Hamlet Polonius A Tedious Old Fool
Hamlet - Polonius: A Tedious Old FoolPolonius is an important and respected person. It seems appropriate that he investigates and controls the behavior of his son and daughter. He, as the King\'s advisor is no longer a private person but a public one: what he or his children do has important public, not just personal implications. However, if his actions and speeches are examined closer, it is evident that he is a limited and vain person who is overly concerned with his appearance and wears different masks to tune up to different people.
In the following speech, Polonius is sending his servant, Reynaldo, to France in order to find out how Laertes, Polonius\'s son is behaving himself. Polonius instructs Reynaldo to inquire an acquaintance about all the vile things Polonius assumes Laertes to be doing.
\"He closes with you in this consequence:
\"and as you say,
I saw him enter such a house of sale\" -
Vedelicet, a brothel - or so forth. See you now
Your bait of falsehood take this carp of truth;
And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,
With windlasses and with assays of bias,
By indirection find direction out.\" (II. i. 45-72)