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Question: Hamlet passage that shows appreciation of a cultural or political aspect of Elizabethan life
If anyone can help me, I need any 10 line passage from from Act I, II or III of Hamlet!. This passage has to show an appreciation of a cultural or political aspect of Elizabethan life!.
Along an explanation of the passage!.
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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
When Polonius sends Reynaldo to spy on Laertes in Paris he indicates the kind of life a young Elizabethan man might lead--how he might sow his wild oats, as it were!. He tells Reynaldo to talk about Laertes to people who know him by feeling them out with such rumors as this:

!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!. 'I know the gentleman;
I saw him yesterday, or t' other day,
Or then, or then; with such, or such; and, as you say,
There was a' gaming; there o'ertook in's rouse;
There falling out at tennis:' or perchance,
'I saw him enter such a house of sale,'
Videlicet, a brothel, or so forth!.
See you now;
Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth:
And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,
With windlasses and with assays of bias,
By indirections find directions out:
So by my former lecture and advice,
Shall you my son!. You have me, have you not!?

Polonius doesn't think that a bit of gambling, drunkenness or drabbing (whoring) is wholly to be unexpected!. He believes his son may do something in these lines and wants to know about it, out of parental concern and nosiness perhaps!. He also doesn't think it'll do Laertes's reputation too much harm to have such things said about him!. Therefore, it shows easy acceptance of immoral behavior!. It sounds a little bit like Queen Elizabeth and her network of spies!.

This same kind of thing would not have been said in Victorian times!. It has a slightly more sinister cast to our ears than it did in 1603 mostly because the father is so willing to besmirch his son's image!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Try watching the Branagh movie and reading along in the play!. He filmed the whole thing, doing an excellent job, and hearing it spoken out loud might help!.Www@QuestionHome@Com