Polonius and Laertes are quite protective of their respective daughter and sister, Ophelia. When the pair discovers that she is becoming involved romantically with Hamlet, they intervene immediately. In their opinion, Hamlet is just toying with her and won't be able to follow through with his vows of love because he is royal and she is not. They also think Hamlet to be a bad influence on the naive girl. The two take it upon themselves to advise (read: to order) Ophelia not to engage in any contact of any sort with Hamlet; she is to cut him off completely. And she, being a mere girl, of course defers to the wise judgement of her brother and father, and dutifully obeys.
To a reader today, this exchange is bordering on misogyny. What place do these two men have telling a girl not to contact her boyfriend ever again? The "advice" Ophelia has received really factors her choice out of her relationship, diminishing her autonomy.
However, when viewed in the context of Elizabethan England, Polonius and Laertes were doing their duty as men in taking care of their female family member. Because of social stigmas and customs concerning status, Hamlet probably could never have married Ophelia because she is not of royal descent. And, had the pair in any way acted on their attraction, Ophelia would be shunned and ruined in such a society. Polonius and Laertes' warnings to stay away from Hamlet are in her best interest in these circumstances.
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