Polonius
| Polonius | |
|---|---|
| Hamlet character | |
Polonius Behind the Curtain by Jehan Georges Vibert, 1868 | |
| Created by | William Shakespeare |
| Based on | Possibly William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley; name is an allusion to Wawrzyniec Goślicki |
| Portrayed by | |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Corambis (First Quarto) |
| Title | Lord Chamberlain |
| Occupation | Courtier |
| Affiliation | Loyal to King Claudius |
| Spouse | Name not given |
| Children | Ophelia Laertes |
| Nationality | Danish |
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".
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.