Isabella Salcedo
Ms. Katherine Persitz
English 4A
4 December 2013
Polonius: Marxist Critical Theory Throughout one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Hamlet, many critical theories are evident. A critical theory is a philosophical approach to culture or literature, in this case literature, that seeks to confront the social, historical and ideological forces and structures that produce and constrain it. One critical theory to really focus on throughout the play is the Marxist Theory. The Marxist theory can best be analyzed through an economic standpoint. The character in Hamlet that proves the Marxist theory exists in the play is Polonius. Polonius is the prime minister of Denmark and also the father to Ophelia and Laertes. Polonius is ruled…show more content… As prime minister he is high in rank but not royalty. He is part of the bourgeoisie, which is affluent middle-class people characterized as conventional, conservative, or materialistic in outlook, he is very particular in proving his social status and making appropriate moves to keep it that way. In Act II he is associating with the players whom are part of the proletariat, or, the class of wage-earning workers in society. The players are to perform a play for Hamlet and the court. (Act II, Scene 2, Lines…show more content… He tells her exactly what to do, what to say, how to do it, and how to say it. All the while Polonius and the king will be hiding behind a glass door. This itself makes a pretty loud statement. He who is to be strong, mighty, and powerful is hiding behind a door. He watches his daughter be mentally and physically abused and remains hidden, he does nothing to help. Not only does he violate his own daughter Ophelia, but the queen. In Act III as well he tells the Queen to scold and punish Hamlet for his unjust behavior at the play while he hides behind the curtain in her bedroom. Once again the strong, mighty, and powerful is hiding. (Act III, Scene 3, Lines 27-35)
Polonius: My lord, he’s going to his mother’s closet. Behind the arras I’ll convey myself to hear the process. I’ll warrant she’ll tax him home, and, as you said, and wisely was it said, ‘tis meet that some more audience than a mother, since nature makes them partial, should o’erhear the speech, of vantage. Fare you well my liege. I’ll call upon you ere you go to bed and tell you what I