POLONIUS CHARACTERISATION- WHO IS POLONIUS? Flashcards
(10 cards)
Polonius name signficance?
Possibly derived from ‘Polonus’ (Latin for Pole or Polish)
Pole- suggests centrality or balance (irony)
Polish- Foreigness or political irrelvance (Denmark’s rival).
Relationships to other characters?
- 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”)
Role in plot?
- 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.
What is the senex archetype?
- Jungian archetype/ classical literary archetype
- Wise old man who embodies wisdom and jugdement
What is the senex iratus archetype?
- Stock character from classical mythology- a foolish old man who irrationally opposes the love of a young couple
- Hoards power and fears youth
What is the Freudian Father complex?
A domineering father who stifles individuation, leading to rebellion or collapse (e.g., Laertes’ rage, Ophelia’s breakdown).
Counterpart to the psychoanalytical devouring mother!
Does he embody any literary archetypes?
- 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.
Political context and Polonius?
- 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.
Social Context: Patriarchy & Exploitation?
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.
Religious Context: Hypocrisy & Judgment
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.