Character in Hamlet
Lord Polonius ♂ male
355Lines Spoken
1.2First Scene
3.4Last Scene
8.8%Of Play Dialogue
Lord Polonius speaks 355 lines in Hamlet — the #3 role by line count, accounting for 8.8% of the play’s dialogue across 8 scenes.
Lord Polonius enters the play in Act 1, Scene 2: “He hath, my lord, wrung from me my slow leave”
Every scene where Lord Polonius speaks
| Act / Scene | Lines spoken | Share of scene |
|---|---|---|
| Act 1, Scene 2 | 4 | 1.4% |
| Act 1, Scene 3 | 68 | 48.6% |
| Act 2, Scene 1 | 88 | 67.2% |
| Act 2, Scene 2 | 143 | 23.2% |
| Act 3, Scene 1 | 24 | 11.9% |
| Act 3, Scene 2 | 12 | 3.1% |
| Act 3, Scene 3 | 9 | 8.8% |
| Act 3, Scene 4 | 7 | 3.0% |
Dialogue partners
Across 8 scenes, Lord Polonius most frequently shares the stage with: Hamlet (6 shared scenes), Queen Gertrude (5 shared scenes), King Claudius (5 shared scenes), Ophelia (4 shared scenes), Guildenstern (4 shared scenes).
Quick facts
Where does Lord Polonius rank in Hamlet’s cast?
#3 by line count, with 355 lines across Acts 1 to 3.
Who does Lord Polonius speak with most often?
Hamlet — 6 shared scenes.