An appreciation
'A Compass for the Young' is a speech from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which is a warm yet pragmatic set of parting guidelines given by the lord chamberlain, Polonius, to his son Laertes before he sets sail for France. Urging his son to hurry while the wind favors his journey, Polonius offers a collection of practical rules for living an honorable and successful life. He advises Laertes to think carefully before speaking, act with restraint, and avoid rash behavior. In friendship, Polonius suggests valuing trusted, loyal companions like "hoops of steel" while avoiding shallow intimacy with strangers. He warns against picking fights, but counsels firmness if one is forced into a quarrel. Furthermore, he recommends listening attentively, speaking sparingly, dressing in good taste without flashy extravagance, and strictly avoiding borrowing or lending money, which often damages both finances and friendships. The crowning advice of the speech is moral integrity: above all, Laertes must remain true to himself, which naturally prevents him from being false to others.
The beauty and enduring charm of this speech lie in its universal relevance and rhythmic elegance. Written in flowing iambic pentameter, it condenses deep, everyday wisdom into memorable, aphoristic phrases that have entered common English parlance - most notably "to thine own self be true" and "neither a borrower nor a lender be." While Polonius is elsewhere portrayed in the play as a verbose and meddlesome courtier, this passage captures him at his most tender and caring, performing the timeless duty of an affectionate father preparing his child for an unpredictable world. Through vivid visual imagery - such as clasping friends with iron bands and clothes proclaiming a person's inner character -Shakespeare transforms worldly caution into timeless moral art.
Meaning of Lines
Yet(Still) here, Laertes! aboard, aboard, for shame(shame on you)!
The wind sits in the shoulder* of your sail,
And you are stay’d(waited) for. There, my blessing with thee!
And these few precepts(rules) in thy memory
See thou character(record/inscribe/etch). Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportioned(unreasonable/rash) thought his act.
Be thou familiar(sociable), but by no means vulgar(overly friendly).
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried(tested),
Grapple(hold tight) them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull(callous) thy palm with entertainment(shaking the hand)
Of each new-hatch’d, unfledged**(immature) comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in,
Bear’t(manage it) that the opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man’s censure(counsel), but reserve thy judgment.
Costly thy habit(clothes) as thy purse can buy,
But not express’d in fancy(not flashy); rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel(clothing) oft proclaims the man,
And they in France of the best rank (nobles and high ranking) and station(class)
Are of a most select(selective) and generous chief(lavish leaders) in that.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry(managing your affairs / farming).
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.
Farewell: my blessing season this in thee!
*Shoulder of your sail - The upper-back corner or curved edge of the sail where it catches the wind from behind
**Fledge - A young bird to grow its flight feathers and leave the nest or learn how to fly
***You must be honest with yourself and live according to your own moral core so that you cannot be false to anyone else.
Context of the advice of Polonius to his son Laertes: A Summary of Hamlet
The Murder and the Ghost: In the court of Elsinore, Denmark, Prince Hamlet is deep in grief following the sudden death of his father, King Hamlet. His distress turns to disgust when his mother, Queen Gertrude, swiftly marries his uncle Claudius, who has claimed the throne. The ghost of King Hamlet appears on the battlements and reveals to Prince Hamlet that Claudius murdered him by pouring poison into his ear, demanding that Hamlet avenge the foul deed.
The Feigned Madness: To investigate and confirm Claudius’s guilt without raising alarm, Hamlet decides to feign madness ("antic disposition"). His erratic behavior alarms Claudius and Gertrude, who enlist his university friends (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern) and his Lord Chamberlain, Polonius, to uncover the source of his madness. Polonius becomes convinced that Hamlet’s affliction is merely lovesickness for his daughter, Ophelia.
The Play within a Play: A troupe of traveling actors arrives at court. Hamlet arranges for them to perform The Murder of Gonzago, modifying the scene to mirror the ghost’s description of King Hamlet’s murder. When the scene plays out, Claudius reacts with acute guilt and flees the room, confirming the ghost’s story to Hamlet.
The Turning Point and Downfall: Hamlet is summoned to Gertrude’s chamber to account for his conduct. Polonius hides behind an arras (tapestry) to eavesdrop. When Gertrude cries out in alarm, Polonius stirs, and Hamlet—mistaking the figure behind the curtain for Claudius—thrusts his rapier through the cloth, killing Polonius instantly.
The Tragic Climax: Polonius’s death drives Ophelia mad with grief, and she subsequently drowns. Laertes rushes back from France burning for vengeance. Claudius manipulates Laertes’ anger, orchestrating a rigged fencing duel between Hamlet and Laertes using an unblunted, poisoned foil and a cup of poisoned wine. During the duel, Gertrude unwittingly drinks the poisoned chalice and dies; both Hamlet and Laertes wound each other with the poisoned sword. Before dying, Laertes confesses the king’s treacherous plot. In his final moments, Hamlet slays Claudius and passes the rule of Denmark to Prince Fortinbras of Norway.
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