Portrayal of Polonius & Treatment of Ophelia

Polonius' Position & Portrayal

Polonius has a powerful and prestigious position at the Danish court, being the most important councillor to both the old and new kings.

Long-winded speeches

Actors playing Polonius often portray him as a dithering fool whose long-winded speeches and pompous certainty that he is always right are often played for laughs.
Once Polonius begins talking on a subject, it is difficult for other characters to get a word in edgeways. Polonius’ speech is full of long, multi-clausal sentences which can make a modern audience impatient.
- E.g. his near comical list of dramatic genres: “tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral…”.

Audience responses to Polonius

Whether Elizabethan audiences would have seen him as a figure to be mocked is debatable.
- In early annotated versions of the play, Polonius’ words are often taken for wise axioms (moral lessons or guidelines) e.g. his advice to Laertes urging caution when abroad, “Give thy thoughts no tongue” or “Neither a borrower, nor a lender be”.
But even Gertrude at times shows her impatience with his overlong speeches, on one occasion requesting “more matter with less art”, a line which often receives laughs from audiences today.

Exercises control over children

Polonius is keen to exercise control over his two children.
Although he gives Laertes his “blessing” to travel to Paris, we see him in Act 2 sending a spy to monitor Laertes' behaviour in Paris.

Polonius' Treatment of Ophelia

It is Ophelia who suffers the most from Polonius’ meddling.

Talks down to Ophelia

Polonius talks down to Ophelia, treating her as a naïve child who is too “green” and innocent to understand the ways of the world.
He interferes in Ophelia’s relationship with Hamlet with his use of commercial and financial imagery, suggesting that he sees their romance as a commercial transaction.

Concerns over Ophelia's behaviour

Polonius voices his concerns that Ophelia will “tender” herself too cheaply (“Set your entreatments at a higher rate”) and that, if she is not careful, she will make a “fool” of him.
His concern, ultimately, seems to be the risk to his own reputation.

Exploitation of Ophelia

Polonius is perfectly willing to exploit Ophelia so long as it improves his standing at court.
He offers to use her as bait in a trap to determine the cause of Hamlet’s madness.
Hamlet, perhaps aware of Polonius’ plotting, calls him a “fishmonger”, an Elizabethan slang-term for ‘pimp’ or procurer. Hamlet seems to be accusing Polonius of putting his daughter out for hire in using her to manipulate him into revealing the true cause of his madness.

1Introduction

1.1Introduction & Background to Hamlet

1.1.1Introduction to Hamlet

1.1.2The Literary Tradition of the Hamlet Story

1.1.3Introduction to the Settings in Hamlet

1.1.4Introduction to Social Issues Raised

2Plot Summary

2.1Act 1: Key Events & Ideas

2.1.1Act 1, Scene 1

2.1.2Act 1, Scene 2

2.1.3Act 1, Scene 3

2.1.4Act 1, Scenes 4-5

2.2Act 2: Key Events & Ideas

2.2.1Act 2, Scene 1

2.2.2Act 2, Scene 2

2.3Act 3: Key Events & Ideas

2.3.1Act 3, Scene 1: Key Events

2.3.2Act 3, Scene 1: Key Ideas

2.3.3Act 3, Scene 2

2.3.4Act 3, Scene 3

2.3.5Act 3, Scene 4

2.4Act 4: Key Events & Ideas

2.4.1Act 4, Scene 1

2.4.2Act 4, Scenes 2-3

2.4.3Act 4, Scene 4

2.4.4Act 4, Scene 5: Key Events

2.4.5Act 4, Scene 5: Key Ideas

2.4.6Act 4, Scene 6

2.4.7Act 4, Scene 7

2.5Act 5: Key Events & Ideas

2.5.1Act 5, Scene 1: Key Events

2.5.2Act 5, Scene 2: Key Events

2.5.3Act 5, Scene 2: Key Ideas

3Character Profiles

3.1Hamlet

3.1.1Hamlet's Speech & Mind

3.1.2Hamlet's Heroic Status

3.1.3Hamlet's State of Mind

3.1.4Hamlet's Indecision/Action Taking

3.2Claudius

3.2.1Claudius' Crime

3.2.2Changing Impressions of Claudius

3.3Gertrude

3.3.1Mystery & Hamlet's View of Gertrude

3.3.2Gertrude's Character

3.3.3Gertrude's Relationship with Hamlet

3.4Ophelia

3.4.1Ophelia

3.5Polonius

3.5.1Portrayal of Polonius & Treatment of Ophelia

3.5.2Polonius' Spying & Death

3.6Laertes

3.6.1Laertes' Popularity & Relationship with Ophelia

3.6.2Laertes' Character Traits

4Key Themes

4.1Regicide in Hamlet

4.1.1Regicide in Hamlet

4.2Madness in Hamlet

4.2.1Madness in Hamlet

4.3Guilt & Punishment in Hamlet

4.3.1Guilt in Hamlet

4.3.2Punishment in Hamlet

4.4Settings in Hamlet

4.4.1Physical Settings & Historical Setting of Hamlet

5Writing Techniques

5.1Structure

5.1.1Structure of Hamlet

5.1.2'Play Within a Play' Structure

5.1.3Play-Acting Motif

5.2Form

5.2.1Soliloquy

5.2.2Comedy

5.3Imagery

5.3.1Imagery of Corruption & Decay

5.3.2Imagery: Healing, Performance & Costume

5.4Language

5.4.1Word Usage & Hendiadys

5.4.2Questions & Classical Allusions

6Context

6.1Social & Historical Context

6.1.1Elizabeth I & Succession

6.1.2Cosmic & Social Hierarchy

6.1.3Renaissance & Emergence of Humanism

6.1.4Regicide

6.1.5The Reformation

6.2Literary Context

6.2.1Seneca Tragedy

6.2.2The Revenge Tragedy

6.3Performance & Textual History

6.3.1Performance History of Hamlet

6.3.2Textual History of Hamlet

7Critical Debates

7.118-19th Century Responses to Hamlet

7.1.1Introduction to Critical Debates

7.1.218th Century Commentary on Hamlet

7.1.3Romantic Commentary on Hamlet

7.220th Century Responses to Hamlet

7.2.1Freudian Response to Hamlet

7.2.2Other Early 20th Century Responses to Hamlet

7.3Feminist Readings of Hamlet

7.3.1Introduction to Feminist Criticism

7.3.2Feminist Readings of Hamlet

7.3.3Presentation of Ophelia

7.4Marxist/Political Readings of Hamlet

7.4.1Introduction to Marxist Criticisms

7.4.2Marxist Readings of Hamlet

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