Home > Hamlet Summary & Study Guide > Hamlet Group > Question and Answer

Question:

Answers:

1. 
   mwestwood Teacher
   Community / Jr. College

   eNotes Editor

   Polonius of Shakespeare's great play, "Hamlet" would probably be a member of the weasel family.  Sneaky and a hypocrite, he preaches virtue to his son Laertes, then hires men to spy on him.  After Ophelia describes Hamlet's odd behavior towards her, Polonius weasels his way into Claudius's presence where he bluntly tells the new king, "Your son is mad" (II,ii,92).  Having said this, he contrives a plan by which he and Claudius can surreptitiously observe Hamlet's next encounter with Ophelia so that he may prove to Claudius that Hamlet is, indeed, mad. 

   While Polonius is somewhat comical as he sneaks from one master to the next, then cries out foolishly in the queen's chamber, he demonstrates his subterfuge in switching eagerly from allegiance to Hamlet's father to Claudius.  He steals information and sneaks behind a curtain, weaseling his way in and out.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/hamlet/other-characters-descriptions

   Rate answer:

   • Flag as inappropriate

   Posted by mwestwood on Tuesday November 3, 2009 at 6:01 PM