POLONIUS CHARACTERISATION- WHO IS POLONIUS?

Question 1

Polonius name signficance?

Answer 1

Possibly derived from ‘Polonus’ (Latin for Pole or Polish)
Pole- suggests centrality or balance (irony)
Polish- Foreigness or political irrelvance (Denmark’s rival).

Question 2

Relationships to other characters?

Answer 2

• Father to Ophelia and Laertes: His controlling nature affects both of his children.
  Ophelia- Dictates her interactions with Hamlet (patriachal control)
  Laertes- Offers moralistic but hypocritical advice (“Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice”)

Question 3

Role in plot?

Answer 3

• Advisor to Claudius - Represents the old political order—corrupt, meddling, and out of touch.
• Minor antogonist- Incites Hamlet’s feigned madness by pressuring Ophelia to spurn him.
• Plot device- His death (behind the arras) is pivotal, leading to Ophelia’s madness and Laertes’s revenge.
• Comic Relief: Verbose speeches (“Brevity is the soul of wit” while rambling) mock courtly pretension.
• Foil character to Hamlet- his foolishness juxaposes Hamlet’s intellectual depth/ represents what Hamlet could become.

Question 4

What is the senex archetype?

Answer 4

• Jungian archetype/ classical literary archetype
• Wise old man who embodies wisdom and jugdement

Question 5

What is the senex iratus archetype?

Answer 5

• Stock character from classical mythology- a foolish old man who irrationally opposes the love of a young couple
• Hoards power and fears youth

Question 6

What is the Freudian Father complex?

Answer 6

A domineering father who stifles individuation, leading to rebellion or collapse (e.g., Laertes’ rage, Ophelia’s breakdown).

Counterpart to the psychoanalytical devouring mother!

Question 7

Does he embody any literary archetypes?

Answer 7

• Subversion of the Senex archetype (wise old man
• Senex Iratus archetype (senile old man)
• The Tyrant Father archetype/ Freudian Father complex.
• The Spy’s Fate: His death behind the arras (Act 3.4) symbolizes how corrupt schemers are undone by their own tricks.

Possible a more subtle version of the Shakespearean fool.

Question 8

Political context and Polonius?

Answer 8

• Renaissance Machiavellianism- Polonius embodies the ruthless pragmatism of Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince (1513). His line “By indirections find directions out” mirrors Machiavelli’s advice that rulers must use deceit to maintain power.
• Corruption in Elizabethan Courts: Shakespeare satirizes real courtiers who flattered Queen Elizabeth I while jockeying for influence. Polonius’s sycophancy mirrors their hollow rhetoric.

Question 9

Social Context: Patriarchy & Exploitation?

Answer 9

Ophelia as a Pawn: Polonius’s treatment of Ophelia reflects Renaissance gender norms. Fathers controlled daughters’ marriages for political gain.

Laertes’ Surveillance: Polonius sends Reynaldo to spy on Laertes in Paris (Act 2, Scene 1), showing how aristocratic families policed their heirs to protect reputations.

Question 10

Religious Context: Hypocrisy & Judgment

Answer 10

False Piety: Polonius invokes God (“I hold my duty as I hold my soul”) while lying, mirroring Protestant critiques of corrupt clergy in Shakespeare’s time.

Divine Justice: His sudden death (without confession) hints at moral reckoning for his sins.