Laertes Character Development:5

Polonius: "Marry, well said, very well said. Look you, sir, Inquire me first what Danskers are in Paris; /
And how, and who, what means, and where they/ keep, / What company, at what expense; and finding/ By this encompassment and drift of question/ That they do know my son, come you more nearer/ Than your particular demands will touch it."
(2.1 7-14)


In this scene Polonius is speaking with his helper Reynaldo. He is telling him to spay on Laertes while he is in Paris and find out who he talks to and his behavior. This quote gives the reader a better idea of the relationship between Laertes and his father, and a small hint of the way that Laertes might be. After all, there would have to be some reasoning behind why Polonius would spy on his son. That reason quite possibly is that Laertes is a free-spirit and might often act out of line. As of now in the play we can only speculate as to why Polonius would feel the need to spy on his son, or the type of behavior that would warrant the spying from Polonius.