He is the outside observer to the madness. Hamlet could soliloquize to no end, but it is his conversations with Horatio that ground the play in reality. Horatio believes Hamlet and thus we have permission to believe. He sees the Ghost and so we can believe that Hamlet has seen the Ghost. If Horatio were not there, Hamlet's sanity would truly be in doubt.
Horatio's second purpose is to be Hamlet's one true confidant. Apart from Hamlet's soliloquies, his conversations with Horatio are the only insight we have into what the Prince is really thinking and feeling. But why Hamlet chooses Horatio to become the sole person on whom he can rely is of primary concern here. From the first scene we see that Horatio is calm, resolute, and rational. Will they stand guard with him for the night? Horatio does not believe in the ghost, but Marcellus asked Horatio to come in hopes the ghost will appear tonight.
Who is this ghost? Why is the dead king haunting the guards? Marcellus wants Horatio to speak. He is essentially the keeper of all truth. Unlike the other characters, Horatio seems to be the only person that Hamlet could trust without fearing that he would betray him. Although subtle,.
Hamlet and Horatio When reading Shakespeare's Hamlet, one becomes involved with a number of relationships involving Hamlet the tragic protagonist and the main characters supporting the play. The characters involved include, but are not limited to, Hamlet the ghost , former King of Denmark and deceased father to the protagonist; Horatio, friend to Hamlet; Gertrude, Queen of Denmark and mother to Hamlet; and Ophelia, daughter of Polonius and romantic interest to Hamlet.
Although all of the. The analyst must also recognize to what social class the author belongs and how that might affect the portrayals of certain characters. William Shakespeare's Hamlet illustrates the inevitable cycle of revenge as the characters are drawn into a whirlpool that they cannot escape.
In this play, the readers witness the power of death and the wavering resolution that acts as a domino effect. The first one to fall into this despair is the protagonist, Hamlet, which affect both directly and indirectly those around him.
To the argument of man, Hamlet is actually sane. Hamlet before any of his questionable actions happened, occurred only after he met the ghost of his father. This meeting led to the ideas of hamlet to act irrationally only because the ghost wishes him to revenge his murder.
This is proven when Hamlet tells Horatio, "How strong or odd some'er I bear myself That you at such times seeing me, never shall with arms encumbering thus or this headshake, or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase" I. That quote is where Hamlet literally says the he would be acting irrationally in a later time, which would excuse him of insanity at towards Horatio and Marcellus. Essays Essays FlashCards.
Browse Essays. Sign in. Essay Sample Check Writing Quality. Show More. Read More. Words: - Pages: 6. Words: - Pages: 5. But it seems that Horatio no more than Hamlet suspects the king and Laertes, obvious enemies, of a plot against him. His next speech declares his wish to die with Hamlet, who insists that his friend remain alive to report his cause aright to the unsatisfied In some productions, the dying Hamlet has to wrestle the poisoned cup away from Horatio; in others, his request alone is enough to convince Horatio.
Let vs hast to heare it, And call the noblest to the audience, For me, with sorrowe I embrace my fortune, I haue some rights, of memory in this kingdome, Which now to clame my vantage doth inuite me. Now cracks a noble hart, good night sweete Prince, And flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest. Thus, Horatio seems to solve a crux that informs the entire play: What sort of man is Hamlet?
For Horatio, Hamlet is a good man who dies with a soul unburdened by sins of omission or commission. On hamletworks. Below is a selected set of comments:. Downes [published , p. Pope [ pope2 ] ed. Thirlby [m tby2 ] notes that Horatio, after recognizing the apparition at TLN 56 repeats three times that he knew King Hamlet , , ; by these repetitions Sh.
Thirlby [m tby4 ] explores the possibility that Horatio is a sentinel, citing 23, , , , and Johnson [ john1 ] ed. Havard shewed in full; and it would be wronging Mr. Hawkins [ ham3 ] ed. Warner apud [v] ed. Marcellus was an officer, and consequently did that through duty, for which Horatio had no motive but curiosity. Besides there is but one person on each watch. Gentleman [ [gent1] ] ed. Steevens [v ] ed. And who with right soul but must have been speechless amidst these gentle ravings.
Verplanck [ verp ] ed. His is a character of great excellence and accomplishment; but while this is distinctly shown, it is but sketched, not elaborately painted. Such as character, in the hands of another author, would have been made the centre of some secondary plot. But here, while he commands our respect and esteem, he never for a moment divides a passing interest with the Prince. He does not break in upon the main current of our feelings.
He contributes only to the general effect, so that it requires an effort of the mind to separate him for critical admiration. Ramsay , pp. Horatio was peculiarly a healthy-minded man. And when this unbelief of his has proved to be foolishness, he is full of the philosophy of the schools, and sets to work to resolve the phenomenon into an historical prodigy.
In the church-yard he obviously dislikes the whole scene by which he is surrounded. And yet, though in Horatio the Understanding does predominate over the Reason, still it has not wholly extinguished the latter.
Nay, it would seem that his sensualistic philosophy was in a great measure learnt in the schools, and was, perhaps, rather the external result of his education, than the internal law of his own mind; as it is, every now and then he gives utterance to a note-worthy truth, of a nature not to be expected from him.
Horatio commands respect and esteem even from one so differently constituted as Hamlet. Hudson [ hud1 ] ed. Should we undertake to go through the play without him, we should then feel how much of the best spirit and impression of the scenes is owing to his presence and character. Lloyd , p. Horatio receives the Christian illustration expressively:—[quotes ]; but what form his belief takes, and which part he disbelieves, he keeps to himself.
Clarke , pp. The character of Horatio is the only spot of sun-light in the play; and he is a cheering, though not a joyous gleam coming across the dark hemisphere of treachery, mistrust, and unkindness.
Horatio would even have followed Hamlet to the grave. Hudson , apud Thurber , ed. But he moves so quietly in the drama that his rare traits of character have hardly had justice done them. Should we undertake to go through the play without him, we might feel then how much of the best spirit and impression of the scene is owing to his presence.
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