Family Dynamics In Hamlet

Shakespeare’s Hamlet conveys family dynamics through his portrayal of Polonius’ family by using the motif of disease, the tone and corruption to achieve the overall effect of showing how family dynamics had a great influence during that time period especially with the inheritance of royalty and marriage. Polonius takes on a commanding tone when instructing his children on what to do, he wipes away the innocent thoughts of Ophelia and how she believes that Hamlet loves her. He informs her that she is a baby without any hesitation and that she should not have such a “free and bounteous (I. iii. 18)” audience with him. He then demands that she tell him the truth and throughout all of this she subserviently obeys his commands and says “I shall obey my Lord (I. iii. 19).” This may convey how women are treated in families as things that can be ordered around and they are expected to listen to their father’s. Polonius is less severe with Laertes but still gives him advice and in this case he just wants to make sure that Laertes stays safe, on the other hand …show more content…
He warns her that “in the morn and liquid dew of youth Contagious blastements are most imminent (I. iii. 16).” He knows that Ophelia is risking her future by being with Hamlet due to the risk of not only disease but the corruption of her innocence which will make it difficult to find a husband. However, Ophelia does not heed his warning and brushes him off and this displays how brother sister relationships were similar to they are today. When siblings give each other advice it is usually not taken seriously especially if they are close in age but it still conveys that they care about each other. So the disease motif conveys the caring towards the wellbeing of other