Quote Analysis

Polonius advises Laertes to avoid lending or borrowing money, warning that doing so often results in losing both the money and the friendship.

The chiastic structure—'loan oft loses both itself and friend'—places 'itself' (the money) before 'friend,' subtly revealing Polonius's priorities even as he pretends to care about relationships. The metaphor 'dulls the edge of husbandry' then frames borrowing as something that weakens one's sharpness or discipline, using domestic economy language to make thrift sound like a manly virtue. The advice is practical, but its coldness—friendship measured in financial risk—undercuts any warmth.

Use this to support a thesis that Polonius's worldview is transactional and self-protecting—even his most famous advice reduces human bonds to cost-benefit calculations, which explains why he's unable to understand Hamlet's genuine grief or Ophelia's real love; he has no language for non-transactional emotion.