The quote you refer to is from Shakespeare's play
entitled, Hamlet.
The speaker is
Polonius who is King Claudius' trusted advisor. Ironically, Polonius gives wonderful
advice, but finds it impossible to take it himself. (His son Laertes is also one to give
advice, as with his sister Ophelia, but she is not too quick to agree unless he accepts
the wisdom of his words and follows his own advice.) In fact, his behavior in being an
advisor to the King, is difficult to understand: Polonius is a windbag. At one point,
Gertrude almost has to tell him to be quiet ("More matter, less art!") because he
rambles on and on about nothing important.
Much of the best
advice in this play (and many of the quotes) come from Polonius. His words almost sound
as if they could be found in the Bible or in writings by Ben Franklin in Poor
Richard's Almanac, but they belong to William
Shakespeare.
Regarding your quote, Polonius delivers this
counsel to his son as Laertes is preparing to take his leave from his family. Polonius
has good things to say. One is "Neither a borrower or a lender be." The location in your
version of the play may be slightly different in terms of the line numbers, but the act
and scene will be the say.
Look in
Hamlet, Act One, scene three, line 79.
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