Polonius

A Danish lord, Polonius is the father of Laertes and Ophelia. Audiences tend to remember him for the way he dies – Polonius is stabbed in the guts by Hamlet as he hides behind a screen while eavesdropping on Hamlet and Gertrude (3.4.2).

Polonius and Comedy

Polonius is a pretty foolish character. There's no getting around it: he is self-absorbed, long-winded, and dull. He's also, when played by the right actor, completely hilarious. It's all about finding ways to make Polonius's long speeches as amusing as they can be. He likes to give the "when I was your age" speeches, as we see when he tells Hamlet that he was in love once, too, back in the day. He also dishes lame advice like it's going out of style. He's like an over-eager parent who gives unwanted opinions.

For all these reasons, Polonius can be a source of comic relief to a weighty play. Check out the scene where Hamlet's directing the players (actors). Polonius is hilarious. When one of the players delivers a heart-wrenching rendering of Priam's death and the hullabaloo to follow, Polonius interrupts to say (and we are not making this up), "This is too long." We were all thinking it, but he's the guy that said it. He also cuts in at their use of the words "mobled queen" to say "Oh, that's good; 'mobled queen' is good." Can't you see this going down onSNL? In many ways, Shakespeare also uses Polonius to mock his less sophisticated audience members, whose theatrical tastes are less developed than the ideal playgoer. (Be sure to check out "Art and Culture" for more on this.)

Polonius as a Father

Polonius's relationships with his children are of particular interest. His decision to spy on his son while Laertes is off at college is in keeping with the play's theme of "Lies and Deceit," as is his use Ophelia to spy on Hamlet. As comical and ridiculous as Polonius is, his elaborate attempts to keep tabs on Laertes and Ophelia remind us that father's cannot always be trusted to care for their children. This is especially true when Polonius pays Reynoldo to spread rumors about Laertes so that Laertes will confide in Reynoldo, who can then report back to Polonius (2.1.4). Yikes!

Polonius's willingness to use his daughter as a way to curry favor with the king in Act III, Scene i has disastrous consequences – his manipulative tactics leave Ophelia open to Hamlet's abuse and likely contribute to Ophelia's tragic end. (You can read more about this by checking out "Quotes" on "Madness." Polonius isn't the only Shakespearean father to use his daughter in order to manage his relationships with other men. The "Comedy" plays are full of father's who use their daughters as bartering tools. (Check out, for example, Baptista Minola in The Taming of the Shrew.)