College Essay: If You Could Meet Anyone, Who Would It Be And Why – Polonius Of
Hamlet Essay, Research Paper

College Essay: If You Could Meet Anyone, Who Would It Be and Why – Polonius of

Hamlet

Polonius, father of Laertes, in William Shakespear’s Hamlet, strikes me as

someone exceptional. In the first act, he gives advice to his son who is

departing on a journey. Polonius’s advice guides me in almost every aspect of

my life. I would like to talk with Polonius to gain more insight on life.

Along with other advice, Polonius delivers one of te most famous quotes from

Hamlet: “To thine own self be true.” Polonius’s quote helps me make tough

decisions. Such an occasion arises when I have weighed the advantages and

disadvantages of a choice, and they are equal. When faced with this situation,

I ask myself, “would I be true to myself if I…” For example, I am temperate,

and do not participate in certain activities harful to me such as drinking or

doing drugs. Occasionally, others try to influence me to drink. Sometimes, I

am tempeted; however, I know that I would not be true to myself if I submitted.

I realize drinking is not somthing I want, nor is it in my best interest.

Being true to myself involves acting in accordance with my values. Imust

conduct myself like a gentleman and use proper etiquette for te given situation.

Thus, the quote acts as a reminder for me to act properly. The next few lines

are “and it must follow as the day the night, / thou canst not then be false to

any man.” By acting like a gentleman, I can assure muself that I will not harm

nor create conlict with many people. For example, I remain calm in situations

that most people would become upset and swear. Then, I am in a better position

to deal with the would-be conflict.

Next, Polonius covers many aspects of life. He tells us how to choose and

treat friends, as well as rules for listning and speaking. We are told not to

lend or borrow items becase “for loan oft loses both itself and friend,” meaning

one will end up losing a friend as well as what he lent “Be thou familiar but

by no means vulgar” tells us to understand things that are immoral, but not to

participate in them. I try to follow Polonius’s advice in my daily life.

I would like to meet Polonius because he has already assisted me in making

choices for myself. He could give me insight on other things. Polonius gives

his advice as Laertes is departing on a journy. I too will leave for college.

Polonius could expand on the knowledge he has already provided. He could also

explain how his advice relates to our time period.