Polonius Part II

In act one, we see Polonius as what seems to be a Father being a little overbearing of Ophelia and trying to make sure that she stays out of trouble but doing it in a way that is almost too much. And now that his son Laertes is gone to France, he is already showing his overbearing parenting again. These three passages by him truly depict what kind of parent he is...

'Faith, no, as you may season it in the charge.

You must not put another scandal on him

That he is open to incontinency.

That’s not my meaning. But breathe his faults so quaintly

That they may seem the taints of liberty,

The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind,

A savageness in unreclaimèd blood,

Of general assault.

(2.1.31-39)

Marry, sir, here’s my drift:

(And I believe it is a fetch of wit)

You, laying these slight sullies on my son

As ’twere a thing a little soiled i' th' working—

Mark you, your party in converse, him you would sound,

Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes

The youth you breathe of guilty, be assured

He closes with you in this consequence:

“Good sir” or so, or “Friend,” or “Gentleman,”

According to the phrase or the addition

Of man and country.

(2.1.41-55)

At “closes in the consequence.” Ay, marry.

He closes thus: “I know the gentleman.

I saw him yesterday”—or “t' other day,”

Or then, or then, with such or such—“and, as you say,

There was he gaming, there o'ertook in’s rouse,

There falling out at tennis,” or, perchance,

“I saw him enter such a house of sale”—

Videlicet a brothel, or so forth. See you now,

Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth.

And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,

With windlasses and with assays of bias,

By indirections find directions out.

So by my former lecture and advice

Shall you my son. You have me, have you not?

(2.1.61-75)

1. Polonius is clearly trying to spy on Laertes. He is trying to convince Reynaldo of his plan of having him spread rumors about Laertes to have people tell him what he is doing. Reynaldo is clearly wierded  out by this idea and is afraid that he will accidentally ruin his reputation. But Polonius reassures him that his plan is going to work and he will be able to find out about his son.

2. These three passages truly depict what kind of man he is. He is clearly trying to get his "spy" Reynaldo to get an inside look on what kind of dirty deeds Laertes has been doing over in France. And the plan that Polonius has come up with just pure genius and dibolical. He will get Reynaldo to try and spread some rumors about Laertes to people who may have heard of him, and judging on their reaction, he will be able to tell what kid of thing Laertes has done. Polonius is developing into a really intrusive type character that always seems to find himself other people's business. I am excited to see what kind of trouble he can get in with such a quality!

3. And in the last passage, Polonius shows his true colors. He is still talking to Reynaldo about the spying plan and he shows how devious he is. He tells Reynaldo “By indirections, find indirections out”. He is trying to get Polonius to lie to find out the truth about Laertes. He clearly has a very devious mind about things but can still be out smarted by Hamlet when he tries.