I found Polonius to be like my grandfather. He was always trying to impart his experiences in life to us. Polonius' speech to Laertes really reinforced some of the statements I remember hearing when I was younger: Neither a borrower, nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry... He, Polonius, was caring of his children, and especially in trying to impart what he knew of their nature that they themselves did not quite understand. Of course we learn later that some of Polonius actions are for his own benefit, but next DRJ for that...
I thought Act 1 was all about setting. We are given Hamlet and his suffering, his frustration and rage, with his monologue in the hall after all have left him. We are given Polonius and his caring for his children; his warnings to Laertes and his warnings to Ophelia of her involvement of Hamlet. We also see Hamlet's reaction to his father's ghost and the setting of the desire for revenge in Hamlet. All these give us the hint that something bad is coming, it is brewing, and Hamlet is going to set it loose.
Why do you think Claudius actually wants to see Hamlet stay rather than go back to school at Wittenburg. With the grief surrounding Hamlet, and not seeming to subside, would it not have been a better move to send him back to school and get him away from the scene of the crime?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Perhaps Claudius is suspicious of Hamlet and wants to keep an eye on him, and therefore, keeps him closer to home. You know what they say, "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer". Or maybe he wants to build a relationship with his nephew so that Hamlet would never suspect his Uncle of his crime. I believe it would have been wise for Claudius to send Hamlet back to school. Perhaps, had he been at school, and not the actual place of the crime, the Ghost would not have appeared to Hamlet. Either way, it separates Hamlet from the crime scene, which would have been a good choice for Claudius.
ReplyDeleteI think that Claudius was actually being rather selfish making Hamlet stay. He keeps him around in order to please Hamlets mother which in turn makes him happy. It might also be that he wants to keep Hamlet around so he doesn't go off and say something to other people about how suspicious the death of the late king was. But in turn, that's what ends up being the worst idea because that's what leads Hamlet to finding out about the murder.
ReplyDeleteI think it is a combination of the pleasing Hamlet's mother and keeping him close so it would be easier to keep a watchful eye on his actions. If Claudius were to let Hamlet go then Hamlet would have every opportunity to go as far as organizing a revolt against Claudius. It is always a good idea to keep a close eye on those who are next in line to the throne, especially if they are acting "strange".
ReplyDelete