“My dear sir, do nothing hasty

“My dear sir, do nothing hasty.
Think before you speak.
Don’t go and be so silly as to act like a mutton-head.
I’d be ashamed to be so spiteful.
Respect a father’s feelings."
(a) Why would Bill be ashamed of being spiteful?
(b) What do you come to know about Bill’s character?
© What does the phrase ‘to act like a mutton-head’ mean?

(a) Bill would be ashamed of being spiteful because he was a simple man who would not like to take revenge on anybody for any action hurting his interests.
(b) This shows that he is not a revengeful or unforgiving person.
© The phrase means ‘behaving stupidly’.