Megan Laughlin's Post

Why do you think Polonius is so set against Ophelia and Hamlet's relationship? Do you think Hamlet's affections are true?

Polonius asserts that Hamlet's affections are fleeting and false, calling them "blazes [that Ophelia] must not take for fire" (1.3.126-129). He does not consider that Hamlet could be serious and his love true, which is interesting because, whether or not Hamlet's love is real, one would think Polonius should want his daughter to marry up. Perhaps his advice serves as a warning to Ophelia that Hamlet's showers of oaths may not be genuine, but he provides no explanation while refusing to accept any potential for truth in Hamlet's love. Through it is possible that Polonius wishes merely to retain his daughter's innocence, he seems to hold Hamlet in low esteem for reasons he does not reveal. I believe Hamlet, though he may be affected by severe grief from his father's death, is sincere in his proclamations to Ophelia.

Megan Laughlin