College Essay: If You Could Meet Anyone, Who Would It Be And Why - Pol :: essays research papers

College Essay: If You Could Meet Anyone, Who Would It Be and Why - Polonius of Hamlet Polonius, father of Laertes, in William Shakespear's Hamlet, strikes me as someone exceptional. In the first act, he gives advice to his son who is departing on a journey. Polonius's advice guides me in almost every aspect of my life. I would like to talk with Polonius to gain more insight on life. Along with other advice, Polonius delivers one of te most famous quotes from Hamlet: "To thine own self be true." Polonius's quote helps me make tough decisions. Such an occasion arises when I have weighed the advantages and disadvantages of a choice, and they are equal. When faced with this situation, I ask myself, "would I be true to myself if I..." For example, I am temperate, and do not participate in certain activities harful to me such as drinking or doing drugs. Occasionally, others try to influence me to drink. Sometimes, I am tempeted; however, I know that I would not be true to myself if I submitted. I realize drinking is not somthing I want, nor is it in my best interest. Being true to myself involves acting in accordance with my values. Imust conduct myself like a gentleman and use proper etiquette for te given situation. Thus, the quote acts as a reminder for me to act properly. The next few lines are "and it must follow as the day the night, / thou canst not then be false to any man." By acting like a gentleman, I can assure muself that I will not harm nor create conlict with many people. For example, I remain calm in situations that most people would become upset and swear. Then, I am in a better position to deal with the would-be conflict. Next, Polonius covers many aspects of life. He tells us how to choose and treat friends, as well as rules for listning and speaking. We are told not to lend or borrow items becase "for loan oft loses both itself and friend," meaning one will end up losing a friend as well as what he lent "Be thou familiar but by no means vulgar" tells us to understand things that are immoral, but not to