Charlie as Polonius, sitting far left
In Southern California, Shakespeare-by-the-Sea’s “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” opens tonight at Point Fermin Park, San Pedro. It’s an outdoors production; 8:00 p.m. curtain. I wish I could be there.
My son, Charlie, is playing Polonius whose words to Laertes are probably the most famous of any father’s advice to a son — at least in the English language. The rather long speech toward the top of the play ends in words familiar to us all:
This above all: to thine ownself be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
It is the scene in which Polonius, adviser to the king and father of Laertes and Ophelia, admonishes his son to hurry, yet delays his departure to Paris to give him some words a wisdom. Among other things he tells him how to behave with integrity and practicality, admonishes him to keep his thoughts to himself, to restrain himself from acting on rash desires, and to treat people with familiarity but not with vulgarity. He advises him to hold on to his old friends but be slow to embrace new friends; to be slow to quarrel but to fight boldly if the need arises; to listen more than he talks; to dress richly but not gaudily; to refrain from borrowing or lending money; and, finally, to be true to himself above all things
More Bad Advice From Polonius
Generally regarded as wrong in every judgment he makes over the course of the play, Polonius has been described as a “sincere” father, but also “a busy-body who is, accordingly, officious, garrulous, and impertinent.” He has also been called a “windbag” by some and “a rambler of wisdom” by others. It has even been suggested that he only acts like a “foolish prating knave” in order to keep his position and popularity safe and to keep anyone from discovering his plots for social advancement.
I wonder how Charlie is playing him – as a doddering old fool or as a conniving sycophant? We haven’t talked at length about the role or about his particular take on Polonius’s character or even about how the Director perceives the play and the importance of Polonius’s role to the action. Rehearsal time was short – just three weeks, I think – and Charlie hasn’t had time for any motherly advice about his fatherly role.
I see by the theater’s website that nights are coolish in San Pedro. Play-goers are advised to bundle up. I guess my motherly concerns for Charlie would include questions about his costume – What’s it made of? Are there layers he can add or shed? What if it rains? – and, no doubt, the usual “Don’t catch cold” admonishment. Not nearly as memorable as Polonius’s advice to his children, but equally heartfelt.
Break a leg, Charlie! And stay warm!
If we ever get to make a road trip to CA, I would so love to get to see Charlie in action!