Character Analysis - Polonius and Rosencrantz/Guildenstern
POLONIUS: Polonius was a huge character in this play and especially Act II of Hamlet. He is the father of Ophelia who is in a complicated relationship with Hamlet and Laertes who ends up fighting Hamlet at the end of the play. Polonius is in both scenes of Act II and has a huge role also. His position and role in the Act impacts the story greatly. His idea to spy on Hamlet destroys all trust within the circle of characters in the entire play. This caused hamlet to assume that there was someone spying on him which made him nervous around everyone. And later on in another Act. Hamlet kills Polonius because he was spying on him and his mother, Queen Gertrude.
I think Shakespeare put Polonius in this play because he needed a character to spark the violence and hostility in the play. Polonius was behind the plot to spy and potentially get rid of Hamlet. Like I said, this sparked Hamlet's mistrust for everyone, and resulted in the death of Polonius. After his death, his daughter, Ophelia, became depressed and supposedly killed herself by drowning in a creek. And Laertes, his son, became enraged and wanted to kill Hamlet as soon as he laid eyes on him. Polonius is responsible for the start of a feud in the castle of Denmark and the result of the numerous deaths at the end of the play which started in Act II when he came up with the plan to spy on Hamlet.
ROSENCRANTZ/GUILDENSTERN: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (R and G) are servants/ helpers of Polonius and were hired by him and the King, Claudius, to become "friends" with Hamlet to try and cheer him up and spy on him. They wanted to cheer Hamlet up because he was depressed and still mourning his fathers death and he was also in love with Ophelia. So basically, Hamlet was an emotional wreck that need to be fixed. That is where R and G come in. Apart from being there to help Hamlet, R and G had to spy on him and report back to the King and Polonius.
Their role in this play is pretty significant because they had to deal with Polonius' plan to spy on Hamlet. I also think it is ironic that they were supposed to become friends with Hamlet (which they ended up becoming friends in a later Act) but, they angered Hamlet when they told him he was being spied on and they were planning all along to get him away from Denmark. This, along with the entire plan on spying on Hamlet, really upset him and caused him to feel cornered and that made him a little hostile. It is like trapping a wild animal in a corner. The wild animal will protect itself, like Hamlet stabbing Polonius through the curtains and eventually starting a battle at the end of the play.
I think Shakespeare put Polonius in this play because he needed a character to spark the violence and hostility in the play. Polonius was behind the plot to spy and potentially get rid of Hamlet. Like I said, this sparked Hamlet's mistrust for everyone, and resulted in the death of Polonius. After his death, his daughter, Ophelia, became depressed and supposedly killed herself by drowning in a creek. And Laertes, his son, became enraged and wanted to kill Hamlet as soon as he laid eyes on him. Polonius is responsible for the start of a feud in the castle of Denmark and the result of the numerous deaths at the end of the play which started in Act II when he came up with the plan to spy on Hamlet.
ROSENCRANTZ/GUILDENSTERN: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (R and G) are servants/ helpers of Polonius and were hired by him and the King, Claudius, to become "friends" with Hamlet to try and cheer him up and spy on him. They wanted to cheer Hamlet up because he was depressed and still mourning his fathers death and he was also in love with Ophelia. So basically, Hamlet was an emotional wreck that need to be fixed. That is where R and G come in. Apart from being there to help Hamlet, R and G had to spy on him and report back to the King and Polonius.
Their role in this play is pretty significant because they had to deal with Polonius' plan to spy on Hamlet. I also think it is ironic that they were supposed to become friends with Hamlet (which they ended up becoming friends in a later Act) but, they angered Hamlet when they told him he was being spied on and they were planning all along to get him away from Denmark. This, along with the entire plan on spying on Hamlet, really upset him and caused him to feel cornered and that made him a little hostile. It is like trapping a wild animal in a corner. The wild animal will protect itself, like Hamlet stabbing Polonius through the curtains and eventually starting a battle at the end of the play.