How is Polonius manipulative?

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Polonius tells Laertes to abstain from borrowing or lending money, to listen more than he talks, and to fight bold if the time for it every comes. This quote shows the love of a father for his son. For one, Polonius is very manipulative, and this trait is shown through the relationship with his children.



Also question is, what type of person is Polonius?

A Danish lord, Polonius is the father of Laertes and Ophelia. And he's exactly the kind of dad who's so embarrassing that you don't even want to bring friends to meet him: he's self-absorbed, long-winded, and dull.

Furthermore, how is Polonius selfish? Polonius is selfish, suspicious, and uncaring. Polonius is asking his son to be honorable and virtuous. Polonius is hypocritical for giving his son this advice because he is not trusting of his own son. After his son leaves, he sends Reynaldo to follow Laertes to Paris to find out how he is conducting himself.

Hereof, how does Polonius manipulate Ophelia?

When her father ordered her to quit seeing Hamlet, she agreed —"I shall obey my Lord". Later, when Polonius used her as bait to spy on Hamlet for King Claudius, she did exactly what she was told. As long as she was unmarried, she lived by her father's rules.

What does Polonius symbolize?

Polonius was King Hamlet's loyal servent, well liked and trusted by King Hamlet, Gertrude and Hamlet. But his loyalty to King and Prince Hamlet is limited. If Polonius was actually loyal to King Hamlet, then he would have never supported the deceitful, murderous Claudius.

39 Related Question Answers Found

Does Hamlet love Ophelia?

Hamlet really did love Ophelia, and tells Laertes, “Be buried quick with her, and so will I” (V.i.296). Hamlet shows his love for Ophelia when he confesses to her that he loves her, when he tells her to go to a nunnery to protect her, when he sends her the letter, and when he finds out that she has died.

Is Laertes in love with Ophelia?

Where Hamlet is verbal, Laertes is physical; where Hamlet broods, Laertes blusters. Laertes' love for Ophelia and duty to Polonius drive him to passionate action, while Hamlet's love for Gertrude and duty to King Hamlet drive him to passionate inaction.

Why is Polonius a bad father?

Polonius is bad just by the fact that he is working for someone who has killed the king and taken the throne. He also spies on Hamlet too. However, I felt like Polonius was sincere and behaved like a good father when he gave the fatherly advice to Laertes.

Why is Polonius important?

Polonius. Polonius is a proud and concerned father. In his first line he tells us he hesitates to let his son Laertes go abroad, and he draws out his last meeting with Laertes because he's reluctant to see him go. Polonius also provides Hamlet with its main source of comic relief.

What does Polonius hope to gain?


Polonius hopes to gain back Ophelia's attention and love by breaking the connection between Hamlet and Ophelia. He wants to make sure that Hamlet is distressed and rejected by Ophelia. Polonius believes that Ophelia has neglected him because of Hamlet.

How would you describe Polonius advice to his son?

Polonius tells his son, "Give every man thy ear but few thy voice," which means Laertes should listen more and talk less (1.3.

Why does Polonius not want Ophelia to be with Hamlet?

Polonius sternly echoes Laertes' advice, and forbids Ophelia to associate with Hamlet anymore. He tells her that Hamlet has deceived her in swearing his love, and that she should see through his false vows and rebuff his affections.

What is Polonius position in the court?

Polonius is a character in William Shakespeare's Hamlet. He is chief counsellor of the king, and the father of Laertes and Ophelia.

Do Hamlet and Ophelia sleep together?

In Hamlet, Act II Scene II, Hamlet and Ophelia banter like a couple who have slept together, or wanted to, and the dialogue doesn't say for sure if they have. Hamlet mentions things like “did you think I meant country matters?” and asks to lie in her lap.

What is the purpose of Ophelia?


To her father and brother, Ophelia is the eternal virgin, the vessel of morality whose purpose is to be a dutiful wife and steadfast mother. To Hamlet, she is a sexual object, a corrupt and deceitful lover.

Does Ophelia lose her virginity?

Ophelia and Madness
And it's too much for Ophelia. When she goes mad, she sings a bawdy song about a maiden who is tricked into losing her virginity with a false promise of marriage (4.5. 63-71)—part of the reason why many literary critics see Ophelia's madness as a result of patriarchal pressure and abuse.

Why did Ophelia go mad?

Answer and Explanation: Ophelia goes mad in Hamlet because her father, Polonius, was murdered by Hamlet. His death alone would have been a tragedy; the fact that it occurred

How did Hamlet betray Ophelia?

As the previous answerer already mentioned, in Hamlet's mind Ophelia has betrayed him by sharing his private love letters with her father. His reaction, however, is unquestionably disproportional to her action. He treats her very cruel tells her to "get thee to a nunnery."

What does Ophelia represent in Hamlet?

Ophelia is one of the most important characters in the play Hamlet. Ophelia's character is important in the story because she represents femininity, and Hamlet is able to act out his aggression towards his mother on Ophelia.

Does Polonius love Ophelia?


Polonius is the chief for King Claudius. When Polonius discovers Hamlet's affair with Ophelia, he encourages her to not go near him and to ignore his letters that she receives from him. He finds it strange, when Ophelia tells her father that Hamlet told her that he loves her.

How does Ophelia die?

In Act 4 Scene 7, Queen Gertrude reports that Ophelia had climbed into a willow tree, and that the branch had broken and dropped Ophelia into the brook, where she drowned. Gertrude says that Ophelia appeared "incapable of her own distress".

What did Ophelia give back to Hamlet?

In mid-thought, Hamlet sees Ophelia approaching. Having received her orders from Polonius, she tells him that she wishes to return the tokens of love he has given her. As he storms out, Ophelia mourns the “noble mind” that has now lapsed into apparent madness (III.