520 Pol Yet here Laertes? Aboard, aboard -- for shame -- 521 The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail[1] 522 And you are stayed for. There -- my blessing with thee. 523 And these few precepts in thy memory 524 Look thou character.[2] Give thy thoughts no tongue 525 Nor any unproportion'd thought his act. 526 Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar, 527 Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, 528 Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel, 529 But do not dull thy palm with entertainment 530 Of each new-hatched, unfledged comrade. Beware 531 Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in, 532 Bear it that the opposed may beware of thee. 533 Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice, 534 Take each man's censure,[3] but reserve thy judgment. 535 Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, 536 But not expressed in fancy -- rich, not gaudy, 537 For the apparel oft proclaims the man, 538 And they in France (of the best rank and station) 539 Are of a most select, and generous chief[4] in that. 540 Neither a borrower nor a lender be, 541 For loan oft loses both itself and friend, 542 And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.[5] 543 This above all, to thine own self be true, 544 And it must follow as the night the day 545 Thou can'st not then be false to any man. 546 Farewell, my blessing season[6] this in thee. 547 Laer Most humbly do I take my leave, my Lord. 548 Pol The time invites you, go -- your servants tend. 549 Laer Farewell Ophelia, and remember well 550 What I have said to you. 551 Oph 'Tis in my memory locked 552 And you yourself shall keep the key of it. 553 Laer Farewell. Exit Laertes [1] the uppermost corner of the sail, the last to fill when sailing before the wind [2] inscribe [3] opinion [4] Maybe ". . .generous chiefly in that" is a slam at the French, their generosity and selectiveness being more in clothes than in values. [5] thriftiness [6] ripen
Act 1, Scene 3 Polonius and his children characterize themselves early in the play by the way they give and take counsel. In this scene, Laertes, departing for France, gives his sister advice that we know from her stricken look comes too late. He warns Ophelia not to fall in love with the prince but to consider Hamlet's attentions no more than.. . .[a] violet in the youth of primy nature. . . .but she throws it back at him. 510 Do not as some ungracious pastors do, And recks not his own rede. And minds not his own creed, Olivier translated it. Ophelia's beauty is matched by her wit, and she is comfortable with the men in her life -- generally holding her own and, with rare exceptions, getting her own way despite her gender and youth. Polonius adores his children, and they reciprocate, however much they roll their eyes at his translation of politics into parenting -- like the advice he sends off to Paris with Laertes. 522-545 In Kenneth Branagh's film version, Polonius is sententious, as is frequently the case, but there is also something lubricious about him. Branagh wants you to hate him -- yet how can you not love Polonius and his family? You feel that this kind of advice and wisdom should mint children of purest gold, that Ophelia and Laertes should be the wisest, strongest young people in Denmark. Myriads of young scholars in the English-speaking world over the last four centuries must have had to memorize this speech -- and perhaps hated it -- only to recall it in their winter years. The Renaissance can be viewed as a transition period from medieval to modern society. The art and letters of the period mirror the growth of a new type of personal voice, as characters in narratives are more distinctive (in style and content) and less archetypal. Introspection and self-examination as exemplified by Horatio more characterize the modern. Compliance with archetypes (on which Polonius so depends) more characterizes the medieval. Unlike Horatio, Polonius is no philosopher of "conscience," consciousness of the self. By "being true to yourself," Horatio would mean, Honestly know yourself, and then you will be honest in all respects. Polonius uses the word "self" to mean something different -- less distinctive, more archetypal: He means, Follow the codes and rules you grew up with. There is a layer of self-knowledge missing: the mind of Polonius, however nimble, is prescriptive and descriptive, not self-reflective. He bores Hamlet to death. 602 I shall obey, my Lord. Modern productions often omit Ophelia's promise to obey. Both Laertes and Polonius have explicitly told Ophelia not to yield her virginity to Hamlet -- but what if she already has? She may wonder whether she has made a mistake (. . .almost all the holy vows. . . .) There was considerable critical disagreement with Branagh's film version depicting Hamlet and Ophelia as already lovers -- but it would help explain her later madness. Ophelia fills the stage with warmth and light, a sudden contrast -- it's cold and dark in the next scene, when Hamlet meets the Ghost. 520 Pol. Yet heere Laertes? a bord, a bord for shame, 521 {C4} The wind sits in the shoulder of your saile, 522 And you are stayed {for, there my} <for there: my> blessing with {thee,} <you;> 523 And these fewe precepts in thy memory 524 {Looke} <See> thou character, giue thy thoughts no tongue, 525 Nor any vnproportion'd thought his act, 526 Be thou familier, but by no meanes vulgar, 527 {Those} <The> friends thou hast, and their a doption tried, 528 Grapple them {vnto} <to> thy soule with hoopes of steele, 529 But doe not dull thy palme with entertainment 530 Of each {new hatcht} <vnhatch't,> vnfledgd {courage,} <Comrade.> beware 531 Of entrance to a quarrell, but being in, 532 Bear't that th'opposed may beware of thee, 533 Giue euery man {thy} <thine> eare, but fewe thy voyce, 534 Take each mans censure, but reserue thy iudgement, 535 Costly thy habite as thy purse can buy, 536 But not exprest in fancy; rich not gaudy, 537 For the apparrell oft proclaimes the man 538 And they in Fraunce of the best ranck and station, 539 {Or} <Are> of a most select and {generous, chiefe} <generous cheff> in that: 540 Neither a borrower nor a lender {boy,} <be;> 541 For {loue} <lone> oft looses both it selfe, and friend, 542 And borrowing {dulleth} <dulls the> edge of husbandry; 543 This aboue all, to thine owne selfe be true 544 And it must followe as the night the day 545 Thou canst not then be false to any man: 546 Farwell, my blessing season this in thee. 547 Laer. Most humbly doe I take my leaue my Lord. 548 Pol. The time {inuests you} <inuites you,> goe, your seruants tend. 549 Laer. Farwell Ophelia, and remember well 550 What I haue sayd to you. 551 Ophe. Tis in my memory lockt 552 And you your selfe shall keepe the key of it. 553 Laer. Farwell. Exit Laertes. |  Polonius to Ophelia
Exit Laertes
554 Pol What is't Ophelia he hath said to you? 554 Pol. What ist Ophelia he hath sayd to you? 555 Oph So please you, something touching the Lord Hamlet. 556 Pol Marry[1] well bethought.[2] 557 'Tis told me he hath very oft of late 558 Given private time to you, and you yourself 559 Have of your audience been most free and bounteous. 560 If it be so (as so 'tis put on me -- 561 And that in way of caution) I must tell you, 562 You do not understand yourself so clearly 563 As it behooves my daughter and your honor. 564 What is between you? Give me up the truth. 565 Oph He hath my Lord of late made many tenders[3] 566 Of his affection to me. 567 Pol Affection, puh! You speak like a green girl, 568 Unsifted[4] in such perilous circumstance. 569 Do you believe his tenders, as you call them? 570 Oph I do not know, my Lord, what I should think. 571 Pol Marry, I'll teach you, think yourself a baby 572 That you have taken these tenders[5] for true pay, 573 Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly 574 Or (not to crack the wind of the poor phrase 575 Wronging it thus) you'll tender me a fool.[6] 576 Oph My Lord he hath importuned me with love 577 In honorable fashion -- 578 Pol Aye, fashion you may call it! Go to, go to. 579 Oph -- And hath given countenance to his speech, 580 My Lord, with almost all the holy vows of heaven. 581 Pol Aye, springes[7] to catch wood-cocks. I do know 582 When the blood burns, how prodigal[8] the soul 583 Lends the tongue vows. These blazes, Daughter, 584 Giving more light than heat, extinct in both 585 Even in their promise as it is a-making, 586 You must not take for fire. For this time, Daughter, 587 Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence. 588 Set your entreatments[9] at a higher rate 589 Than a command to parley.[10] For Lord Hamlet, 590 Believe so much in him that he is young 591 And with a larger tether[11] may he walk 592 Than may be given you: In few, Ophelia, 593 Do not believe his vows, for they are brokers,[12] 594 Not of that dye[13] which their investments[14] show, 595 But mere implorators[15] of unholy suits,[16] 596 Breathing like sanctified and pious bonds[17] 597 The better to beguile. This is for all: 598 I would not in plain terms from this time forth 599 Have you so slander[18] any moment's leisure 600 As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet. 601 Look to it I charge you. Come your ways. 602 Oph I shall obey, my Lord. Exeunt [1] mild oath, By the Virgin Mary [2] Good, this reminds me. [3] gifts [4] untried, unrefined [5] markers, tokens, game chips [6] grandchild; Elizabethan slang, baby = "fool" [7] snares [8] lavishly [9] terms for surrender (goes well with parley, next line) [10] Still more martial imagery from the men in Ophelia's life, cf Laertes to her earlier. [11] You are on a shorter leash than he is. [12] solicitors, go-betweens [13] type [14] clothing [15] hucksters [16] propositions [17] promises 555 Ophe. So please you, something touching the Lord Hamlet. 556 Pol. Marry well bethought 557 Tis tolde me he hath very oft of late 558 Giuen priuate time to you, and you your selfe 559 Haue of your audience beene most free and bountious, 560 {C4v} If it be so, as so tis put on me, 561 And that in way of caution, I must tell you, 562 You doe not vnderstand your selfe so cleerely 563 As it behooues my daughter, and your honor, 564 What is betweene you giue me vp the truth, 565 Ophe. He hath my Lord of late made many tenders 566 Of his affection to me. 567 Pol. Affection, puh, you speake like a greene girle 568 Vnsifted in such perrilous circumstance, 569 Doe you belieue his tenders as you call them? 570 Ophe. I doe not knowe my Lord what I should thinke. 571 Pol. Marry {I will} <Ile> teach you, thinke your selfe a babie 572 That you haue tane {these} <his> tenders for true pay 573 Which are not {sterling,} <starling.> tender your selfe more dearely 574 Or (not to crack the winde of the poore phrase 575 {Wrong} <Roaming> it thus) you'l tender me a foole. 576 Ophe. My Lord he hath importun'd me with loue 577 In honorable fashion. 578 Pol. I, fashion you may call it, go to, go to. 579 Ophe. And hath giuen countenance to his speech 580 My Lord, with {almost} all the {holy} vowes of heauen. 581 Pol. I, {springs} <Springes> to catch wood-cockes, I doe knowe 582 When the blood burnes, how prodigall the soule 583 {Lends} <Giues> the tongue vowes, these blazes daughter 584 Giuing more light then heate, extinct in both 585 Euen in their promise, as it is a making 586 You must not take for fire, {from} <For> this time <Daughter,> 587 Be {something} <somewhat> scanter of your maiden presence 588 Set your {intreatments} <entreatments> at a higher rate 589 Then a commaund to {parle;} <parley.> for Lord Hamlet, 590 Belieue so much in him that he is young, 591 And with a larger {tider} <tether> may he walke 592 Then may be giuen you: in fewe Ophelia, 593 Doe not belieue his vowes, for they are brokers 594 Not of {that die} <the eye> which their inuestments showe 595 But meere {imploratotors} <implorators> of vnholy suites 596 Breathing like sanctified and pious bonds 597 The better to {beguide:} <beguile.> this is for all, 598 I would not in plaine tearmes from this time foorth 599 {D1} Haue you so slaunder any moment leasure 600 As to giue words or talke with the Lord Hamlet, 601 Looke too't I charge you, come your wayes. 602 Ophe. I shall obey my Lord. Exeunt. Note on the text: The primary source here is the Enfolded Hamlet of Bernice W. Kliman, ©1996, a conflation of the 1604/05 Second Quarto and the First Folio of 1623. (at www.leoyan.com/global-language.com/ENFOLDED/) Through Line Numbers (TLNs) are based on the Folio. Depending on what readings seem most sensible and accessible to the modern ear, textual choices have been made on a line-by-line, within-line, and word-by-word basis from the melded version. The First Quarto of 1603 has been consulted where possible in an attempt to resolve conflicts in meaning between the Folio and Second Quarto. Spelling is updated to US English, and each line has been repunctuated in accordance with my understanding of the text -- J Groves |