Our
class has been reading Hamlet for a few weeks now and even though we are only
just starting the second Act I have found the number of repeated themes
amazing. With each soliloquy and scene there are allusions to popular themes
such as nature, money, and even fish! As I have been reading along in class I have
been circling and drawing connections between all of these patterns. I have
found a remarkable number of references to money. While reading I have come up
with a theory as to why Shakespeare constantly alludes to money throughout the
play (so far).
The
first major discussion involving the allusion to money is the conversation
between Polonius and Ophelia regarding Ophelia’s current relationship standing
with Hamlet. Essentially Polonius is accusing Ophelia of being a whore and “opening
her chaste treasure” to Hamlet. He also crushes Ophelia’s dreams of ever having
a serious relationship with Hamlet. He does this by assuring Ophelia that
Hamlet is only using her for sex and he will eventually have to fulfill his royal
duty by marrying a woman who will benefit the nation. While this conversation
would be effective on any young teenager in plain text, Shakespeare puts a
monetary undertone to it. Throughout this speech Polonius uses countless references
to money: “free”, “tenders”, “green”, “pay”, “sterling”, “rich”, “rate”, “parley”,
“brokers”, “investments”. And there are more! Obviously a man like Shakespeare
who has the mental access to thousands of words would not throw this combination
of words together on accident. And so this is when I got to thinking…
The
context of which these words are used in conversation may be the key to
breaking the code of these countless insinuations. In this scene, Polonius is
lecturing Ophelia on her relationship with Hamlet, but why is this relationship
of such importance? Polonius is connected to the current king of Denmark
because he is Claudius’s right-hand man. However, if Ophelia and Hamlet were to
have a full-fledged relationship then it is certain to have the possibility of
ending badly. If that relationship did end unfavorably for Hamlet then that
could jeopardize Polonius’s position in the court. It is much like how in
modern day, having a relationship with your boss or your son/daughter having a
relationship with your boss is looked down upon.
This
being said, where do all these money references come in? I have developed a few
theories regarding this matter. If Polonius is lecturing his daughter because
he does want to risk his solid position in court, he is obviously fond of his
current job, a job that no doubt gives him access to a very comfortable profit.
Shakespeare could be using such money references in order to chastise those who
are monetarily based. That is, in this case, someone who puts their own money
and lifestyle before the happiness of their children. Another theory could be
that Polonius does not want to risk Ophelia’s “honor” if she were to get to
serious with Hamlet. If Ophelia did in fact “open her chaste treasure” to
Hamlet and some sort of scandal ensued, then Polonius’s good name would
certainly be ruined. This single-minded thinking also goes along with the
materialistic language that Shakespeare has inflicted throughout this scene.
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