Language English- Intellection -I

Programme B.Com
Subject English Language
Semester I Semester
University Mysore
Unit 1
 English Language

Unit-1
Polonius’ Advice to His Son
-William Shakespeare

Dr.RAJANI CV
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPT. OF ENGLISH
GFGC BANAVARA
 Learning Objectives

• To make students familiar with famous literary text written in English

Language.
 Session Outcome

• This session tries to enhance moral and ethical concerns among

students.
 Polonius’ Advice to His Son
- William Shakespeare
Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportion'd 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.
Polonius Advice to His Son
- William Shakespeare -Continued

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 own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
 Background of the Poem
• The poem is an excerpt from the play Hamlet.
• The play Hamlet is written by William Shakespeare.
• Very popular English playwright.
• The play is written in 1609.
• The play is about Hamlet,, Prince of Denmark and his revenge against
his uncle, Claudius.
• Claudius has murdered Hamlet’s father in order to get hold of his
throne and marry Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude.
• The ghost of the King meets Hamlet and tells everything done by
Claudius.
 Background of the Poem -Continued

• Polonius is chief counsellor to the king.

• Laertes is Polonius’s son.
• The advice is given to his son by the father.
• Polonius gives this advice when Laertes gets ready to leave for France.
• Laertes leaves for France to join a University.
• As a father Polonius offers blessings and a few pieces of advice.
• The list of advice comprises important moral and ethical elements.
• The advice given by Polonius shows his sincerity and moral values.
 Summary of the Poem
• Polonius advises his son to think well before speaking and taking
actions.
• Asks his son to be friendly but never to cross limits.
• He tells him to make friends but warns him about false friends.
• He asks him not to enter into a quarrel if he can not avoid it then
make the opponent aware of his strength.
• Polonius advises his son to listen more and speak less.
• The father asks his to receive criticism from all but reserve his opinion
to himself.
• He should have habits which can be afforded by himself.
 Summary of the Poem - Continued
• Asks his son to buy rich clothes but not gaudy.
• He tells his son not to lend and not to borrow money.
• He tells that lending money leads to loss of money and friends.
• He tells that borrowing shows our inability to work well.
• To above all, Polonius wishes his son to be true to himself.
• He should not be false to any one.