"[Hamlet] may not, as unvalued persons do,
Carve for himself, for on his choice depends
The safety and health of this whole state."This truly reflects a sort of free will that Hamlet lacks. He must make decisions based on what his family expects and what he feels is best for his country. Therefore, it may turn ugly if he becomes more involved with Ophelia, who may or may not be in the best interest of the country, or if he is simply attracting her for political reason. This also becomes tied into the war of "Faith versus Reason."
The relationship between Polonius and his son, Laertes, is quite interesting in the sense that it is unknown whether or not Polonius is a good father. He gives Laertes ambiguous advice, stating things that not necessarily contradict each other, but that rather mean nothing of value.
This scene supplies the plot with conflict. There is now underlying conflict between Ophelia and her father, Ophelia and Hamlet, Polonius and Hamlet, and Ophelia and her thoughts on Hamlet's honesty.
No comments:
Post a Comment