In Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, in Act
Two, scene one, Polonius is sending materials with Reynaldo to give to Laertes who is
away from school. In addition, Polonius wants Reynaldo to spy on Laertes because he does
not trust him and is something of a control freak.
First
Polonius wants Reynaldo to make private inquiries into Laertes' behavior. Polonius tells
Reynaldo to ask all kinds of questions so that no one will know that
Polonius is asking. Reynaldo may admit that he knows the family.
Polonius offers Reynaldo a wide variety of ways to seek information about Laertes, and
Reynaldo protests as he doesn't wish to dishonor Laertes. Polonius says this will not
happen. To find out about Laertes, Reynaldo must lie. And in these lies, Reynaldo will
get the information he needs, no matter how he has to do
it.
Polonius likewise tells Reynaldo that in whispering
untruths, sometimes the real truth comes out. Polonious believes that by using
"indirections," or non-truths, he can trick Laertes or his friends into sharing truths
about Laertes' behavior, to know really how he is acting away from home. Polonius
insists that this is the only way to learn what Laertes is really doing. He suggests
that by providing "indirection" Reynaldo can find out the
truth.
With windlasses and with assays of bias,
By indirections find directions out.
So, by my former lecture and
advice,
Shall you my
son.
On the other hand, where
Polonius is sneaky in trying to find out the truth about Laertes, Hamlet pretends to be
insane to get the information out of Polonius and others. Hamlet acts silly and crazy,
in order to put those around him at ease. They cannot make sense of what Hamlet is
thinking, but imagine all kinds of things regarding Hamlet crazy behavior; meanwhile he
is able to throw the others off balance while he watches and
listens. Reynaldo may not get much information from the people where Laertes is because
he is an outsider. Whereas Hamlet is listening and learning what different plans the
King and Polonius may have for him, and they may not be so careful because though they
believe his is insane—however, he is not really mad, but
vigilante.
Ironically, both Polonius and Hamlet are doing
things to gain information about someone else. Polonius reveals the kind of person he is
by spying on his son and encouraging Reynaldo to lie about him to get the information he
wants. Polonius is also sneaky in trying to gain information about Hamlet, but Hamlet is
well-aware of what the King and Polonius are up to, so he, too, is sneaky to find out
information, but also to keep the others from learning too much about
him.
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