The psychological health of Polonius In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, several characters show signs of possible psychological disorders, such as Prince Hamlet, Ophelia and Polonius. With Polonius, Shakespeare seems to characterize a devious and untrustworthy snake man. Upon closer inspection, however, it seems likely that Polonius suffered from one or perhaps more psychological disorders that drove him to extremes, going so far as to manipulate his daughter, send someone to spy on his son, and become obsessed with Prince Hamlet and his madness. Say no. to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay While all of the scenes with Polonius serve to develop his character, certain moments shed light on his possible psychological state. When talking with the madman Hamlet, Polonius mentions "how fruitful [Hamlet's] answers are sometimes" (II.ii.106-107), indicating that even though Hamlet appears to be rambling in one of his fits of madness , Polonius believes that there are certain hidden patterns and clues given that will shed light on the true cause of the prince's madness. Schizophrenia can affect people in different ways, one of which is causing someone to believe they are discovering a hidden meaning or pattern that does not exist. His obsession with breaking down Hamlet's thoughts and actions makes him appear almost paranoid and almost obsessed due to his suspicions, which suggests that Polonius has psychological traits very similar to schizophrenia. This personality trait is also exhibited several times throughout the play. While conversing with Hamlet in the castle, Polonius admits that he believes the prince "has gone very far, very far away" (II.ii.188), but continues to carefully analyze every word Hamlet speaks and later decides to hide behind a curtain to spy on Hamlet and his mother. So, whether he intended it or not, Shakespeare passed on to Polonius several traits and behaviors that, especially in modern times, could certainly warrant a psychological evaluation. Another character attribute of Polonius that could possibly contribute to a psychological disorder is his perception of himself. In several scenes, Polonius displays his inflated ego and delusional perception of himself. For example, when the player initially performs the speech about Pyrrhus and Priam, Polonius interrupts the performance several times with his comments on the play, first complaining about the length, then complimenting the actor on his choice of words, putting showcasing his exaggerated self. -importance. Another example occurs when Hamlet asks Polonius if he has ever acted in the theater before. Polonius confidently responds that he "was considered a good actor" (III.ii.96-97) for his portrayal of Julius Caesar when he was younger. These two scenes clearly reveal that Polonius is an arrogant and pompous man who could possibly suffer from a delusional perception of himself, which also characterizes those who suffer from schizophrenia. Furthermore, when talking with Claudius and Gertrude, Polonius promises that he will "find where the truth is hidden" (II.ii.155-157), once again showing his inflated ego. While there is certainly evidence that Polonius has schizophrenic tendencies, many of these cases seem much more typical of narcissistic personality disorder. However, if Polonius is simply a narcissist, instead of a schizophrenic, the narcissistic diagnosis does not take into account Polonius' character flaw: the constant observation and analysis of Prince Hamlet's every action and word which plays a large role more important.