There are a couple of devises used in this line on both a
small scale and on a large scale. First, there are two figures of speech
(personification and metaphor)
working together. In this speech of fatherly advice, spoken by Polonius, "Give thy
thoughts no tongue nor any unproportioned thoughts his act," he is simply reminding
Laertes to think before speaking and acting. Here, "thoughts" are personified into
having a "tongue" and ability to act. The use of the word "tongue" is also a metaphor
for speech. In other words, Polonius is saying, Don't always say what you are
thinking and don't be too quick to act on your thoughts.
The bigger picture however, proves this quote
to also be ironic. The very advice that Polonius gives his
son just before Laertes leaves for school, is not put into practice by the old man
himself. This could very well be one argument for why Polonius meets an untimely and
early death.
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