, Leartes (I.iii), he opposes the virtue of being close-mouthed and discrete. Polonius later instructs his servant Renyaldo to spy on Laetes in Paris. This is very hypocritical of him as he is doing exactly what he condemned earlier. He also meddles into the relationship of Ophelia and Hamlet, without taking into account their feelings, and is only willing to satisfy his own goals. He does not want to offend the king or make it seem like he is pushing his daughter to marry Hamlet. Hamlet views Ophelia as someone pure, cares deeply about her and does not take into consideration their difference in stature. Unfortunately, Polonius manages to corrupt their innocent relationship. After Polonius spies on Hamlet, to prove his insanity to the king, Hamlet suspects Ophelia of being involved in the spying and plotting that has been occurring. He tells her that “God has given [her] one face, and [she] make [herself] another”(III.i.144-145). He tells her that she is an inconsistent and fickle

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’ image and plans take precedence over his daughter’s physical and mental wellbeing. This leaves her vulnerable and in danger in regards to Hamlet. When Ophelia describes Hamlet accosting her, Polonius’ reacts by saying:

Polonius teams up with King Claudius and once again places demands on Ophelia which require her to disregard her own self to fulfill their wishes of deceiving Hamlet into revealing the cause of his erratic behavior. And once again, it is Ophelia’s duty to her father and this time to the king to be obedient. Disobedience to the king and his advisor are not an option. Polonius wants the king to look on him in good favor and he is willing to step on his daughter to get this admiration. He neglects Ophelia’s feelings by not even thinking of how his requests will affect her. He feels at liberty to request whatever he would like. He is purely worried about himself. Polonius holds a position of unquestioning authority over his daughter. He treats her as though she is not intelligent enough to make her own decisions and he knows that she will inherently obey him. To him her feelings are irrelevant and immature which he states when saying “Affection, puh, you speak like a green girl.”(1.3.101) Following her fathers instructions, she loses her lover and a piece of her happiness.

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.

Two months have elapsed since Hamlet swore to avenge his father; but he has not yet moved “with wings as swift/as meditation or the thoughts of love”(I, v, 29-30). Hamlet is very emotional because Claudius is still alive. This emotional balance has become risky, is shown when he encounter’s with Ophelia. When Hamlet enter Ophelia closet while she is sewing. She is very frightened, and rushes to her father to tell him what happened. She says, “Lord Hamlet with his doublet all unbraced; no hat upon his head; his stockings foul’d, ungarter’d and down- gyved to his ancle; pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other; and with a look so piteous in purport as if he had been loosed out to hell to speak of horrors, (II, i, 78-83). She describes Hamlet’s strange behavior to her father Polonius. Polonius begins to wonder that there may be an explanation to his strange behaviors, and this led Polonius to believe: “This is very ecstasy of love; whose violent property fordoes itself and leads the will to desperate undertakings, as oft as any passion under heaven that does afflict our natures” (II, i, 102-106). Polonius is certain that Hamlet is having these behaviors due to the fact that he loves Ophelia. This is due to the fact that Ophelia has followed her father’s instruction to stay away from Hamlet, causing him to be mad. Polonius hopes are strengthened when he reads the note that Hamlet has

The first instance of Polonius’ overbearing nature is seen in Act 1, scene 3, where Polonius is giving “advice” to his daughter about Hamlet. Once Laertes heads to the ship, Polonius instantly demands Ophelia to tell him what her brother told her. Polonius hears his daughter talk about Hamlet and immediately states her reputation in the eyes of others. He states, “Have of your audience been most free and bounteous…you do not understand you so clearly as it behooves my daughter and your honor,” (Act 1, scene 3, 93-98). He makes it clear that she is making herself very available for Hamlet and not conducting herself in a fashion that is appealing to her name. It’s obvious that Ophelia fancies Hamlet’s romantic advances on her, but Polonius doesn’t care for her independent thinking. He ridicules her calling her a “green girl” a “baby” for thinking that Hamlet’s offers of affection are real (Act I, scene 3, 101-105). The scene ends with Polonius reminding Ophelia that Hamlet’s intentions are not to love, but empty promises sought to advance in sexual acts. Although Ophelia strongly feels love for Hamlet, she listens to her father’s advice and ends the scene with “I shall obey, my lord,” (Act 1, Scene 3, 136).

When individuals lack the ability to defend their ideas and personal preferences to others, with confidence they will lose their identity and sense of self as they allow others to control their opinions and thoughts. Ophelia’s lack of confidence in herself solidifies both Laertes and Polonius into occupying a dominant role expected of men in the 16th century. Polonius assures Ophelia that her obedience is the best thing for her, and creates this illusion of himself as a crutch she needs to respond to competing demands. Subsequently, when Ophelia finds herself torn between two loyalties – her love for Hamlet, and her father’s expectations, Polonius sways her to compliance with his ideas. “I shall obey, my lord.” (I, iv, 145 )This complete obedience of her father ultimately eliminates Ophelia’s self-preservation that would ensure her best outcome. It is clear her father’s requests of her are not out of love and concern for Ophelia but for his own issues of vanity and securing his status. This can be seen in misalignments in Polonius’ claims, and the condescension in his words to Ophelia. As Laertes prepares to leave, Polonius grants him with advice, “This above all: to thine own self be true.” (I, iii, 84). He contradicts

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.

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

The concept of hiding and spying can lead to misfortune and treachery as some characters must determine which side they favor in an argument. For example, Ophelia must adhere to her father’s advice as Polonius tells her, “from this time be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence. Set your entreatments at a higher rate than a command to parle” (I.iii.125-128). Hamlet’s fanatical love towards Ophelia has led her to experience disparate feelings as she must restrain herself from him. Polonius's dubious and secretive nature has led him to conspire with Claudius later on in the play, for he must witness his daughter’s true intentions for himself.

Polonius further displays his self-interest through his attempt to advance his cause by using his conversation with his daughter to gain favor with the king. Polonius meets with King Claudius and Queen Gertrude to inform them that the reason why their son, Prince Hamlet, is crazy is due to his love for his daughter, Ophelia. Here, Polonius is willing to sacrifice his daughter’s happiness to score points with the king. He presents to the king and queen a letter that Prince Hamlet has written to Ophelia. He replies, “I have a daughter- have while she is mine-Who, in her duty and obedience, mark, Hath given me this”(II.ii.106-108). The letter shows that Prince Hamlet is madly in love with Ophelia as he writes to her, “To the celestial and my soul’s idol, the most beautified Ophelia “(II.ii109-111)

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.

Polonius' pre-occupation with his courtly duties overshadows his character as the wise old man and marks his role as the fool. As the fool, Polonius provides comic relief, and a "busybody" messenger for the court. His speech, for all its wisdom, "makes him so comic and absurd. All his ludicrous exhibitions of pedantry and expertise, his mouthings of clichés and commonplaces, his observations and definitions--all imprison the mind's potential range in littleness" (Long 137). In addition to his speech being superfluous, Polonius' messages to Hamlet are quite ironic. The arrival of the Players and Gertrude's request to speak with Hamlet have already been relayed to Hamlet before Polonius repeats the messages. This foolish redundancy is comic and even more so is Polonius'