Laertes to be cordial with everyone Essay

This line tells us once again that the man who listens more but talks less is more prosperous and successful. He also tells Laertes to control his temper if anyone rebukes him. Even here Shakespeare has used personification as he describes ‘ear’ and ‘voice’ as things that can be given. When he says ‘take each man’s censure’ he is telling Laertes to hear out everybody’s opinion but not to voice his own regarding anything. Shakespeare uses the words ‘give’ and ‘take’ almost everywhere in this speech. Polonius also says, ‘Beware of entrance to a quarrel. ‘ This is an important lesson for Laertes and for the reader too. It is important to Laertes because he is going away to a foreign country where he does need friends not enemies. The word, ‘beware’ signals a warning, which shows us the importance of the usage of this word. The word, ‘entrance’ means starting. It is important it highlights the way Shakespeare highlighted certain actions by using more figurative language. He tries to tell us and Laertes that it is not not not not important not to start a quarrel nor should anyone ‘enter’ a quarrel. This can be compared to the next phrase in which he also tells Laertes to be cordial with everyone. Polonius also asks Laertes to stay away from the common folk when he says, ‘Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. ‘ This line means that he should be familiar with everyone’s habits and thoughts but not be too friendly. He is also trying to tell Laertes to be pleasant with his dealings with people but not to be too cheap among common people. It is this moral value that we can only partly accept and learn. It is correct that we should be pleasant in our dealing with people but the fact that we should not mix with the common people is wrong. It shows us that the higher class of people in the Victorian era did not respect or accept the commoners as a part of society. This is in fact the only place where we have to learn the opposite. We should learn that it is not a disgrace to blend in with people who have less money or less food. We can see that Shakespeare has used a strong word, ‘vulgar,’ in describing the lower class of people. The use of this word shows us the feelings of the aristocrats. It tells us how we should respect all kinds of people however poor they may be. It also adds to the lesson that if he has to stay away from all kinds of quarrels and fights he should be warm and cordial in his dealings with everyone. During the speech Polonius also communicates the importance of saving. This is expressed when he says, ‘Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not expressed in fancy; rich, not gaudy For the apparel oft proclaims man. ‘ In this line we come to learn a very important lesson that is even important in our daily lives today. Polonius imparts to his son not to wear any attire that is expensive, extravagant flamboyant ostentatious. He should always be moderate reasonable in his spending and only buy things that are within his limits or that which his â€Å"purse can buy†. We see Shakespeare use of figurative language in this line as he personifies the purse to something that is capable of buying things. However it is important to understand that Polonium also meant for his son to dress well â€Å"For the apparel oft proclaims man† as the quote signifies. Further in the speech, Polonius also tells Laertes something that has become one of the most famous lines in our time. Laertes is advised by his father to be, ‘neither a borrower nor a lender is. ‘ This, of course has a lot of moral value whether it be in the Victorian era or the modern era. It shows us that Polonius tells Laertes to guard against excessive spending. He should never spend money to an extent that he will be in depth and will need to borrow money. He should not even help anyone during their times of need. This shows us that Polonius was indeed a very selfish character and also tries to tell his son to be so too. In a way he is noble also because he lives within the limits of what he can buy and imparts this knowledge to his son. This can be compared to the previous lesson in which he tells Laertes not to buy fancy or rich things so as to spend all his wealth. We can see how Shakespeare links the two ideas to seem as though they are the same. The word, ‘costly,’ in the first idea and the word, ‘borrower’ in the next makes the association. It is important for us to realize the importance of wealth in our lives as Shakespeare does and tries to convey this to us. He also tries to show us the consequence when he says, ‘For loan oft loses both itself and friend. ‘ This piece of knowledge tells us just how one must socialize. It also shows us that borrowing or lending money can be disastrous for a friendship. It is quite obvious that Shakespeare is trying to convey to us the importance of a good friendship that is not plagued by money. Another lesson that Polonium gives to his son is- ‘this above all: to thane own self be true,’ and also says that if Laertes does follow this then he ‘canst not then false to any man. ‘ This piece of wisdom is quite important in society today. It is our conscience that we should answer to at the end of the day and not any one else. If we are true to our conscience then we will be true to everyone around us. Here again Shakespeare stresses on the fact that we should not lie, quite contrary to the opinion that he promotes lying when Polonius tells Laertes to keep silent about certain aspects. This truly displays the way he has portrayed his genius. He manages to tell us to be diplomatic but not to lie. The lessons learnt from these speeches apply to our everyday life also as they highlight how we should act and our moral values and conscience also comes into question here. Both Laertes and Hamlet are loving sons to their parents. In fact Laertes is a foil to Hamlet. Both are young men who have had their fathers murdered and both seek revenge. The difference between them is that while Laertes is hot blooded , active and seeks immediate revenge Hamlet thinks over the moral rightness and wrongness of his actions but the end result is the same-that by seeking revenge, by taking God’s justice into their own hands and by seeking to destroy another human life both young men are killed . So what is Shakespeare’s message and advice to us? Not to seek revenge? Not to take the law into your hands however justified it may be? But to avenge your father’s death and to destroy the murderer of your father, is it not the duty of a son and a matter of honor? This is something that Shakespeare does not give a conclusive solution to. He leaves it to us, people of different societies and different periods to make our choices and decisions based on our moral rules and the traditions and practices and conventions of the society that we belong to. But what Shakespeare seems to underline is that destroying another human life whether justifiably or not will have its consequences. Hamlet also explores the theme of friendship and loyalty. Among the hundreds of young men that Hamlet could have as his friends he finds that only Horatio is to be trusted and valued. He has complete faith in Horatio. It is to Horatio alone that Hamlet confides all his secrets. Even on his return secretly from England after tricking Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; it is to Horatio that Hamlet narrates the whole sequence of events. At the end of the play when Hamlet lies dying and Horatio shows his loyalty to his beloved friend by preparing to die with him â€Å"I am more an antique Roman than a Dane. Here’s some liquor left. † Hamlet lays upon him the duty of clearing his â€Å"wounded name. † He enjoins upon Horatio the sacred task of making the world aware of why and how Hamlet came to meet his end â€Å"If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, Absent thee from felicity awhile, And in this hash word draw thy breath in pain, To tell my story. † In contrast Hamlet’s friendship with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are shown as false and contemptible. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are young men who tried to take advantage of their friendship for Hamlet. They turned out to be Claudius’s spies and professed friendship with Hamlet for self advancement. And so Hamlet when he discovered the nature of the message that they were carrying to the king of England he substituted Claudius’s order with a fake one according to which it was instructed that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern be put to â€Å"sudden death , Not shriving time allowed. † Hamlet shows no regret or remorse for his deed. Infact he declares â€Å"they are not near my conscience. † Thus what Shakespeare is perhaps trying to teach us is that true and loyal friends are rare and precious. They are to be valued and honored. For every true friend that we have we may have double the number of false friends who will plot our downfall if it is to their advantage. Shakespeare’s message is therefore is to be wary of such false friends. â€Å"Hamlet† also contains lengthy discourses on man and how he is in every way the crown of creation. Shakespeare has used his wealth of poetic genius and shows his incredible mastery over poetic expressions when he describes the beauty of the earth and man as an exquisite piece of art. Looking at the star studded sky he waxes poetic. He calls the sky â€Å"This most excellent canopy,† â€Å"Brave o’erhanging firmament,† â€Å"This majestically roof fretted with golden fire. † Man itself is a â€Å"piece of work† that is to be admired and appreciated. Hamlet is full of admiration of this exquisite creation of nature and exclaims † What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form, and moving how express and admirable, in action how like and angle , in apprehension how like a god. † Later in a discussion with Horatio Hamlet talks of who is an ideal man. According to him the perfect man is in whom passion and reason â€Å"are so well co meddled that they are not a pipe for fortune’s finger to sound what stop she please. † Hamlet considers Horatio as such an ideal man and through Hamlet’s intelligent, detailed and perceptive analysis Shakespeare is telling us about how man can become a â€Å"paragon of animals† by balancing emotions and reason. Hamlet is greatly empresses by Fortinbras and his adventures when he is told of how the Norwegians risked the lives of 20,000 men for â€Å"a little patch of ground that hath in it no profit but the name. † Hamlet comes to the conclusion â€Å"Rightly to be great, is not to stir without great argument, but greatly to find quarrel in a straw when honor’s is at stake. † Hamlet’s character changes during the course of the play. Towards the end especially after his violent confrontation with his mother we see the mellowing of Hamlet and how he slowly seems to be at peace with himself. Perhaps it is the fact that Gertrude and Hamlet has reached something of a better understanding that has given him this peace, because after the closet scene we see Gertrude being more supportive of Hamlet. She does not confide in Claudius the truth about Hamlet’s madness that he is not really mad but â€Å"Only mad in craft. † Hamlet acknowledges the presence of a higher power in our lives. It may have been his escape from death not once but twice that has built up a stronger Christian faith in him. He had on an impulse â€Å"rashly, And praised be rashness for it- let us know our indiscretion sometimes serves us well,† opened the official document entrusted with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and made the astonishing discovery that Claudius himself has passed the order â€Å"That on the supervise, no leisure bated, No, not to stay the grinding of the axe, My head should be struck off. † On the same voyage he had escaped death a second time from the hands of the pirates. It is these experiences that had also had a chastening effect on him. Through Hamlet Shakespeare invites us to strengthen out faith in the omniscient when he says â€Å"There’s a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will. † Later in the same scene Hamlet reaffirms this that â€Å"There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. † This faith is established when he continues by saying â€Å"the readiness is all† which means that since no one knows what happens after death , it does not matter whether we die early or not. In a way Hamlet was committing himself in God’s hands and he shows an extraordinary wisdom, humility and maturity which are a lesson to all of us. In Act 5 Scene 1 Hamlet is seen in a mood of contemplation with the skull of Yorrick. Through the image of the skull Shakespeare conveys a powerful message. The picture of the young prince contemplating Yorrick’s skull is a universally recognized icon. The singing grave digger has a profound impact both on Hamlet and on us. He is amusing and terrifying at the same time because he is so full of life and so at home with death . His profession is dealing with something that we would not want to think about and very often struggle to make sense of. The grave digger is the one who has dug grave in which Ophelia is to buried. Soon he will deal with Hamlet, Laertes, with the king and the Queen and finally he will deal with us all whether we are somebody or nobody . Thus the grave digger is the assistant of that Great Leveller- Death. Hamlet says â€Å"Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust; dust is earth; of earth we make loam. † Long before Alexander and Caesar, Claudius and Hamlet came into the world. The grave digger was busy and he will be at his work long after their brief exits and entrances. He has been there from the beginning of human history and will be busy until the final trumpet. Thus through the image of the skull and the grave digger Shakespeare presents a reminder to us about our mortality. â€Å"Hamlet† is the longest as well as the most complex of all Shakespeare’s plays. Hamlet the introspective, contemplative, intellectual and highly perceptive university scholar offers us a deep and profound examination into the nature of human life. The play deals with such eternal themes as death, the meaning and purpose of man’s life, the choices that are available to him and the choices that he should be able to make. Shakespeare does not offer any solutions either foe us or for Hamlet’s own problems. What he does is point out the strength and draw backs of each of the choices that Hamlet and we have made or are likely to make. In this way the play is not simply a plot with characters enacting certain specified rules but it is a manual about life providing us with knowledge, information, wisdom and values that would be an education for life through the medium of drama and therein lies Shakespeare’s greatness.