Polonius’ Advice to Laertes
Hamlet I, iii, 55-81
Yet
here, Laertes! aboard, aboard, for shame!
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55
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The
wind sits in the shoulder of your sail,
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And you are stay’d for. There; my blessing with thee!
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And these few precepts in thy memory
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See thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue,
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59
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Nor any unproportioned thought his act.
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60
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Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
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Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
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Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
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But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
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Of each new-hatch’d, unfledged comrade. Beware
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65
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Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in,
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Bear’t that the opposed may beware of thee.
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Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
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Take
each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgment.
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Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
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70
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But not express’d in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
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For the apparel oft proclaims the man,
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And they in France of the best rank and station
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Are of a most select and generous chief in that.
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Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
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75
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For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
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And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
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This above all: to thine ownself be true,
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And it must follow, as the night the day,
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Thou canst not then be false to any man.
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80
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Farewell: my blessing season this in thee!
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Lines 59-60
Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportioned thought his act.
Don't let on to what you are thinking too easily. Never take action on anything you haven't thought through properly. (Polonius breaks both of these all through the play - in fact he gets himself killed for breaking the second piece of advice).
Line 61
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
Make friends easily, but don't slum it as a way of making yourself popular.
Lines 62-65
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel; But do not dull thy palm with entertainment Of each new-hatch’d, unfledged comrade.
When you have a good friend, stick fast to him. But don't go out of your way to get friendly with any old John off the street.
Lines 65-69
Beware Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in, Bear’t that the opposed may beware of thee.
Try to stay out of fights, but if you find yourself in one - make sure that you keep the guy you are fighting afraid of you.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
Listen to everyone, but be choosy over who you agree with.
Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgment
Always listen when people criticise you, but don't be too quick to criticise other people.
Lines 70-74
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not express’d in fancy; rich, not gaudy; For the apparel oft proclaims the man, And they in France of the best rank and station Are of a most select and generous chief in that.
Buy the best quality clothing you can afford - because people often judge you by what you are wearing. But spend your money on quality, not just on being flash. Remember that the French pay a lot of attention to how you dress (Laertes is going to France).
Lines 75-77
Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
Don't lend people money: you won't get your money back, and you will probably quarrel with the person you lent it to. Don't borrow money either, learn to manage your own.
Lines 78-80
This above all: to thine ownself be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportioned thought his act.
Don't let on to what you are thinking too easily. Never take action on anything you haven't thought through properly. (Polonius breaks both of these all through the play - in fact he gets himself killed for breaking the second piece of advice).
Line 61
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
Make friends easily, but don't slum it as a way of making yourself popular.
Lines 62-65
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel; But do not dull thy palm with entertainment Of each new-hatch’d, unfledged comrade.
When you have a good friend, stick fast to him. But don't go out of your way to get friendly with any old John off the street.
Lines 65-69
Beware Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in, Bear’t that the opposed may beware of thee.
Try to stay out of fights, but if you find yourself in one - make sure that you keep the guy you are fighting afraid of you.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
Listen to everyone, but be choosy over who you agree with.
Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgment
Always listen when people criticise you, but don't be too quick to criticise other people.
Lines 70-74
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not express’d in fancy; rich, not gaudy; For the apparel oft proclaims the man, And they in France of the best rank and station Are of a most select and generous chief in that.
Buy the best quality clothing you can afford - because people often judge you by what you are wearing. But spend your money on quality, not just on being flash. Remember that the French pay a lot of attention to how you dress (Laertes is going to France).
Lines 75-77
Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
Don't lend people money: you won't get your money back, and you will probably quarrel with the person you lent it to. Don't borrow money either, learn to manage your own.
Lines 78-80
This above all: to thine ownself be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.
