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.
Act II, Scene 1 · Polonius
Context
Polonius instructs his servant Reynaldo to spy on Laertes in Paris by spreading minor lies about his son's behaviour to see if others will confirm them. He tells Reynaldo to accuse Laertes of youthful vices, but nothing truly shameful.
Analysis
The phrase 'forgeries you please' paired with the caveat 'none so rank / As may dishonour him' exposes Polonius's slippery moral logic: he authorizes lies as long as they stay within respectable bounds. His diction treats deception as a controlled craft—'wanton, wild, and usual slips' makes vice sound normal and even charming. The language reveals a man who sees manipulation not as wrong but as something to calibrate carefully for social advantage.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that Polonius embodies the court's corrupt ethos—he doesn't reject deception but simply manages it, showing how appearance and reputation matter more than truth at Elsinore.