Poetry · Chapter
An Undress Uniform explained
The chapter critiques the idea that clothing defines a person, using Polonius's lie and the hypothetical example of Salomon to argue that true character is revealed in extremis, not by appearance.
What happens
The chapter critiques the idea that clothing defines a person, using Polonius's lie and the hypothetical example of Salomon to argue that true character is revealed in extremis, not by appearance.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Self-Deception
Polonius's claim that 'apparel doth proclaim the man' is dismissed as a lie, suggesting that outward appearances are deceptive.
Hypocrisy and Corruption
The crowd's hypocritical admiration for Salomon's imagined bravery contrasts with the grim reality of the hangman's trap.
Characters to notice
- Salomon
Used as an example of a hero whose true nature would be recognized even in a shroud on the gallows.
Key passages
“The apparel does not proclaim the man— Polonius lied like a partisan”
Clothing does not reveal a person's true character; Shakespeare's Polonius was wrong, and his statement was biased.
Directly challenges a famous line from Hamlet, asserting that external appearance is misleading.
“And Salomon still would a hero seem if (Heaven dispel the impossible dream!) He stood in a shroud on the hangman’s trap, His eye burning holes in the black, black cap.”
Even if Salomon were standing on the gallows in a burial shroud, his defiant gaze would make him appear heroic to the onlookers.
Imagines a scenario where true heroism transcends the most degrading circumstances.