These few precepts in thy memory
Look thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportioned thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them to thy soul with hoofs of steel, But do not dull thy palm with entertainment Of each new-hatched, unfledged comrade. Beware Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in,
Bear’t that the opposed may beware of thee. Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice; Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgement. Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not expressed in fancy, rich, not gaudy, For the apparel oft proclaims the man.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be
For loan oft loses itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. This above all, to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not be false to any man.
A school boy’s understanding of this passage is something like: Take care of your character. Don’t speak out your thoughts. Don’t act in haste. Make friends only with those who are suitable to you, after testing them. Hold fast to your friends. Do not waste money on newly
made friends. Avoid entering a quarrel, but once you are forced to, teach your opponent such a lesson that he never dares to set himself against you. Listen to every man, take each man’s opinion, but you don’t give out yours. You must wear dress suitable to yours status. It must be rich but not showy. The dress one wears shows the nature of the person who wears it. Neither borrow nor lend money, because by lending you lose money as well as friend. The habit of borrowing makes you a spendthrift. Most importantly, be true to yourself. Then as surely as night comes after day, you cannot be false to others.
What a wonderful piece of advice, to a simple mind! Superficially, it seems to be a sound advice. But a deeper study and analysis can reveal not only the shallowness but even the crookedness inherent in it. Before we look at it in depth, we have to know that the advice is offered by a character called Polonius in Hamlet. He is too talkative and indulgent. He considers himself to be the wisest and the most intelligent. He is always a scheming and wicked politician. At best he is a man of worldly wisdom and he can think no farther than material prosperity and worldly success. Though he seems to offer precepts of morality, they are shallow and self-deceptive.
Listening to others more than what you speak is, in deed, a nobleTo feel good or to shine in borrowed thoughts brings only momentary glory as a passing
cloud can bring but little drizzle, indeed. Do painted feathers make a peacock?
quality. But when it goes with the selfish motive that you take advantage out of what others speak but you don’t allow others the benefit from your thinking and knowledge, it is outright cunning and wickedness. Broadly speaking, being choosy about one’s friends is all right. But how far is it ethically sound to ‘test’ someone whether he is fit to be your friend or not? Suppose the other person subjects you to a similar process, how do you feel then? True friendship cannot take place on these
true, we should not pick up quarrelsonpettymatters.Buttheadvicethatfollowsitisinbadtaste. We should always be reasonable, just and fair. Even to our enemies, we should be compassionate and forgiving. We should not be venomous ininflictingrevenge,butweshouldtryourbesttoadoptaconciliatory approach to ensure peaceful coexistence.
His advice about dress is right, but is suitable only for wealthy people.Earlier Polonius had advised his son to grapple his friends to his soul with hoofs of steel. But now his advice to him is neither to borrow nor lend - especially in respect of friends (for loan oft loses itself and friend). My own closest friend is in dire need. I am totally convinced of his truthfulness and sincerity. Still I avoid helping him, because my father’s instruction is ‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be’ because of obvious reasons.
Effacingone’sownself,sacrificingoneselfcompletelyfortheloved ones is unknown to the likes of Polonius. It is that kind of friendship thatwehavetocherish;learntooffertoothersfirst.Wehavetorealize that any friendship made on conditions and considerations cannot be true friendship.
Polonius gives a seemingly logical conclusion to his speech which again is shallow and smacks of hypocrisy and cunning. As long as one indulges in wicked tricks and tactics like the ones he has professed one can be truthful neither to oneself nor to others.