Polonius

Polonius is a character in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. He is the chief counsellor of the play's ultimate villain, Claudius, and the father of Laertes and Ophelia. Generally regarded as wrong in every judgment he makes over the course of the play, Polonius is described by William Hazlitt as a "sincere" father, but also "a busy-body, [who] is accordingly officious, garrulous, and impertinent". In Act II, Hamlet refers to Polonius as a "tedious old fool" and taunts him as a latter day "Jephtha".

Key facts

Character.name: Polonius
Character.series: Hamlet
Character.image: Jehan-Georges Vibert - Polonius behind the curtain.jpg
Character.caption: Polonius Behind the Curtain by Jehan Georges Vibert, 1868
Character.creator: William Shakespeare
Character.alias: Corambis (First Quarto)
Character.affiliation: Loyal to King Claudius
Character.children: OpheliaLaertes
Character.nationality: Danish
Character.based_on: Possibly William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley; name is an allusion to Wawrzyniec Goślicki
Character.occupation: Courtier
Character.title: Lord Chamberlain
Character.spouse: Name not given

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Wikidata facts

Image: Polonius.jpg

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Commons category: Polonius (person)

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Character
Sources
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Stage and film portrayals
Famous lines
Notable portrayals
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Polonius connives with Claudius to spy on Hamlet. Hamlet unknowingly kills Polonius, provoking Ophelia's descent into madness, ultimately resulting in her (probable) suicide and the climax of the play: a duel between Laertes and Hamlet.