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‘To Thine Own Self Be True’
‘Standing Man in Sixteenth-Century Costume’, by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770). “Apparel oft proclaims the man” Polonius tells his son Laertes, as a reminder not to be either too showy or too shabby in his dress. Laertes is on his way back to Paris, and Polonius suggests taking the French gentleman as a model of good taste and moderation.
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‘Standing Man in Sixteenth-Century Costume’, by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770). “Apparel oft proclaims the man” Polonius tells his son Laertes, as a reminder not to be either too showy or too shabby in his dress. Laertes is on his way back to Paris, and Polonius suggests taking the French gentleman as a model of good taste and moderation.
Introduction
Early in William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, probably written around 1599-1601, Laertes is due to leave Denmark for France; he had returned home only briefly for the coronation of King Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle and step-father. As Laertes goes aboard, his father Polonius gives him his affectionate blessing, and with it a generous helping of common sense.
GIVE thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportioned thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.*
The 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-hatched, unfledged courage.* Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel; but being in,
Bear’t that th’opposèd may beware of thee.
Give every man thine ear; but few thine voice;
Take each man’s censure; but reserve thy judgment.*
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not expressed 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 a 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 can’st not then be false to any man.
* ‘Vulgar’ here means ‘common’. When it comes to making friends, Polonius wants Laertes to be approachable but not indiscriminate.
* That is, do not numb or take the shine off one’s palm by frequently shaking hands; Polonius means that Laertes should not greet casual acquaintances with all the warmth of bosom friends.
* A ‘courage’ in this context is an archaic term for a young man of spirit, a bold fellow.
* See also Ralph Waldo Emerson on No Offence.
* That is, the clothes a man wears reveal his character.
* See also Samuel Smiles on Dare to Be Yourself.
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
In Shakespeare’s tragedy ‘Hamlet’, Polonius sends his son Laertes off to Paris with a little common sense. Speak and act without haste, he counsels, and vet friends carefully; be diplomatic, but firm, and dress well but modestly, like the French. Loans, he warns, ruin friendships; but the man who keeps faith with himself will never betray others. (57 / 60 words)
In Shakespeare’s tragedy ‘Hamlet’, Polonius sends his son Laertes off to Paris with a little common sense. Speak and act without haste, he counsels, and vet friends carefully; be diplomatic, but firm, and dress well but modestly, like the French. Loans, he warns, ruin friendships; but the man who keeps faith with himself will never betray others.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, if, just, may, must, otherwise, unless, whether.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Borrow. Follow. Thy.
2 Apparel. Courage. Oft.
3 Being. Chief. Night.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Homonyms Find in Think and Speak
Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Habit. 2. Well. 3. May. 4. Man. 5. Rich. 6. Hatch. 7. Entrance. 8. Own. 9. Mean.
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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