Horatio in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay - 2166 Words

Horatio in Hamlet In Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, the closest friend of the hero is a fellow-student from Wittenberg (Granville-Barker 93), an intelligent and understanding young man by the name of Horatio. This essay seeks to carefully present his character. Marchette Chute in â€Å"The Story Told in Hamlet† describes Horatio’s part in the opening scene of the play: The story opens in the cold and dark of a winter night in Denmark, while the guard is being changed on the battlements of the royal castle of Elsinore. For two nights in succession, just as the bell strikes the hour of one, a ghost has appeared on the battlements, a figure dressed in complete armor and with a face like that of the dead king of†¦show more content†¦Burton in â€Å"Hamlet† comments on the tightness of Horatio’s relationship with the hero: Horatio is Hamlet’s Rock of Gibraltar throughout the play. He confides in him alone, he submits his suspicions to the cot formation of Horatio’s judgment and finally dies in his arms, or trusting him with the justification of his acts to posterity. The first thing we hear of Horatio is that he is a scholar, and this intellectual bent he shares with Hamlet, but temperamentally they are opposites. Hamlet praises Horatio for the qualities that he himself conspicuously lacks. Horatio is not passion’s slave; he has an imperturbability of mind and spirit that nothing can shake. Hamlet, when he is about to test Horatio’s friendship and judgment says: Give me that man That is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him In my heart’s core—aye, in my heart of heart, As I do thee. . . (Burton) Those last four words say so much. With the three of them standing on the ramparts, the ghost appears at one a.m.. The ghost, a former sinner since he is suffering in the afterlife (West 110), reveals to the protagonist the extent of the evil within Elsinore, â€Å"the human truth† (Abrams 467). The Ghost says that King Hamlet I was murdered by Claudius, who had a relationship with Gertrude prior to the murder; the ghost requests a â€Å"restorative† revenge (Gooch 1) by Hamlet: â€Å"Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.† Hamlet swears to do this; he thenShow MoreRelated The Character Horatio in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay1248 Words   |  5 PagesThe Character Horatio in Shakespeares Hamlet In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the confidant Horatio is created to serve a number of different purposes. Horatio is a flat character. He is a loyal, obedient, and trustworthy companion to Hamlet. His character does not undergo any significant transformation throughout the play, except that he serves as a witness of the death of Hamlet, Claudius, and Gertrude. 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In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the characters spend a lot of time betraying one another for their own gain. Characters such as Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Claudius, and Gertrude, are not loyal to Hamlet. The only exception would be Horatio, who is Hamlet s trustedRead MoreA Compare/Contrast of Hamlet through his foils - Laertes, Fortinbras and Horatio.1702 Words   |  7 PagesIt is without doubt that William Shakespeare has created many unique, thought - provoking characters. Hamlet is by far Shakespeares most compelling character. In Shakespeares play Hamlet, various character traits, exhibited by Hamlet, can be seen through his foils. Similarit ies with Hamlet and Horatios education, as well as their levels, can be drawn. However, Hamlets character is in constant change and even philosophical. Fortinbras, without question encompasses many of Hamlets qualities. TheyRead MoreFriendship Between Hamlet And Horatio1330 Words   |  6 PagesOne will be hard-pressed to find true friendship and loyalty in Shakespeare’s masterpieces, especially in his tragedies. Various characters seem to be close friends with the main character in the beginning of plays but usually reveal their true opinions on them or disappear because of their lack of loyalty. The friendship between Horatio and Hamlet lasts longer because the two of them love each other in accordance with their merit. There are three types of friendship, according to Aristotle. The