Question
Polonius: Well be with you, gentlemen!
Hamlet: Hark you, Guildenstern; and you too; at each ear a hearer: that great baby you see there is not yet out of his swaddling-clouts.
What is the effect of Hamlet’s use of metaphor in this excerpt?
A: The metaphor reveals that Hamlet respects Polonius.
B: The metaphor shows that Hamlet wants Polonius’s help.
C: The metaphor portrays Polonius as foolish and weak.
D: The metaphor establishes Polonius as angry and mean.
Hamlet: Hark you, Guildenstern; and you too; at each ear a hearer: that great baby you see there is not yet out of his swaddling-clouts.
What is the effect of Hamlet’s use of metaphor in this excerpt?
A: The metaphor reveals that Hamlet respects Polonius.
B: The metaphor shows that Hamlet wants Polonius’s help.
C: The metaphor portrays Polonius as foolish and weak.
D: The metaphor establishes Polonius as angry and mean.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
C: The metaphor portrays Polonius as foolish and weak.
In this excerpt, Hamlet's use of the metaphor comparing Polonius to a "great baby" suggests that he sees Polonius as immature and foolish, implying that he lacks the wisdom and strength expected of someone in his position. This helps to characterize Polonius as someone who is not to be taken seriously.
In this excerpt, Hamlet's use of the metaphor comparing Polonius to a "great baby" suggests that he sees Polonius as immature and foolish, implying that he lacks the wisdom and strength expected of someone in his position. This helps to characterize Polonius as someone who is not to be taken seriously.