number 4

Laertes objects to the love between Ophelia and Hamlet because he is worried that Hamlet's stature as prince of Denmark would get in the way of the love they share, whereas Polonius' rejection is solely political. P feels that a prince for treaty purposes must marry a princess from another country. Laertes seems to be more persuasive because it is based upon actual marital issues that could come up, not simply political. The two are very similar however in how they view women. To them, women are almost just trophies. That scene clearly showed Ophelia as an object to them that they didn't want Hamlet to have. Class functions as a block to Ophelia's goal of marrying Hamlet.