Character in Hamlet
Lord Polonius ♂ male
355Lines Spoken
1.2First Scene
3.4Last Scene
8.8%Of Play Dialogue
Lord Polonius is the #3 role by line count in Hamlet — 355 lines (8.8% of the play) across 8 scenes between Acts 1 and 3.
Lord Polonius enters the play in Act 1, Scene 2: “He hath, my lord, wrung from me my slow leave”
Dialogue partners
Across 8 scenes, Lord Polonius most frequently shares the stage with: Hamlet (6 shared scenes), King Claudius (5 shared scenes), Queen Gertrude (5 shared scenes), Ophelia (4 shared scenes), Guildenstern (4 shared scenes).
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% |
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.