In Players of Shakespeare edited by Philip Brockbank, Tony Church writes, "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).  Spawning from this idea, Church looks at the reactions of Polonius' children to his death, Ophelia goes mad and Laertes rebels, and he plays Polonius as fatherly and adored by his children. 

Polonius' wisdom can be seen when he is advising his children. Church says that Polonius knows they are smiling behind his back but does not mind (109). His children pretend to not take him seriously, but deep down they cherish their father and his advice.