SARAH: Hamlet's next line to Polonius is a subtle insult. Since Polonius claims he's not a fishmonger, Hamlet says he wishes that Polonius were as honest as an ordinary tradesman — a fishmonger might not necessarily be renowned for his honesty, but apparently, in Hamlet's eyes, Polonius's virtues are even lower.

RALPH: There's another joke here aswell: "fishmonger" might be understood here to mean a pimp — a merchant of another kind of flesh.

SARAH: This suggests that Hamlet may be starting to talk not only about Polonius, but also about his daughter Ophelia.