Laertes
noun
La·er·tes
lā-ˈər-tēz 
-ˈer-
1
: the father of Odysseus in Greek mythology
2
: the son of Polonius and brother of Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet
Examples of Laertes in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ami Tredrea returns as Ophelia, with Paul Hilton as Claudius and the Ghost, Claudia Harrison as Gertrude, Alby Baldwin as Horatio, Brandon Grace as Laertes, Felipe Pacheco as Guildenstern, Romaya Weaver as Barnarda and Player Queen, and Marienella Phillips as Offstage Swing.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Hamlet is the extreme case, but Ophelia, Gertrude, and even Laertes suffer from versions of this paralysis.
—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2026
But his Hamlet needs a stalwart supporting cast with whom to spar, and Ahmed tangles beautifully with Shakespeare veteran Timothy Spall, who plays Laertes’ father and family adviser Polonius, and Morfydd Clark as a steely but vulnerable Ophelia.
—
Katie Walsh,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
The film, which premiered at TIFF in August, also stars Morfydd Clark as Ophelia, Joe Alwyn as Laertes and Timothy Spall as Polonius.
—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2026
In Act 2, there are five characters interacting quite quickly with Polonius coming in and Laertes coming in.
—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
15 Jan. 2026
Morfydd Clark appears as Ophelia, Joe Alwyn as Laertes, Sheeba Chaddha as Gertrude, Art Malik as Claudius, and Timothy Spall as Polonius.
—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Ophelia is Polonius' daughter, Laertes's sister, and the lover of Prince Hamlet.
—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
3 Oct. 2025
Joe Alwyn stars as Laertes and Morfydd Clark is Ophelia, while Timothy Spall and Sheeba Chaddha feature as Polonius and Gertrude, respectively.
—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Hamlet is the extreme case, but Ophelia, Gertrude, and even Laertes suffer from versions of this paralysis.
—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2026
But his Hamlet needs a stalwart supporting cast with whom to spar, and Ahmed tangles beautifully with Shakespeare veteran Timothy Spall, who plays Laertes’ father and family adviser Polonius, and Morfydd Clark as a steely but vulnerable Ophelia.
—
Katie Walsh,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
The film, which premiered at TIFF in August, also stars Morfydd Clark as Ophelia, Joe Alwyn as Laertes and Timothy Spall as Polonius.
—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2026
In Act 2, there are five characters interacting quite quickly with Polonius coming in and Laertes coming in.
—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
15 Jan. 2026
Morfydd Clark appears as Ophelia, Joe Alwyn as Laertes, Sheeba Chaddha as Gertrude, Art Malik as Claudius, and Timothy Spall as Polonius.
—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Ophelia is Polonius' daughter, Laertes's sister, and the lover of Prince Hamlet.
—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
3 Oct. 2025
Joe Alwyn stars as Laertes and Morfydd Clark is Ophelia, while Timothy Spall and Sheeba Chaddha feature as Polonius and Gertrude, respectively.
—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Laertes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Laertes. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
