Essay/Term paper: Who would you meet and why

Essay, term paper, research paper:  English

If you could meet anyone, who would it be and why --- popular college essay



Polonius, father of Laertes, in William Shakespear's Hamlet, strikes me as someone exceptional. In the first act, he gives

advice to his son who is departing on a journey. Polonius's advice guides me in almost every aspect of my life. I would

like to talk with Polonius to gain more insight on life.

Along with other advice, Polonius delivers one of te most famous quotes from Hamlet: "To thine own self be true."

Polonius's quote helps me make tough decisions. Such an occasion arises when I have weighed the advantages and

disadvantages of a choice, and they are equal. When faced with this situation, I ask myself, "would I be true to myself

if I..." For example, I am temperate, and do not participate in certain activities harful to me such as drinking or doing

drugs. Occasionally, others try to influence me to drink. Sometimes, I am tempeted; however, I know that I would not be
true to myself if I submitted. I realize drinking is not somthing I want, nor is it in my best interest.

Being true to myself involves acting in accordance with my values. Imust conduct myself like a gentleman and use

proper etiquette for te given situation. Thus, the quote acts as a reminder for me to act properly. The next few lines are
"and it must follow as the day the night, / thou canst not then be false to any man." By acting like a gentleman, I can
assure muself that I will not harm nor create conlict with many people. For example, I remain calm in situations that most
people would become upset and swear. Then, I am in a better position to deal with the would-be conflict.

Next, polonius covers many aspects of life. He tells us how to choose and treat friends, as well as rules for listning and
speaking. We are told not to lend or borrow items becase "for loan oft loses both itself and friend," meaning one will end
up losing a friend as well as what he lent "Be thou familiar but by no means vulgar" tells us to understand things that are
immoral, but not to participate in them. I try to follow Polonius's advice in my daily life.

I would like to meet Polonius because he has already assisted me in making choices for myself. He could give me
insight on other things. Polonius gives his advice as Laertes is departing on a journy. I too will leave for college. Polonius

could expand on the knowledge he has already provided. He could also explain how his advice relates to our time period.