Polonius


 * Pre-entrance:**
 * He is mentioned before he speaks but his initial presence is insignificant
 * Not talked about by any other character


 * Entrance:**
 * Act 1, Scene 2, Line 1 is when he enters
 * Appears with a crowd of people, but again, does not seem like a significant character, and is in the shadow of the king
 * Enters on-stage with the King and the Queen


 * Context:**
 * Appears in Claudius’s coronation, only talks when asked, asks Claudius for permission.
 * He adds a lot of 'fluff' in his speech
 * Acts very respectful towards the king in order to develop a relationship with him


 * First words:**
 * “He hath, my lord, wrung from me my slow leave by laborsome petition, and at last upon his will I sealed my hard consent. I do beseech you, give him leave to go.”
 * Laertes finally convinces his dad to ask the king for permission. Polonius appreciates the fact that Claudius is the king and asks for his permission, in a respectable manner.


 * Dialogue:**
 * Tries to seem wise, especially with his kids by giving advice
 * Very high expectations of his kids and is very protective over them
 * “You do not understand yourself so clearly
 * Not conducting yourself with the self-restraint a daughter must show
 * Becomes a problem for Hamlet, as being protective over Ophelia restricts their love for one another.
 * Tells Claudius that the reason for Hamlet’s insanity is because of his desire for Ophelia
 * The reason that Ophelia cannot express her affection toward Hamlet is that Polonius will not allow it.

Even though Polonious has good intensions, he jumps to the wrong conclusion regarding Hamlet and therefore relies false information to Claudius. Polonious believes that he is doing what is best for the state in helping with the king, but his methods are sometimes devious and deceptive. He tends to go on pompous rants with long responses that are unnecessary, and he utilizes them to show off his knowledge and wisdom. In the first act, the audience only sees this with Laertes and Ophelia who he has control over. Around the king he is very polite and expresses a great deal of respect, not only does he only talk when required but in shorter dialogues. This contrasts greatly to how he talks to his children. When Laertes leaves for France, Polonious goes on a long-winded rant about how he should act and offers advise. When Ophelia tells him about Hamlet, Polonious makes it very clear that he expects Ophelia to stay her distance because Hamlet only spells out trouble. Even though the content of what is being said could be expressed in a few lines, Polonious has a propensity to repeat ideas, which then lengthens his speech. At times it seems like Polonious is trying to force his importance and presence into the other characters' lives and he does this through his long dialogues.
 * Conclusion:**