Hamlet

Question

What is important about Polonius’s instructions to Reynaldo as contained in the lines, “And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,/ With windlasses and with assays of bias, / By indirections find directions out” ? How is this reinforcing a theme in the play?

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Last updated by Aslan
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Polonius’s instructions to Reynaldo reflect how Polonius sees the world and the people he is close to. Instead of trusting people or knowing them intimately, he relies on rumor, inuendo, and second-hand information to find out about them. Truth, as seen in much of the play, becomes a muddied affair. This theme is echoed through the relationships of different characters.

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