This phrase, spoken by Polonius, is possibly the most satirical and ironic idea that Shakespeare included in Hamlet. First of all, it is spoken by the phoniest of all the characters, a councillor to the king who spends most of his time fawning over the royal family and speaking nonsense. Never, throughout the whole play, is he true to his own self. He hides behind his rhetoric, which is ridiculous in and of itself: "Why day is day, night night, and time is time, were nothing but to waste night, day, and time. Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, and tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief" (Act 2, Scene 2). Because of his unnecessary and flowery language, Polonius is the complete opposite of what he claims to be, brief and to the point.
Another more physical representation of Polonius being untrue to himself is his tendency to hide behind curtains to eavesdrop. While this habit is strange, childish, and borderline creepy, it also shows his unwillingness to show his true self. He desires to see behind the masks and lies of others, but not at the risk of leaving his self vulnerable.
Besides Polonius, there are many, many other examples of characters not being true to themselves. Hamlet hides his indecision behind a facade of madness. Claudius is obviously guilty of fratricide and incest, but conceals it with his mask of sorrow over his brother's death. And then of course there are the players, whose whole purpose in life is to pretend to be someone they're not.
Although Polonius counsels his son Laertes "To thine own self be true," he does not follow his own advice, and apparently neither does anyone else in the play. This pattern of pretense throughout the play reveals to us Shakespeare's great love of irony, something I'm sure we'll see more often when we move from tragedies to comedies and romances.
3 comments:
Isn't it interesting that this quote is so frequently quoted, and yet most of us (at least me) either forget or don't know where it came from.
I have noticed this when I hear people do the same thing with "Am I my brother's keeper." I have had people say this, on multiple occasions, in justification for not being involved in someone else's life. It always makes me grin a little as I know that they don't know or don't remember that that line comes from Cain in justification for a murder.
Still, I think Polonius' words are still true even they come from such a dishonest man.
I really appreciate your post and insights as it made me think of this theme of dishonesty in new ways. Thanks for doing your homework, so I can benefit.
Having this 'key' quote coming from Polonious (a wishy washy character as far as he goes) highlights the irony.
Although we have many potentially powerful and important characters, the only one who seems to really understand (or at least touch upon) the real underlying problem of the whole play, is Polonious. If Hamlett could be true to himself, then he wouldn't have had to pretend to be crazy, or run away. Same thing with his mother, if she wasn't so dependent then upon what others thought she could stand up for herself.
One of the main themes of Hamlett is 'being true to ones self' - perhaps Polonious voices this point because no one else can or will.
I am amazed that so few know from who/where this phrase comes, and how many have not a clue what this means!
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