Asked by j

Read the excerpt from Act II of Hamlet.

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?

The metaphor reveals that Hamlet respects Polonius.
The metaphor shows that Hamlet wants Polonius’s help.
The metaphor portrays Polonius as foolish and weak.
The metaphor establishes Polonius as angry and mean.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
The metaphor portrays Polonius as foolish and weak.

Hamlet compares him to a baby still in swaddling clothes to mock his immaturity, naivety, and lack of wisdom.