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All Site ContentHamletAct 1Scene 3
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Word Nerd: "censure"
Context and Language Videos
Act 1,
Scene 3
Lines 67-74

An explanation of the word "censure" in Act 1, Scene 3 of myShakespeare's Hamlet. 

myShakespeare | Hamlet 1.3 Word Nerd: Censure

Polonius 

Bear't that the opposèd may beware of thee. 
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment. 
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, 
But not expressed in fancy; rich, not gaudy,
For the apparel oft proclaims the man,
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous chief in that.
Video Transcript: 

RALPH: Both the words censor and censure come from the Latin word meaning to judge or to assess.

SARAH: In current usage, a censor, a film censor for example, reviews material in order to cut out unacceptable portions. While a censure is an official reprimand — for example, congress might pass a motion of censure against one of its members who has misbehaved.

RALPH: Although today we only use this second word, censure, in a negative sense, in Shakespeare's time it could have a neutral connotation, as it does here — it just means an opinion or assessment.