Polonius' Spying & Death
English Lit: OCR A Level - Hamlet, topic 3.5.2
Polonius' Spying & Death
Polonius’ insistence on Hamlet’s “lunacy” being caused by “the very ecstasy of love” shows his stubbornness (he will not change his mind), but also his lack of judgement.
Views on Hamlet's "distemper"
- Polonius and Gertrude both correctly suspect that there is more to Hamlet’s “distemper” than mere disappointment in love.
Reliance on spying
- Much of Polonius’ skill as a politician seems to lie in the ‘dark art’ of espionage.
- His reliance on spying or eavesdropping perhaps accounts for how so pompous and occasionally foolish a man has achieved such prominence at court – he is perhaps able to acquire more information than any of his competitors. Eventually, however, Polonius’ eavesdropping will cost him his life.
Hamlet's epitaph for Polonius
- Hamlet provides an epitaph for Polonius which many audience members will agree with: “a most foolish prating knave”.
- The final indignity for Polonius is that his dead body is unceremoniously lugged out of Gertrude’s chamber and the whereabouts of his body is later turned into some sport between Hamlet and Rosencrantz.
Test yourself on Polonius' Spying & Death
What does Polonius think causes Hamlet's "lunacy"?
What epitaph does Hamlet give Polonius?
What is the final indignity for his Polonius in the play?