Polonius
244
MENTIONS
45
EPISODES
41
PODCASTS
Search complete. 244 mentions across 45 episodes found for "Polonius".
Sep 11, 2026
Mary DanielsenHOST
To help us make sense of a lot of senseless or maybe nonsensical is a better word stuff, I've entitled this podcast Method to the Madness.
Mary DanielsenHOST
It's an idiom that originates in Shakespeare's Hamlet in which Polonius remarks to the prince, though this be madness, yet there is method in it.
Mary DanielsenHOST
Wouldn't we all love to look behind the scenes and try and find the switch that shuts down all the insanity? I'm still looking for it.
Mary DanielsenHOST
But in lieu of that, John's going to send us into the weekend with a little better understanding of the world around us, mad though it may be.
Peter SchmitzHOST
You're not getting caught up in the proscenium, but you have them go from place to place with you.
Peter SchmitzHOST
And it does, as we mentioned, already look like a medieval Abbey church, but you had three actors playing Hamlet and you had people looking through windows to watch Polonius, you know, talk to Claudius.
Peter SchmitzHOST
Claudius, according to this account, does a scene while sitting on the toilet while he's thinking...
Peter SchmitzHOST
You have duels, which consists of actors flinging books at each other.
speaker_5SOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
You didn't say that.
speaker_5SOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
That Polonius guy did.
Alex ShawHOST
And he's saying, to thine own self be true, which comes with extra oomph when voiced by a drag queen.
Alex ShawHOST
It's also notable here that everybody loves Mercutio.
Annie OcchiogrossoMODERATOR
As I said to you before.
Annie OcchiogrossoMODERATOR
He doesn't expect Polonius to talk to him.
Annie OcchiogrossoMODERATOR
He doesn't expect to see Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
Annie OcchiogrossoMODERATOR
He doesn't expect the players to be there.
52 MINS LATER
Benjamin ReigelPANELIST
Look
Annie OcchiogrossoMODERATOR
what else happens to follow that.
Annie OcchiogrossoMODERATOR
It's interrupted by Polonius, right? Now, there's no comment to that.
Annie OcchiogrossoMODERATOR
They have nothing to say back to Hamlet.
speaker_1NARRATOR
How? Noirtier? Yes, thank you, it was the poor servant's life was coveted.
speaker_1NARRATOR
No, no, like Shakespeare's Polonius, he died for another.
speaker_1NARRATOR
It was Noirtier the lemonade was intended for.
speaker_1NARRATOR
It is Noirtier, logically speaking, who drank it.
Martin CliftonVOICE_ACTOR
Read for Librivox.org by Martin Clifton.
Martin CliftonVOICE_ACTOR
Polonius takes leave of Laertes with some advice.
Martin CliftonVOICE_ACTOR
Yet here, Laertes, aboard, aboard, for shame! The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail, and you are stayed for.
Martin CliftonVOICE_ACTOR
There, my blessing with thee! And these few precepts in thy memory.
Charles GriswoldHOST
He decides that Ophelia is not who she seems.
Charles GriswoldHOST
Polonius warns her that Hamlet is not who he seems.
Charles GriswoldHOST
He too might be manipulative.
Charles GriswoldHOST
Polonius is very manipulative and crafty in his own right.
Charles GriswoldHOST
How trustworthy is Fortinbras? And political life in general is shot through with appearances.
Charles GriswoldHOST
You referred to the ambassadors before, you know, appearances, lies, deceits.
6 MINS LATER
Christopher RicksGUEST
You can't take arms against the sea.
Christopher RicksGUEST
Right.
Owen ThompsonHOST
The parts that I think of that, I mean, Shylock, obviously, but I think of other parts that might not be like tour de force roles, but that would be kind of easy.
Owen ThompsonHOST
Like, I mean, relatively, nothing is easy, but relatively easy roles, like, I don't know, like Polonius.
Lisa Ann GoldsmithHOST
Yeah, yeah.
Lisa Ann GoldsmithHOST
I could play Polonius.
Lisa Ann GoldsmithHOST
You're great Polonius.
Owen ThompsonHOST
Okay, not easy, not easy.
Owen ThompsonHOST
I would like to
Owen ThompsonHOST
You know, I could play Gloucester.
Angela McDowellHOST
Yes, we talked about this before
Jerry CoatsHOST
... we've talked about this before, yeah, where, um, uh, Polonius is talking with Hamlet, and, and he asks, uh, you know, i- Hamlet is reading a text, and Polonius asks him, you know, "What is the matter? What is the," you know, "what are you reading?" And Hamlet says, "Oh, no, he's fine." Um, [laughs] you know, making a joke on the word-
Angela McDowellHOST
Yeah
Jerry CoatsHOST
... matter.
BlessedHOST
finally, for someone listening, if they had to take just one principle from your life's work, what idea that could genuinely change how they approach their own lives, what would you hope it would be?
Branch IsoleGUEST
You know, I hate to be a one-note song, but in William Shakespeare's Hamlet story, Polonius is in discussion with his son Laertes.
Branch IsoleGUEST
And in the discussion, Polonius has one word of advice for his son Laertes.
Branch IsoleGUEST
He says, to thine own self be true.
Branch IsoleGUEST
And that's my advice.
35 more episodes mention Polonius.
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