Shakespeare's Hamlet: Is Polonius To Blame?
As Hamlet criticizes Gertrude for all of her misdoings, he reveals his hatred for Claudius and his intentions to do the king harm; at the same time, Hamlet also reveals his intentions to “blow [his two schoolmates Rosencrantz and Guildenstern] to the moon” after reading the execution letters that Claudius writes (3.4.232). At this point, the reader may begin to question Hamlet’s intentions and whether his plan to murder Claudius is actually feasible. For one, any good murderer does not reveal his plans to anyone unless absolutely necessary. In Hamlet’s situation, Gertrude may well be his own mother, but she is also the wife of the victim that Hamlet seeks to assassinate. Hamlet already denounces women for their inferiority and submissiveness
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On one level, Polonius is at fault for intentionally spying on Hamlet and then crying out from behind the tapestry. However, it is salient to note that Polonius’ intentions are not malignant. Polonius merely wants to aid Claudius in investigating the origins of Hamlet’s madness, and at the same time, he wants to personally discover Hamlet’s affections for Ophelia to prove his point to the king. Moreover, Polonius likely cries out for help in order to aid the queen, who he thinks is in physical danger. The preceding interpretation of Polonius’ intentions in Act 3 Scene 4 demonstrate his good will. Had Polonius only cared about himself, he could have merely stood silently behind the curtain despite the possibility of the queen coming to harm. As such, although he is often portrayed as an older man who seeks to entertain himself through spying on others and listening in on dramatic events, Polonius’ intentions and morals are not intrinsically foul. Through spying on Hamlet, Polonius hopes to aid the king, as “some more audience than a mother (…) should o’erhear / the speech of vantage” to paint a more complete and unbiased picture of Hamlet’s current mental state (3.3.34-3.3.36). Throughout the play, Polonius establishes himself as a loyal counselor to the king, who is willing to do lowly work of spying for his majesty. Although Polonius’ somewhat perverse curiosity ultimately leads to his demise, his intentions are chiefly benign in nature, and as such, he ultimately does not deserve his
On one level, Polonius is at fault for intentionally spying on Hamlet and then crying out from behind the tapestry. However, it is salient to note that Polonius’ intentions are not malignant. Polonius merely wants to aid Claudius in investigating the origins of Hamlet’s madness, and at the same time, he wants to personally discover Hamlet’s affections for Ophelia to prove his point to the king. Moreover, Polonius likely cries out for help in order to aid the queen, who he thinks is in physical danger. The preceding interpretation of Polonius’ intentions in Act 3 Scene 4 demonstrate his good will. Had Polonius only cared about himself, he could have merely stood silently behind the curtain despite the possibility of the queen coming to harm. As such, although he is often portrayed as an older man who seeks to entertain himself through spying on others and listening in on dramatic events, Polonius’ intentions and morals are not intrinsically foul. Through spying on Hamlet, Polonius hopes to aid the king, as “some more audience than a mother (…) should o’erhear / the speech of vantage” to paint a more complete and unbiased picture of Hamlet’s current mental state (3.3.34-3.3.36). Throughout the play, Polonius establishes himself as a loyal counselor to the king, who is willing to do lowly work of spying for his majesty. Although Polonius’ somewhat perverse curiosity ultimately leads to his demise, his intentions are chiefly benign in nature, and as such, he ultimately does not deserve his