“Neither a borrower nor a lender be,” a popular quote from Shakespeare’s Play Hamlet. It is spoken by Polonius, a major character of the play, in Act 1, Scene 3. This article will give you, full meaning and context of this Hamlet Quote. It is a piece of advice from the father to his son. Below is the full text of the speech.

Neither a borrower nor a lender be,
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
(Act 1, Scene 3: Line 75)

Meaning and context of “neither a borrower nor a lender be” quote

Polonius tells his son Laertes, that he should not lend or borrow money from a friend, as it may result in losing both friendship and money. His logic appears to be coming from his experience. If he lends money to a friend, the friend will avoid paying it back. If he borrows money from someone, he will become a spendthrift.

The conversation takes place when Laertes was about to leave for France. Polonius gives Laertes a series of fatherly advice. His advice shows his concern for his son. It also shows the bond of the father-son relationship.

This is a piece of very practical advice from a father to his son. Both borrowing and lending money has their own cons. If a monetary dealing is involved in a friendship, not only money is at risk but it may ruin the friendship as well. Lending money to a friend is also risky because friends do not take dealing seriously. The casual approach in monetary dealing needs to be avoided.

On the other hand, borrowing money shows that we are running out of our resources. It also can make us habitual to spend more than we earn. So it is wise to refrain from both borrowing and lending.

Conclusion

A normal relation of Laertes with his father Polonius is at contrast with abnormal relation of Prince Hamlet with his father. In Act 1 Scene 3, Shakespeare tries to show his audience, what a normal father-son bond be like.