The theme that remains constant throughout the play is appearance versus reality. ... Polonius appears like a man who loves and cares about his son, Laertes. ... In reality he lies about his trust for his son by sending a spy to watch him. ... Both help to contribute to the theme by showing there appearance of being Hamlets friends. ... He gives him the power to let his son Laertes stay or leave for Norway. ...

• Word Count: 1669
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

Polonius appears like a man who loves and cares about his son, Laertes. ... He gives the appearance of a confident father who trusts his son to go off on his own. Polonius further adds to the theme appearance verses reality by ordering Ophelia to stop seeing Hamlet. ... He gives him the power to let his son Laertes stay or leave for Norway. ... Through the characters in the play Shakespeare can show the theme, which in part is that of appearance verses reality. ...

• Word Count: 1306
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

The Renaissance Humanistic movement, spilling in from Europe, had ushered in a new era of interest in learning and the classics; and in the past half century, English writers and poets had, for the first time, begun to try to create literature in their native tongue that could stand up to the greatest works written in Latin, French, or Italian. ... For instance, modern readers should remember that all roles in Renaissance drama were played by men and boys, so that Rosalind and Celia (as well as Phoebe and Audrey) would really have been played by youths in women's clothing; this puts the ...

• Word Count: 1477
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

Indeed, he feels so isolated and entrapped in his native land that he says " Denmark's a prisonin which there are many confines, wards, dungeons" (II. ii.264-6). ... His mother begs him to cast his nighted colour off."6 She cannot begin to comprehend her son's emotional state and therefore takes it much more lightly than she should. Due to her inability to understand her son she resorts to pleading with Hamlet in hopes that she can change his outlook. ...

• Word Count: 4821
• Approx Pages: 19
• Grade Level: High School