Detail 4
Polonius and Laertes
"to thine own self be true"
- Polonius dominates Laertes
- Polonius is very distrustful of him
- He sends Reynaldo to spy on Laertes in Paris and defame him
- Laertes is loyal to his father and respects his wishes
- Polonius is willing to sacrifice his son’s image in order to maintain a good reputation in court
- this is the last piece of advice Polonius offers to Laertes
- by "false" Polonius implies actions that would be detrimental to the reputation of Laertes
- this further highlights the concern Polonius holds with appearances and self-interest
Clueless Clip
Detail 2
Fortinbras and Hamlet
Laertes and Hamlet
- Hamlet’s father has murdered Fortinbras’ father
- Hamlet spends his time contemplating how to avenge his father’s death while Fortinbras leads an army to reclaim land that was his
- Fortinbras = action, Hamlet = inaction
“Rightly to be great is not to stir without great
argument, but greatly to find quarrel in a straw
when honour’s at the stake.” (IV.iv.56-58) ~
Fortinbras.
Ophelia
- Hamlet mistakenly killed Polonius thinking it was Claudius, so he is placed in the same position as Claudius
- Hamlet is full of self-doubt and conflicting emotions about avenging his father’s death, while Laertes is full of emotion and quick to avenge his father’s death
- “I’ll be your foil, Laertes: in mine ignorance your skill shall, like a star i’ the darkest night, Stick fiery off indeed.” (V.ii.5-7) ~ Hamlet
- Hamlet realizes how closely aligned his situation is with Laertes and knows that they will be compared to one another in the future, though Laertes proves to be greater
Laertes
Detail 3
Ophelia and Polonius
•Polonius views himself as Ophelia’s owner
•Ophelia is very loyal towards her father and obeys his commands
•Polonius thinks Ophelia’s feelings are irrelevant and dismisses them
•Ophelia is extremely dependent on Polonius
•The death of Polonius affects her to the point of insanity as a result of her dependency on him
Polonius Family Tree