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In the Old Testament (Judges 11 ), Jephthah vows to sacrifice to the Lord the first living thing that comes out of his house if the Lord will give him the victory of the Ammonites. Unfortunately, the first living thing to come out was his own daughter. Thus he was under oath to offer his daughter as a burnt offering.

In the same way, Hamlet is insinuating that Polonius is will to sacrifice his own daughter for personal gain.

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7y ago

In The Bible, Jepthah made a vow that if he won the battle he would sacrifice to God the first thing that came out of his house on his return. Unfortunately the first thing that came out of his house was his daughter, who he was obliged to sacrifice or break his oath. Hamlet is implying that Polonius is using his daughter and sacrificing her to his political aims just like Jepthah

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Q: Why does Hamlet call Polonius Jephthah in line 427?
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What sentence do you think Hamlet specifically intended polonius to hear?

I assume we are discounting the various lines which Hamlet directs to Polonius' questions in the three scenes where he has a conversation with him: "Words, words, words", "You cannot, sir, take from me anything which I would more willingly part withal", "Do you see yonder cloud which is in the shape of a camel?", "Have you a daughter?", "Buz, buz", "O Jeptha, judge of Israel, what a treasure had thou?" I think Hamlet intended Polonius to hear all these lines. I doubt if he intended Polonius to hear the things he said to Gertrude in the closet scene, even though Polonius did hear them. There are other things which Hamlet says which Polonius overhears which he might have intended Polonius to overhear. The line "These tedious old fools!" is one. The entire soliloquy "To be or not to be" and some or all of the scene with Ophelia which follows is another. The line "Where is your father?" suggests that at least at this point Hamlet is aware of Polonius and intends him to hear.


Presume that Hamlet did know that Polonius was listening to his talk with Ophelia What sentence do you think Hamlet might have specifically intended Polonius to hear?

Part of the answer has to depend on when you think Hamlet figures out that Polonius is listening in. If you think Hamlet knew from the start, then he may be saying "No, I never gave thee ought." to make Polonius think that their relationship was less serious than it really was. Or possibly the return of the love-tokens tips him off, and his lines "Are you honest?" and "Are you fair?" are really intended for Polonius. Perhaps "Get thee to a nunnery" is intended for Polonius (perhaps to make him think Hamlet as angry with Ophelia to try to save her from being implicated in Hamlet's problems), and "We are arrant knaves all; believe none of us" is to Ophelia so she knows he's not really mad at her. A number of people believe that Hamlet might become aware of Polonius's presence immediately before the line "Where's your father?" (Although possibly that may be when Hamlet discovers that Ophelia knows that Polonius is listening, or when he discovers that she has been planted by Polonius). In that case the lines "It hath made me mad", and "I say let us have no more marriages" may be directed to Polonius, the first to help reinforce the illusion that he's crazy and the second to get in a sly dig at Claudius and Gertrude.


Who said this line 'Brevity is the soul of wit'?

The quotation is this:Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,I will be brief.It comes from the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, and is spoken by the character Polonius.


What shakespeare play says brevity is the soul of wit?

"Brevity is the soul of wit" is a line from Hamlet, Act 2. It is said by Polonius, and it is ironic because although Polonius is saying that brevity is a virtue, it appears to be a virtue he does not posess. He is incapable of brevity, which by his maxim means he has very little wit.


Which author wrote the line to be or not to be?

William Shakespeare; it is a line from Hamlet's soliloquy in the play 'Hamlet' (act 3, scene 1).

Related questions

What act in Hamlet is it when Hamlet and polonius are in the library?

Scene 2 Act 2 line 170 Polonius leaves at line 215


Who said this line in hamlet you have of late -- but wherefore you know not?

Polonius said this to Ophelia.


How did Ophelia's father die?

Prior to Hamlet's entry into Gertrude's (Hamlet's mother) chamber, Polonius is having a discussion with the queen. As Hamlet enters his mother's room rather abruptly, Polonius chooses to hide behind a tapestry on the wall. When Hamlet begins to threaten his mother, Polonius believes Hamlet is trying to kill her, and so Polonius cries for help. Hamlet "thinking it was King Claudius" (it is unclear as to whether he actually believes its the King or not), stabs Polonius through the tapestry, killing him. As he dies he lets out his iconically obvious line "Oh, I am slain".


What sentence do you think Hamlet specifically intended polonius to hear?

I assume we are discounting the various lines which Hamlet directs to Polonius' questions in the three scenes where he has a conversation with him: "Words, words, words", "You cannot, sir, take from me anything which I would more willingly part withal", "Do you see yonder cloud which is in the shape of a camel?", "Have you a daughter?", "Buz, buz", "O Jeptha, judge of Israel, what a treasure had thou?" I think Hamlet intended Polonius to hear all these lines. I doubt if he intended Polonius to hear the things he said to Gertrude in the closet scene, even though Polonius did hear them. There are other things which Hamlet says which Polonius overhears which he might have intended Polonius to overhear. The line "These tedious old fools!" is one. The entire soliloquy "To be or not to be" and some or all of the scene with Ophelia which follows is another. The line "Where is your father?" suggests that at least at this point Hamlet is aware of Polonius and intends him to hear.


Who says though this be madness?

The quote "Though this be madness, yet there is method in't" is spoken by Polonius in Shakespeare's play Hamlet. Polonius says this to indicate that while Hamlet's behavior may seem crazy, there is a hidden reason or purpose behind it.


Presume that Hamlet did know that Polonius was listening to his talk with Ophelia What sentence do you think Hamlet might have specifically intended Polonius to hear?

Part of the answer has to depend on when you think Hamlet figures out that Polonius is listening in. If you think Hamlet knew from the start, then he may be saying "No, I never gave thee ought." to make Polonius think that their relationship was less serious than it really was. Or possibly the return of the love-tokens tips him off, and his lines "Are you honest?" and "Are you fair?" are really intended for Polonius. Perhaps "Get thee to a nunnery" is intended for Polonius (perhaps to make him think Hamlet as angry with Ophelia to try to save her from being implicated in Hamlet's problems), and "We are arrant knaves all; believe none of us" is to Ophelia so she knows he's not really mad at her. A number of people believe that Hamlet might become aware of Polonius's presence immediately before the line "Where's your father?" (Although possibly that may be when Hamlet discovers that Ophelia knows that Polonius is listening, or when he discovers that she has been planted by Polonius). In that case the lines "It hath made me mad", and "I say let us have no more marriages" may be directed to Polonius, the first to help reinforce the illusion that he's crazy and the second to get in a sly dig at Claudius and Gertrude.


Who says brevity is the soul of wit and why is this ironic?

The line "brevity is the soul of wit" is spoken by Polonius in William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet." The irony lies in the fact that Polonius is known for being long-winded and verbose in his speech and actions, contradicting the very idea of brevity that he espouses.


What happens to polonius?

Polonius dies in the play. Hamlet kills him while he is in Gertrude's room. Polonius was spying on Hamlet. Hamlet thought that there was a mouse behind the curtain so he swung his sword and killed polonius while he was behind the curtain.


Why is polonius so eager to tell Claudius and Gertrude that hamlet is in love with his daughter?

Polonius never explicitly states what he feels about a marriage between Hamlet and Ophelia. In the play, Polonius urges Ophelia to stop interacting with Hamlet because he believes that Hamlet's duty to the royal family would not allow him to marry Ophelia despite what the young couple feels for each other. Basically, he doesn't believe a marriage between the two is even possible, so he's not "eager" for her to marry Hamlet.


Who said this line 'Brevity is the soul of wit'?

The quotation is this:Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,I will be brief.It comes from the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, and is spoken by the character Polonius.


What scene in hemlet is the phrase to be or not to be taken from?

The phrase "To be, or not to be..." comes from Act III, Scene i, as the opening line to the most famous soliloquy in all of the Shakespearean canon. Hamlet has just entered the stage, and the King and Polonius have just exited--there is a strong suggestion that they can hear what Hamlet is saying, ostensibly aloud to himself.


What is the emotion Hamlet has through out the play?

Hamlet shows the same emotion throughout the play only in very bad productions. In reality he shows a number of emotions: he is disgusted by his mother, excited by the appearance of the ghost, then frightened by it, then stunned by what he has heard. He is sarcastic with Polonius and angry at Ophelia. He shows regret after killing Polonius and fighting with Laertes. In the closet scene with his mother he is at once angry with her and full of love for her. In Shakespeare, no character is trapped in one emotion; they go from emotion to emotion as they go from line to line, because their emotions are a by-product of the situation of the moment. That is one reason they are so real.