To provide a polarizing element and a polarizing plate which have improved optical characteristics and durability. A polarizing element which is characterized by being formed of a stretched polyvinyl alcohol resin film that adsorbs, as a free acid, at least one dichroic dye that is a compound represented by formula (I) or a salt thereof and which is also characterized in that the polyvinyl alcohol resin has a polymerization degree of from 5,000 to 10,000. (In the formula, A represents a substituted phenyl group or a naphthyl group; each of R1-R6 independently represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group, a sulfo group or a lower alkoxy group having a sulfo group; X represents an optionally substituted amino group, an optionally substituted benzoylamino group, an optionally substituted phenylamino group, an optionally substituted phenylazo group or an optionally substituted naphthotriazole group; and m represents 0 or 1.)