The Extent of Parental Involvement

Throughout Act II of Hamlet, Polonius exercises a great deal of involvement within the lives of Laertes and Ophelia.

            Polonius sends his servant Reynaldo to Paris to give money to Laertes. However, Polonius tells Reynaldo to spy on Laertes before giving him the money. Reynaldo receives the instructions to figure out which Danes live in Paris, why they live in Paris, where they live, who they spend time with, and how much money they spend. Once Reynaldo finds out this information, Polonius wants him to ask the other Danes about Laertes. In order to accomplish this task, Reynaldo is given permission to lie about Laertes and say he gambles, drinks, swears, or participates in other unrespectable activities. Polonius wants it to appear as if Laertes’ faults are caused by his freedom. Overall, Polonius is hoping that if Reynaldo lies about Laertes, then the other Danes will validate the stories, thus using lies to figure out the truth. Personally, I think Polonius is overstepping his boundaries as a father. When a child goes to college, parents should trust their children to make good decisions. The fact that Polonius has such little trust in Laertes to have good judgment is concerning, and Polonius probably has some serious trust issues. I would be angry if I found out my parents sent someone to spy on me while I was at college, and I’d imagine that Laertes will feel the same way if he ever finds out.

            Polonius involves himself in his children’s lives again when he intervenes after Ophelia’s altercation with Hamlet. Immediately after Ophelia finishes telling the story, Polonius declares that he will talk to the King about Hamlet. Once again, he does not trust his children to take care of themselves and make thoughtful decisions. Ophelia is a young adult who should be more than capable of handling her own problems. Polonius is so nosey about the lives of his children that he can not stop himself from intruding.

However, this instance is more understandable because he could be worried about Ophelia’s safety from the supposedly insane Hamlet. In modern society, it is common for parents to intervene on behalf of their children if they find it necessary. Personally, I believe this differs from Polonius’s style of intervention because he is most likely trying to prove his point that Ophelia should stay away from Hamlet. Polonius even offers up Ophelia as bait to prove that Hamlet is legitimately insane. This doesn’t illustrate Polonius to be the caring father he claims to be, because most parents would not willingly but their children in a possibly dangerous setting. This is why I think that the “safety” reason is contradicted by Polonius’s  own actions, and he is instead just being his normally intrusive self.