Comparing Hamlet And Horatio In Shakespeare's Play

Horatio is a Character in Shakespeare’s Hamlet who is a close friend and confidant of Young Hamlet from when they went to school together at Wittenberg. Hamlet’s friend Horatio enters the stage for the first time during the first scene of Act 1 when Marcellus and Bernardo ask him to stand watch with them. When they see the ghost of what appears to be the deceased king, Horatio feels that this appearance is a bad omen for the nation. He then, being the close confidant that he is, decides to go tell young Hamlet about the ghost in the hopes that it might speak to him.

It is interesting to note that Hamlet only puts his 'madness'; performance on for the characters he is suspicious of such as Claudius, Polonius, Gertrude, and Ophelia. When Hamlet is around Horatio, Marcellus, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the Players and the Grave-Diggers, he acts rationally. He changes his disposition with ease and speed. During Act 2, Scene 2, Hamlet is speaking with Polonius. When Polonius asks if Hamlet recognizes him, Hamlet replies that 'You are a fishmonger.'; He goes on to insult Polonius further and calls daughter Ophelia a 'good kissing carrion';. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern appear, Hamlet begins to behave cordially again. He warmly greets his friends and engages them in light philosophical humor.

Horatio and Hamlet have very similar characters, but there is still some contrast between them. Horatio is a very sensible and reasonable character. When the ghost first appeared to Horatio, he quickly runs to tell Hamlet about it, disregarding the dangers. Horatio was always there to guide Hamlet. Horatio is a loyal, hardworking friend and is a reliable source of information. He cares so much for Hamlet that he even wanted to drink out of the poisoned cup.

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. Horatio's role in the play seems to be as a utilitarian character that Shakespeare created in order to heighten the suspense of the play. Also for Horatio to be Hamlet's ear so as to appease the audience's ear, and to communicate the moral of the play.

His friends from school, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and not actually his friends. They were sent by the king and Hamlet could tell not long after greeting them. He quickly finds that their loyalty is to the corrupt king and not to him. They try to manipulate hamlet and get him to say what is making him sad and crazy or what he knows about the king. Hamlet cannot rely on them at all. In fact, he has to avoid

In William Shakespeare's play Hamlet the reader is presented with a handful of characters, all of which have their own emotions and different reactions to different scenarios. The main character in Hamlet is of course Hamlet, the prince of Denmark who comes to find from the ghost of his father that his father was murdered by Hamlet’s uncle. Hamlet is incredibly intelligent and is very melancholy as seen in his reaction to his father's death and murder. Hamlet sometimes hesitates to do things, then other times acts on the spot making him unpredictable. Then we have Horatio, who in the end is the only character left standing. Horatio is first heard from in act one, scene one talking to the guards outside the castle about a ghost of the late

This scene is a dramatic peak in which both Claudius and Hamlet acknowledge their respective dilemmas. The King faces the question of how to repent and so save himself, at least, from spiritual damnation. Hamlet’s theological problem with killing Claudius becomes yet another hurdle and he becomes increasingly trapped by his own indecision.

As the play progresses, Hamlet becomes extremely accusatorial and mistrustful of every other character. He is wary of characters from his mother Gertrude to his friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Even his love interest Ophelia is subject to his doubts. Horatio, on the other hand, is the only character with which Hamlet shares all of his darkest secrets and plans. As readers, it is easy for us to predict the outcome of Hamlet’s quest.

Hamlet’s soliloquys reveal an immense quantity of emotion, but without his exchanges with Horatio it would be unclear as to his interior motives and state of mind. Evidence of a conversation important to the readers understanding is Hamlet conversing with Horatio before the play. “Give him a heedful note, / For I mine eyes will rivet to his face, / And after we will both our judgments join / In censure of his seeming.

Shakespeare’s play focuses on Hamlet avenging his father’s death by killing Claudius. Throughout the play, many events foreshadow the death of King Claudius; however, the last scene of the play does not focus on the actual death of Claudius, but rather on other characters dying, and the king almost giving up. Hamlet was easily able to kill Claudius in this scene, not because the king was overpowered, but mainly because he had given up and was overcome with guilt.

Hamlet embodies the loss of personal autonomy that is evoked as one is constantly being surveillance and watched. The characterization of Hamlet is conscious of the fact that he is being spied on. This forges his decisions and can be seen through the “to be or not to be” soliloquy. Within the soliloquy hamlet appears to know that Claudius and Polonius are spying on him. This causes him to act accordingly to this occurrence. Like any conventional hero, Hamlet was subject to distasteful and disgruntled enemies, who came in the form of "friends" Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. However, where he differs from the norm is the way he responds to the situation, in his hyperbolic claims "I know a hawk from a handsaw". Hamlet immediately sees through them

Hamlet is one of the most intriguing and perplexing characters ever created. Some people see Hamlet as a witty, heroic and brave while others see him as irrational, corrupt and cowardly. To me, what makes Hamlet so intriguing is that he has all of these characteristics. He ends up being relatable to every reader because the reader tends to somewhat understand Hamlet on a personal level at different points in the book. What makes Hamlet so confusing is that he seems to change every time we read about him. One moment he’s melancholy and the next he’s cheerful. One moment he’s vengeful and the next he’s compassionate. Hamlet is such a complete character that the relationship we have with him changes every single time we visit him. You just

In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Horatio is Hamlet’s confidant as he plots revenge against King Claudius, the murderer of King Hamlet. He listens to Hamlet’s secrets without revealing them to the other characters. He is essentially the keeper of all truth. Unlike the other characters, Horatio seems to be the only character that Hamlet could trust without fearing that he would betray him. He is known for his logic and sanity, which is the complete opposite of Hamlet’s impulsive behavior. Although subtle, Horatio’s personality traits allow the audience to understand Hamlet’s mind in depth. Due to this, Hamlet is comfortable giving Horatio awareness of his plans to avenge his father. Despite his minor role, his friendship with Hamlet reveals

He openly voices his displeasure in an impolite demeanour to authority, performs questionable actions, and plans the murder of Claudius. This behaviour shows a tremendous lack of cowardice in Hamlet. His courage is an admirable trait that shows a willingness to take risks and to put one’s self in danger. He does not back away from letting his opinion be known or from standing up for what he believes in. Hamlet’s deep thinking and unique views make him stand apart from other

Horatio's trustworthiness and sense of honesty are often acknowledged by Hamlet himself. His monologue reveals how much he values Horatio's character traits as stated; "…blest are those/ Whose blood and judgment are so well commeddled/ That they are not a pipe for Fortune's finger…" (3.2.73-75). Hamlet’s trust in Horatio builds not only his self-esteem through the wits and manly traits Hamlet seeks to be, but to become the man Horatio is. In the essence of trust and honestly, Hamlet’s right hand man and the King’s Chief of Security profoundly acquired equal characteristics both leaders strive for. Horatio’s dependability to watch over Ophelia, “Follow her close. Give her good watch, I pray you.”(4.5.75), as asked by the King personally, adds