This scene in Shakespeare's Hamlet can be interpreted as another scene in which Polonious is revealed to be inept, foolish, and long-winded. He has barely finished telling Laertes "to thine own self be true," (I:3) and here he is sending Reynaldo to spy on him (II:1). He takes too long to say what needs to be said, and then repeats it in a slightly different form.
By the way, Polonius gives Reynaldo money and letters for Laertes. Again, though, the main purpose of the meeting seems to be to give Polonius an opportunity to instruct Reynaldo on how to best get to know other Danes that can give him information on Laertes, which Reynaldo can then report back to Polonius.
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