Oliver Ford Davies take on Polonius gives him the appearance of an old fool who is there to make the audience laugh. In Act 1 scene 3, both Ophelia and Leartes repeat what their father has told them in unison while rolling their eyes. While Polonius is explaining his plan to spy on Hamlet in Act 2 scene 2, Gertrude and Claudius both attempt to speed up his speech using hand gestures in order to get him to talk faster. Overall, Davies' Polonius is one that is meant to be laughed at because of his exaggerated old age and tiresome, long winded speeches.
Hamlet Directed By Gregory Doran (2009)
Right: Oliver Ford Davies as Polonius
Reviews
“It's hard not to warm to a Hamlet who makes you laugh, and Tennant discovers almost every ounce of sarky humour, especially when baiting Oliver Ford Davies's hilariously ponderous but poisonous Polonius...”
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"Oliver Ford Davies's brilliant Polonius is both a sycophantic politician and a comic pedant who feels the need to define and qualify every word he says..."
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