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

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Laertēs

First Known Use

circa 1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1