Hamlet: Act 1 Scene 3
The Play
Hamlet – Act 1, Scene 3
A room in Polonius’s house.
| Original Text | Modern English |
|---|---|
| Laertes My necessaries are embark’d: farewell: And, sister, as the winds give benefit And convoy is assistant, do not sleep, But let me hear from you. | Laertes My things are already on board. Goodbye! And, sister, since the winds and the ship will help me on my way, don’t be lazy about it—write to me. |
| Ophelia Do you doubt that? | Ophelia Do you even need to ask? Of course I will. |
| Laertes For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favour, Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood; A violet in the youth of primy nature, Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting; The perfume and suppliance of a minute; No more. | Laertes As for Hamlet and the way he’s been showing you affection, think of it as just a passing phase, like a flower that blooms early in spring—bright and sweet, but it won’t last. It’s only a short-lived pleasure, nothing more. |
| Ophelia No more but so? | Ophelia That’s all you think it is? |
| Laertes Think it no more; For nature, crescent, does not grow alone In thews and bulk; but, as this temple waxes, The inward service of the mind and soul Grows wide withal. Perhaps he loves you now; And now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch The virtue of his will: but you must fear, His greatness weigh’d, his will is not his own; For he himself is subject to his birth: He may not, as unvalued persons do, Carve for himself; for on his choice depends The safety and health of this whole state; And therefore must his choice be circumscribed Unto the voice and yielding of that body Whereof he is the head. | Laertes Yes, that’s all. Remember, Hamlet is still growing—not just in body but in his mind and duties as well. Maybe he loves you right now, and maybe his intentions are good, but you must remember: because of his royal position, his choices aren’t really his own. He can’t just marry whoever he likes. His decision affects the whole country, so he has to choose with that in mind. |
| Then weigh what loss your honour may sustain, If with too credent ear you list his songs, Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open To his unmaster’d importunity. Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear sister, And keep you in the rear of your affection, Out of the shot and danger of desire. The chariest maid is prodigal enough, If she unmask her beauty to the moon: Virtue itself ‘scapes not calumnious strokes: The canker galls the infants of the spring, Too oft before their buttons be disclosed, And in the morn and liquid dew of youth Contagious blastments are most imminent. Be wary then; best safety lies in fear: Youth to itself rebels, though none else near. | So think carefully: if you listen too easily to his sweet words, or give him your heart, or—worst of all—lose your virginity to his desperate advances, you’ll pay the price in shame. Be careful, Ophelia. Hold back your feelings; don’t give in to dangerous desire. Even the most careful girl can ruin her reputation if she’s careless. No one is safe from gossip. Just like new flowers can be destroyed by disease before they even bloom, so too young people can be ruined in their innocence. Be cautious: the safest path is to be afraid. Youth has a way of destroying itself, even when no one else is around. |
| Ophelia I shall the effect of this good lesson keep, As watchman to my heart. But, good my brother, Do not, as some ungracious pastors do, Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven; Whiles, like a puff’d and reckless libertine, Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads, And recks not his own rede. | Ophelia I’ll remember your good advice and guard my heart with it. But, dear brother, don’t be like those hypocritical priests who tell others the hard and painful way to heaven, while they themselves take the easy, sinful road and ignore their own advice. |
| Laertes O, fear me not. I stay too long: but here my father comes. | Laertes Don’t worry, I won’t be like that. I’ve stayed too long already—here comes Father. |
| Polonius Yet here, Laertes! aboard, aboard, for shame! The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail, And you are stay’d for. There; my blessing with thee! And these few precepts in thy memory See 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 hoops of steel; But do not dull thy palm with entertainment Of each new-hatch’d, unfledged comrade. Beware Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in, Bear’t that the opposed may beware of thee. Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice; Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgment. 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. Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. 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. Farewell: my blessing season this in thee! | Polonius Laertes! Hurry up and get on board, you’re holding up the ship. The wind is right and they’re waiting for you. Take my blessing—and remember these rules. Don’t say everything you think, and don’t act on every impulse. Be friendly, but don’t be too casual or common. The friends you have and trust, hold onto them tightly, but don’t waste time on every new acquaintance. Avoid fights, but if you get into one, make sure the other person regrets it. Listen to everyone, but speak little; take advice, but don’t give away your own judgment too easily. Dress as well as you can afford—make it rich but not flashy, because clothes often show what kind of man you are, and in France, appearance matters a lot. Don’t borrow and don’t lend, because loans often make you lose both money and friends, and borrowing makes you careless with money. Most important of all: be true to yourself. If you’re true to yourself, you won’t be false to anyone else. Goodbye, and may my blessing stay with you. |
| Laertes Most humbly do I take my leave, my lord. | Laertes Thank you, Father. I humbly say goodbye. |
| Polonius The time invites you; go; your servants tend. | Polonius It’s time, go—your servants are waiting. |
| Laertes Farewell, Ophelia; and remember well What I have said to you. | Laertes Goodbye, Ophelia. Don’t forget what I told you. |
| Ophelia ‘Tis in my memory lock’d, And you yourself shall keep the key of it. | Ophelia I’ve locked your advice in my memory, and you’ll be the one holding the key. |
| Laertes Farewell. | Laertes Goodbye. |
| Polonius What is’t, Ophelia, he hath said to you? | Polonius Well, Ophelia, what did he say to you? |
| Ophelia So please you, something touching the Lord Hamlet. | Ophelia Something about Lord Hamlet, sir. |
| Polonius Marry, well bethought: ‘Tis told me, he hath very oft of late Given private time to you; and you yourself Have of your audience been most free and bounteous: If it be so, as so ’tis put on me, And that in way of caution I must tell you, You do not understand yourself so clearly As it behoves my daughter and your honour. What is between you? give me up the truth. | Polonius Ah, I thought as much. I’ve heard that Hamlet has been spending a lot of private time with you, and that you’ve been very generous with your attention to him. If that’s true—and I believe it is—then I must warn you: you’re not thinking clearly about what this means for your honour and reputation as my daughter. Tell me the truth: what’s going on between you two? |
| Ophelia He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders Of his affection to me. | Ophelia He has, my lord—recently he’s been showing me a lot of affection. |
| Polonius Affection! pooh! you speak like a green girl, Unsifted in such perilous circumstance. Do you believe his tenders, as you call them? | Polonius Affection! Nonsense! You’re talking like a silly, inexperienced girl. Do you actually believe these “offers of love,” as you call them? |
| Ophelia I do not know, my lord, what I should think. | Ophelia I don’t know what I should think, my lord. |
| Polonius Marry, I’ll teach you: think yourself a baby; That you have ta’en these tenders for true pay, Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly; Or–not to crack the wind of the poor phrase, Wronging it thus–you’ll tender me a fool. | Polonius Then I’ll tell you what to think: you’re acting like a child if you believe his words are genuine. They’re not real currency. Value yourself more highly, or else you’ll make me look like a fool for having such a naive daughter. |
| Ophelia My lord, he hath importuned me with love In honourable fashion. | Ophelia But my lord, he has spoken of love to me in an honourable way. |
| Polonius Ay, fashion you may call it; go to, go to. | Polonius Honourable, you say? That’s just the style of it. Don’t be so easily fooled. |
| Ophelia And hath given countenance to his speech, my lord, With almost all the holy vows of heaven. | Ophelia And he’s backed up his words with almost every holy vow in heaven, my lord. |
| Polonius Ay, springes to catch woodcocks. I do know, When the blood burns, how prodigal the soul Lends the tongue vows: these blazes, daughter, Giving more light than heat, extinct in both, Even in their promise, as it is a-making, You must not take for fire. From this time Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence; Set your entreatments at a higher rate Than a command to parley. For Lord Hamlet, Believe so much in him, that he is young; And with a larger tether may he walk Than may be given you: in few, Ophelia, Do not believe his vows; for they are brokers, Not of that dye which their investments show, But mere implorators of unholy suits, Breathing like sanctified and pious bawds, The better to beguile. This is for all: I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth, Have you so slander any moment leisure, As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet. Look to’t, I charge you: come your ways. | Polonius Ah, those are just traps to catch gullible girls. I know how it works: when a young man’s blood is hot, he’ll make extravagant promises. But those promises are like sparks—bright for a moment, then gone, even before they’re fully spoken. Don’t mistake that for real fire. From now on, don’t spend so much time with him. Make yourself harder to get—don’t just be at his command. Remember, Hamlet is young, and because of his status, he has more freedom than you ever will. In short, don’t believe his vows. They’re just disguises for unholy desires, dressed up to look holy and honest. So here’s my command: from this moment, don’t waste any of your free time talking with Hamlet. That’s an order—come along now. |
| Ophelia I shall obey, my lord. | Ophelia I’ll obey, my lord. |
Audio Version
Introductory Notes
Act I, Scene 3 is a pivotal transition from the public world of the Danish court to the enclosed, private world of Polonius’s family. It sets the foundation for conflicts that will have far-reaching consequences, introducing characters whose rigid commitment to societal norms directly contributes to the unfolding tragedy. Polonius’s and Laertes’s counsel, though ostensibly well-meaning, is steeped in suspicion and manipulation, creating the conditions for Ophelia’s destruction. The themes of duty versus desire and appearance versus reality are clearly established, guiding the audience into the play’s central narrative. This resource provides students with a structured framework to interpret how this domestic scene fuels the tragic arc of the drama.
The Domestic Arena of Conflict
Following the public spectacle of the court and Hamlet’s private turmoil, Act I, Scene 3 shifts focus entirely to the domestic world of Polonius’s family. This scene introduces a striking thematic contrast between the grand political stage of Elsinore and the intimate, yet equally fraught, sphere of familial duty and personal desire. Within the confines of Polonius’s chambers, a series of conversations defines the play’s secondary characters—Laertes, Ophelia, and Polonius—and establishes the emotional and moral traps that will ensnare both Hamlet and Ophelia.
The scene’s central action revolves around the giving of advice. Laertes offers cautionary words to his sister, Ophelia, about her relationship with Hamlet. This is followed by Polonius’s famously long-winded and seemingly contradictory precepts to Laertes, before he turns his paternal scrutiny and censure on Ophelia. The guidance from both men is steeped in cold pragmatism and an obsession with social reputation, in sharp contrast to the genuine, though volatile, emotions that drive Hamlet. Ophelia is portrayed as passive and obedient, caught between her feelings and the authority of her father and brother. Her final line, ‘I shall obey, my lord,’ encapsulates her lack of agency and foreshadows the tragic consequences of her submission. This resource includes a detailed multiple-choice quiz and a comprehensive analysis to guide students through the complexities of this crucial scene, ensuring they grasp its implications for character development and the unfolding tragedy.
The Family Trinity: A Study in Patriarchal Control
Act I, Scene 3 serves as a microcosm of the patriarchal structure that governs the play’s world. The scene is dominated by the men of the family—Laertes and Polonius—who assert authority over the seemingly powerless Ophelia. Both present their advice as protective, yet it is grounded in a fundamental distrust of her judgment and a preoccupation with family reputation. Laertes’s warning—that Hamlet’s affection is a fleeting ‘fashion’—is less a brotherly concern than a political lecture on the constraints of Hamlet’s princely role. He explains that Hamlet ‘may not, as unvalued persons do, / Carve for himself,’ as his choice of a wife must align with the ‘health of this whole state.’ This underscores that Hamlet’s personal relationships are inherently political, a theme that permeates the play.
Polonius’s intervention is even more authoritarian. He dismisses Hamlet’s affection as ‘blazes, / Giving more light than heat’ and calls his daughter a ‘green girl,’ suggesting she lacks the discernment to distinguish genuine love from deceit. He reduces her honour to a commodity, urging her to ‘Set your entreatments at a higher rate’ and referring to her virginity as ‘chaste treasure.’ This commercial language, recurring throughout the play, implies that love and personal relationships are transactions to be managed for social gain. Ophelia’s simple response, ‘I shall obey, my lord,’ emphasises her lack of autonomy and signals her emotional and psychological vulnerability. Quiz questions about these interactions prompt students to examine the power dynamics and the systematic control of Ophelia.
Polonius’s Precepts: The Gap Between Appearance and Reality
Polonius’s well-known speech to Laertes is a critical moment in the scene’s character development. His ‘few precepts’ offer practical advice on social behaviour (‘Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar’) and fiscal restraint (‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be’). The speech’s most famous line—‘This above all: to thine own self be true’—appears to convey deep wisdom, yet within the broader context of his speech, which focuses on caution and social manipulation, it appears deeply ironic.
This contradiction is key to understanding Polonius. Far from being a wise moralist, he is a calculating figure whose counsel promotes surface-level virtue rather than genuine integrity. The gap between his purported values and his later actions—such as spying on his children and misreading Hamlet’s behaviour—creates dramatic irony and underscores the theme of appearance versus reality. The quiz questions on Polonius’s speech challenge students to move beyond simple interpretation and assess the deeper complexities of his character.
The Foreshadowing of Family Conflict
In addition to character and theme, this scene introduces a key conflict that propels the tragedy. The warnings directed at Ophelia create an immediate obstacle in her relationship with Hamlet, forcing her to choose between personal desire and familial obedience. Laertes’s overbearing advice and Polonius’s demand that she avoid Hamlet are the first steps in a sequence that isolates her and contributes to her eventual mental collapse and death. The contrast between Hamlet’s introspective grief and Laertes’s impulsive desire for revenge will become a central comparative thread, adding another layer to the play’s revenge tragedy structure. The quiz encourages students to explore how personal choices in this scene have lasting and devastating public consequences.
How well do you know the play?
The following questions are designed to ensure a thorough understanding of every plot element and significant detail within the scene. Each question has been carefully constructed to assess knowledge of character, plot, setting, and thematic concerns, with a limit of three choices.
Interactive Questions
Select your answers, then click Submit to see feedback and your score.