I think Polonius is a crazy old man. The advice he gives to Laertes is silly and meaningless. The only reason it sounds to profound is because Shakespeare is a very good writer. However, Polonius is senile, absentminded and blind to what is actually going on around him. He tells Laertes "Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy; for apparel oft proclaims the man..." (1.3 lns.74-76). I think this is very absurd advice. Polonius is telling Laertes to buy fancy clothes in order to impress others and make new friends. This is a very shallow outlook.
I think Polonius is off to a good start with the idea of giving Laertes advice as he leaves for college. The problem is that the advice is nonsense. As I leave for college I think my parents will remind me to stay safe, call often and trust myself. But they know who I am and I'm sure they trust me to make good decisions.
I really like your post, I agree that your parents know you really well, and especially if they have that trust, their advice will be less. I agree that Polonius is a crazy old man, but some of his advice in my opinion is relevant like being true to yourself. I find that to be completely true, however I do agree that some of his other advice is nonsense.
ReplyDeleteThis is true. I think there are a lot of parents that are like Polonius, in a modern sense, since not many people talk in Shakespeare dialect. So I can say it is true. That That parents are just looking out for their kids.
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