Why is Polonius so anxious to keep Ophelia away from Hamlet? At worst, she could lose her "honor," but at best she could become queen. With the possible reward so high, why wouldn't he just tell her to be careful but still try to win Hamlet's love? And why is he so distrustful of Hamlet?
Ophelia may seem foolish if she succumbs to Hamlet, and Polonius doesn't trust Hamlet or Ophelia simply because they are young. However, there may still be another motive for Polonius' distrust of Hamlet, which has not been revealed to us yet. Also, politics may play a part in Polonius' willingness to show any kind of loyalty to Hamlet. Hamlet already seems to the courtiers to dislike Claudius. Polonius may just want to be careful not to antagonize Claudius, hence the disapproval for Ophelia's relationship with Hamlet. This passage contains interesting relationships, both political and familial. We can only look forward to more intriguing info to come!
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