| | Polonius is a statesman, a politician. He lives in a world of words. He speaks words to his servants, and they do things (and usually survive.) Polonius talks to the King, and if he can find properly persuasive words, the King orders things done. Polonius accomplishes almost everything in his career with words. So, when he thinks of a way of finding out about Laertes, using words, it sounds perfect to him. Words are his life. He doesn't take into account, that out there in the greater world, beyond politics, there's more than just words. Here and there, for example, there are swords. | | Polonius is a statesman, a politician. He lives in a world of words. He speaks words to his servants, and they do things (and usually survive.) Polonius talks to the King, and if he can find properly persuasive words, the King orders things done. Polonius accomplishes almost everything in his career with words. So, when he thinks of a way of finding out about Laertes, using words, it sounds perfect to him. Words are his life. He doesn't take into account, that out there in the greater world, beyond politics, there's more than just words. Here and there, for example, there are swords. |
| − | Polonius also has the limitation that he can't see situations from any other than his own point of view. It doesn't occur to him how Laertes might view Reynaldo's activities. Nor, in the Nunnery Scene, Scene 9, does it occur to Polonius how Hamlet might interpret what he sees and hears during Polonius's eavesdropping scheme, and that leads to another tragedy. | + | Polonius also has the limitation that he can't see situations from any other than his own point of view. It doesn't occur to him how Laertes might view Reynaldo's activities. Nor, in the Nunnery Scene, Scene 8, does it occur to Polonius how Hamlet might interpret what he sees and hears during Polonius's eavesdropping scheme, and that leads to another tragedy. |
| | So, Polonius misses the problem with what he tells Reynaldo both because of his life-long career, and his personal limitation. | | So, Polonius misses the problem with what he tells Reynaldo both because of his life-long career, and his personal limitation. |
| | * Mistreatment of a nephew. By Louis in his bio, by Claudius in ''Hamlet.'' | | * Mistreatment of a nephew. By Louis in his bio, by Claudius in ''Hamlet.'' |