Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, / Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel;
Act I, Scene 3 · Polonius
Context
Polonius advises Laertes to hold on tightly to true friends once their loyalty has been tested, but not to befriend everyone casually.
Analysis
The metaphor 'hoops of steel' uses the language of physical binding—hard, industrial, permanent—to describe friendship, making emotional bonds sound like a form of armoring or fortification. This reveals Polonius's worldview: relationships are strategic assets to be secured, not organic connections. The violent intensity of 'grapple' reinforces this—friendship is something you seize and lock down.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that Polonius treats all human relationships as transactions requiring control and security, which helps explain why he later spies on his own children—he cannot imagine trust without surveillance, love without strategy, which makes him both a comic and a tragic figure.