How is polonius hypocritical

But his loyalty to King and Prince Hamlet is limited. Polonius proclaims his loyalty to Claudius, the new King in the following speech, "I assure my good liege, I hold my duty as I hold my soul, both to God and to my gracious king If Polonius was actually loyal to King Hamlet, then he would have never supported the deceitful, murderous Claudius. He claims that his soul belongs to God. Yet if he was the devout Christian that he claimed to be, he would have been honorable and loyal to his children and King Hamlet.

Another Christian value which Polonius talks about is honor. In Act I, Scene iii, line 96, Polonius says to Ophelia, "You do not understand yourself so clearly as it behooves my daughter and your honor". This scene shows how much of a hypocrite he is; he constantly does dishonorable deeds, yet he is preaching to Ophelia to act honorably. Polonius makes decisions based on benefiting himself, not on the well being off his family.

This can be seen in his interactions with Ophelia and Laertes. The language that he uses is blunt and unkind, it is not the typical loving, nurturing interaction between a parent and child. He is concerned with appearances, especially the reputations of his children.

I agree with the statement that Polonius , adviser in the court of King Claudius of Denmark, is a good father who desires what is best for his children. Although he may be a fussy and overcautious old man, Polonius constantly gives good advice and his best wishes to both his children, Laertes and Ophelia. A Danish lord, Polonius is the father of Laertes and Ophelia. And he's exactly the kind of dad who's so embarrassing that you don't even want to bring friends to meet him: he's self-absorbed, long-winded, and dull.

Does Hamlet love Ophelia? Hamlet shows his love for Ophelia when he confesses to her that he loves her, when he tells her to go to a nunnery to protect her, when he sends her the letter, and when he finds out that she has died. Why is Polonius selfish? Polonius is selfish, suspicious, and uncaring. Polonius is asking his son to be honorable and virtuous. Polonius is hypocritical for giving his son this advice because he is not trusting of his own son.

After his son leaves, he sends Reynaldo to follow Laertes to Paris to find out how he is conducting himself. What kind of man is Hamlet? Shrouded in his inky cloak, Hamlet is a man of radical contradictions -- he is reckless yet cautious, courteous yet uncivil, tender yet ferocious. Claudius also misrepresents his marriage to Gertrude by providing seemingly sound reasons and downplaying its awkwardness.

Be as ourself in Denmark. Madam, come; this gentle and unforced accord of Hamlet sits smiling to my heart It is obvious then that he has been created by the playwright as this particular kind of dangerous person, the hypocrite, who by virtue of his position and of his seeming splendor can pervert not merely his queen, but the very land, which he has stolen from his victim. Claudius is not a mixture of good and bad, he is an evil man who seems good.

By the completion of Hamlet, the audience recognizes the Mephistophelian nature. Get Access. Satisfactory Essays. Hamlet Dishonesty Essay Words 3 Pages. Hamlet Dishonesty Essay. Read More. Better Essays. Something he does not practice himself. What Polonius says is quite ironic, as he fails to live up to his own words, openly intriguing against Hamlet and immersing himself in a quarrel which is not his own.

He counsels his son to remain true to himself and follow his own conscience rather than be guided by the example or influence of others. If he does that then he will be truthful to other people, Polonius believes. While he gives his son this advice he continues to scheme, sends someone to Paris to spy on Laertes as he indulges his student life, and also spies on his daughter Ophelia and interferes with her romantic life, ultimately contributing to her suicide.

He is a liar and a treacherous and deceiving man. Which makes his moral advice so full of irony. The people of Denmark have been led to believe that King Hamlet was killed by a poisonous snake bite, this is the biggest lie of all in Hamlet and told so that Claudius could have the crown and Queen and not pay any consequences. The hypocrisy and falseness of Elsinore and its newly minted King Claudius are laid bare. He describes his mother as wicked, and Claudius as a smiling villain.

One may smile, and smile, and be a villain. Hamlet on the villainy behind the smiling face of Claudius, who in order to legitimize his rule wears a mask of being good and honest, when he is really not. Madam, I swear I use no art at all. The audience may laugh at the absurdity of his hypocrical statement.

Polonius uses a wicked and deceiptful art, in order to gain what he wants. Polonius to Ophelia, saying that we use the appearance of religious devotion and piety to mask the evil within ourselves. He is giving a prayerbook to her to read. The quote refers to hypocrisy, people pretending to someone they are not. Polonius is the hypocrite here, as he demands that his daughter pretend to read the prayer book while he and King Claudius hide to spy on Hamlet when he arrives for his encounter with Ophelia.