Question

Question 1 (2 points)

Act II, Scene 1: Explain what Polonius wants Reynaldo to do. How is Reynaldo to do this?
Lines 1-24:
"POLONIUS. Give him this money and these notes,
Reynaldo.
REYNALDO. I will, my Lord.
POLONIUS. You shall do marvelous wisely, good
Reynaldo,
Before you visit him, to make inquire
Of his behavior.
REYNALDO. My lord, I did intend it.
POLONIUS. Marry, well said, very well said. Look you, sir
Inquire me first what Danskers are in Paris;
And how, and who, what means, and where they
keep
What company, at what expense; and finding
By this encompassment and drift of question
That they do know my son, come you more nearer
Than your particular demands will touch it:
Take you, as 'twere, some distant knowledge of him;
As thus, 'I know his father and his friends,
And in part him: do you mark this, Reynaldo?
REYNALDO Ay, very well, my lord.
POLONIUS. 'And in part him; but you may say 'not well:
But, if't be he I mean, he's very wild:
Addicted so and so and there put on him
What forgeries you please; marry, none so rank
As may dishonour him; take heed of that:
But, sir, such wanton, wild and usual slips
As are companions noted and most known
To youth and liberty

Answer 1

Polonius wants Reynaldo to go to France and visit Laertes while spying on him to see what he's up to and make sure that he is behaving properly and keeping up the reputation and image of the King of Denmark. He is to do this by asking around implicitly about Laertes and saying that he knows him faintly and making up little lies to see if people who know him or have seen him agree with him and eventually tell of what they've seen Laertes do, essentially through roundabout means.