# Polonius — Hamlet character guide

> Polonius in Hamlet by William Shakespeare.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Polonius Marry, Polonius Ophelia, good Polonius, Polonius God, Polonius Ay, Polonius Behind, Polonius Madam, Polonius Honest, Exit Polonius

**First appearance:** 0001-act-i

## Snapshot

Denmark's lord chamberlain, a self-appointed expert on everyone's business, forever dispensing precepts and hiding behind arrases to prove himself right.

## Who they are

Polonius manages the court's information with fussy confidence, forbidding Ophelia to see Hamlet, sending Reynaldo to spy on Laertes, and volunteering to test the prince's madness himself. He mistakes his own sententiousness for wisdom and treats his children's lives as material for his theories. His meddling and his certainty that he understands Hamlet make him both comic and fatal, and his schemes push the play toward its first irreversible act.

## Relationships

### [Hamlet](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/characters/hamlet)

_rivalry_

Hamlet views Polonius as a meddlesome, foolish old man and treats him with contempt, eventually killing him by accident.

### [Reynaldo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/characters/reynaldo)

_professional_

Polonius sends his servant Reynaldo to spy on his son Laertes in Paris, demonstrating his controlling and manipulative nature.

### [Horatio](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/characters/horatio)

_social_

Horatio and Polonius interact as members of the Danish court, with Horatio likely viewing Polonius as a verbose and foolish old man.

### [Osric](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/characters/osric)

_social_

Osric and Polonius are both courtiers who share a love for verbose, flattering speech and serve the king's interests.

### [Hamlet](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/characters/hamlet)

_rivalry_

Hamlet views Polonius as a meddlesome, foolish old man and treats him with contempt, eventually killing him by accident.

### [Horatio](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/characters/horatio)

_social_

Horatio and Polonius interact as members of the Danish court, with Horatio likely viewing Polonius as a verbose and foolish old man.

### [Hamlet](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/characters/hamlet)

_rivalry_

Hamlet views Polonius as a meddlesome, foolish old man and treats him with contempt, eventually killing him by accident.

### [Osric](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/characters/osric)

_social_

Osric and Polonius are both courtiers who share a love for verbose, flattering speech and serve the king's interests.

### [Reynaldo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/characters/reynaldo)

_professional_

Polonius sends his servant Reynaldo to spy on his son Laertes in Paris, demonstrating his controlling and manipulative nature.

## In the story

### [Scene II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/chapters/act-i-scene-ii)

Confirms Laertes's request to go to France, having given his reluctant consent.

### [Scene III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/chapters/act-i-scene-iii)

Gives Laertes lengthy precepts for his journey, then interrogates Ophelia about Hamlet and forbids her from seeing him.

### [Scene I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/chapters/act-ii-scene-i)

Polonius instructs Reynaldo on spying tactics and later interprets Hamlet's behavior as lovesickness.

### [Scene II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/chapters/act-ii-scene-ii)

Announces the return of the ambassadors, claims to have discovered the cause of Hamlet's madness (love for Ophelia), and arranges a meeting between them.

### [Scene I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/chapters/act-iii-scene-i)

Arranges the spying on Hamlet; suggests Gertrude speak with Hamlet after the play; believes Hamlet's grief stems from neglected love.

### [Scene III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/chapters/act-iii-scene-iii)

Plans to spy on Hamlet's meeting with Gertrude from behind the arras.

### [Scene IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/chapters/act-iii-scene-iv)

Hides behind the arras to spy, is killed by Hamlet.

### [Scene VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/chapters/act-iv-scene-vii)

Referenced as Laertes's murdered father, motivating Laertes's vengeance.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/characters/polonius
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hamlet_se/characters