Of all the elements of Hamlet, I would say that my view of Polonius as a character has changed the most. Over the course of the play read so far, he has become my favorite character. He is by far not the most likable character, but he is the closest thing to comic relief in the play. While he initially just seems like a prolix old man, he is eventually revealed to be a fool. Almost with no exception, scenes involving both Polonius and Hamlet result in outrageous dialogue, usually ending in Polonius's befuddlement.
Polonius has a deceptively complex character. He is a humorous character, but also villainous and obsequious. The audience loves to hate Polonius, but enjoys what he contributes to the plot. When Hamlet kills him the audience is glad for his death (he's a "bad guy" after all). However, even in his humiliating death he is able to make people laugh. His unfortunate comedy makes him some kind of bizarre villainous butt monkey. Despite his generally deplorable role in the play, the variety of different sentiments he brings makes him my favorite character, if only on the merit of design.
"Where do you see things going from here?"
Pulling from what I already know about the end of plot, as well as Shakespeare's typical idea of an ending, I would guess that things are going toward a massacre. Tension has been building the entire play. With the killing of Polonius, blood has been spilled, and it should not be too long before swords start swinging.
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