Quote Analysis

Polonius interrupts the Player's recitation, complaining that the speech is too long.

The irony cuts in both directions: Polonius, who cannot stop talking himself, objects to someone else's verbosity. But the brevity of his complaint—just four words—also highlights his impatience with art that does not serve an immediate political purpose.

Support a thesis that Polonius represents a utilitarian view of language that Hamlet rejects—this quote shows Polonius dismissing art as wasteful, while Hamlet sees the Player's speech as meaningful precisely because it has no practical use.