

Polonius also spies on his daughter, sets her up for entrapment, interferes with her romantic life, and ultimately contributes to her suicide.

Immediately after making this speech, he sends someone to Paris to spy on Laertes as he enjoys his student life. In the staging of Hamlet the other actors on stage with Polonius – his son, Laertes and daughter, Ophelia – often stand behind him and make mocking gestures as he speaks the words.Īs well as being a bore, Polonius is an unpleasant piece of work. In the first place, Polonius is a bore, and all of the wonderful advice is probably not even being heard by his children as they know how he goes on about everything. And, of course, being true to oneself is a noble aspiration.Īside from the content of the speech, what makes these words so interesting is the fact that they come from Polonius. After all, what could be more sound than advice which counsels one to be careful before speaking out? Or if you avoid lending or borrowing money you are more likely to keep your friends. The lessons in Polonius’ ‘To thine own self be true’ speech are generally thought of as good advice, which is why parts of it are so often quoted. This above all: to thine own self be true,Īnd it must follow, as the night the day,įarewell. Take each man’s censure but reserve thy judgment.īut not expressed in fancy-rich, not gaudy,Īnd they in France of the best rank and stationĪre of a most select and generous chief in that.įor loan oft loses both itself and friend,Īnd borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. Give every man thy ear but few thy voice. Bewareīear ’t that th’ opposèd may beware of thee. Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel,īut do not dull thy palm with entertainment Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Measure of a man lyrics full#
Here is the full text of Polonius’ speech: There, my blessing with thee. Polonius’ advice is summed up with the lines: ‘ 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.’ It is a speech that contains a number of different well known Shakespeare quotes, such as ‘ Give every man thy ear but few thy voice,’ ‘ Neither a borrower nor a lender be,’ and ‘ The apparel oft proclaims the man’ fill the speech.
Measure of a man lyrics how to#
It is spoken by King Claudius’ chief minister, Polonius as part of a speech where he is giving his son, Laertes, his blessing and advice on how to behave whilst at university. ‘ To thine own self be true’ is a line from act 1 scene 3 of Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. Each Shakespeare’s play name links to a range of resources about each play: Character summaries, plot outlines, example essays and famous quotes, soliloquies and monologues: All’s Well That Ends Well Antony and Cleopatra As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Coriolanus Cymbeline Hamlet Henry IV Part 1 Henry IV Part 2 Henry VIII Henry VI Part 1 Henry VI Part 2 Henry VI Part 3 Henry V Julius Caesar King John King Lear Loves Labour’s Lost Macbeth Measure for Measure The Merchant of Venice The Merry Wives of Windsor A Midsummer Night’s Dream Much Ado About Nothing Othello Pericles Richard II Richard III Romeo & Juliet The Taming of the Shrew The Tempest Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus Troilus & Cressida Twelfth Night The Two Gentlemen of Verona The Winter’s Tale This list of Shakespeare plays brings together all 38 plays in alphabetical order. Plays It is believed that Shakespeare wrote 38 plays in total between 15.

But then when you find the real world's unkind and it will never treat you better than me and the sooner that you won it you will see. Now you took what you want and now you got what you need. To give you everything you ever dreamed of babe, but all it bred was jealousy and greed. Can you find it in the distance that he ran? To give you everything you ever wanted so you would never have to want or need.

So here's my heart, and here's my soul, take them both they're yours but please be careful they're as delicate as you. Is it to provide all that he can? Or is it just how much he can offer to any willing heart that will receive? Or is it just how much you can take from him before he truly sees?Īnd tell me now do you believe in truss? Cos in my heart this quality's a must to give your heart so freely to someone knowing full well that you might not retrieve. Just tell me what's the measure of a man.
