Hamlet Soliloquy Act 1 Scene 3 Polonius

“aboard, aboard, for shame!”

imperative exclamation, creates urgency and authority domineering control over his son

“my blessing with thee”

religious dictation, heightens emotional tone, exposes how Polonius uses affection as a tool of control

“give thy thoughts no tongue”

antithesis, typical of moral instruction; sounds wise but feels rehearsed, reinforcing Polonius’s self importance

“be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar”

contrast/balanced phrasing, reflects elizabethan social ideals, dramatises Polonius’s obsession with appearances/public image

“hoops of steel”

metaphor for emotional rigidity

“costly thy habit”

maternal imagery, irony- equates virtue with appearance, undercutting his supposed wisdom

“to thine own self be true”

irony, line becomes dramatically hypocritical since polonius later spies and acts deceitfully undermining his own philosophy

“affection! pooh!”

dismissal, emotional invalidation

“well, bethought!”

interruption, Polonius’s quick authority

“give me up the truth”

interrogation; demands confession as if he’s her property