Sunday, August 28, 2011

What did Ophelia's brother and father tell her about Hamlet in Shakespeare's Hamlet?Please give examples and analysis.

Laertes and Ophelia have this first discussion in Act I,
scene iii. Laertes is getting ready to leave and gives Ophelia some brotherly advice in
these words:


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For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favours,

Hold it a fashion, and a toy in blood;
A violet in the youth of
primy nature,
Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting;
The
perfume and suppliance of a minute; (10)
No more.



Laertes is saying that
Hamlet views Ophelia as just one of his many women. He is also
showing that this is natural for a man of Hamlet's age and status. To him, Ophelia is
just a toy.


Polonius tells Ophelia that the advances and
offers that Hamlet has made for her love and affection are
false:



Think
yourself a baby,
That you have ta'en these tenders for true pay,

Which are not
sterling.



He notes how
immature and ignorant Ophelia is. Furthermore, by the end of their discussion, he
commands her not to accept any of Hamlet's advances from this point
forward.


These man go to the trouble and effort to warn
Ophelia because they know Hamlet and are worried that the difference in their social
classes will make a relationship difficult. They are also concerned that his drastic
emotions would affect her. These are two protective men.

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