Analysis : Polonius
“Perhaps none of the characters, except Hamlet, presents as much ambiguity as Polonius.”
–Rosenberg, 257.
Is Polonius to be takes seriously or was he intended to be one of Shakespeare’s comical characters? We will never know the true answer to that question, but it is obvious that Shakespeare gave Polonius a pivotal role in this production. Rosenberg states, “He has been seen, and acted, as a fool, a silly gentleman, a tiresome old windbag, and as a wise man, a man of profound sense; as a supple underling, a king’s tool, and as a real statesman, a masterly plotter; as the sublime of stupidity and as a clever roleplayer consciously enjoying playing an actor” (257). The ways in which Polonius has been played on the stage are endless and constantly evolving, but in this database we analyzed portrayals of Polonius both as a fool and a wise man.
One production in which Polonius was portrayed as a fool was Gregory Doran’s 2009 Hamlet acted by Olivier Ford Davies. Davies was a bit elderly which added to his portrayal of a fool. His age is played upon in Act 2 scene 2 where both Claudius and Gertrude attempt to speed up Polonius while he is rambling which gives the scene humor. In this production both Ophelia and Laertes seem to mock Polonius which alludes to the fact that we are not to take him seriously.
We also have the wise man who is seen in John Barton’s 1980 production of Hamlet played by Tony Church. Church brings up the question, “Yet if Polonius is a fool, what does that make Claudius, who employs him and obviously relies on his judgement, or the Queen, who refers to him as a 'good old man' and trusts him in her bedchamber?" (106). In Church’s performance we see his wisdom through his advice that he gives his children and their reaction to his death. His death takes such a toll on both Laertes and Ophelia that it is apparent how valued Polonius was by them both.
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