Hamlet's Horatio

English 4 Walia

4/21/09

Period 2

Hamlet’s Horatio

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet has a character that is claimed by literary criticism, to be “universally admired”. This “universally admired”character is a man named Horatio. To the extent of my knowledge, Horatio is Hamlet’s dear friend, who Hamlet confesses that he has great admiration for. Hamlet trusts Horatio out of everyone including his beloved Ophelia. Horatio is also a young scholar who is currently enrolled in a university somewhere in Germany. His origin is unknown, but now with what information of Horatio we have, Horatio can be “defined” and examined to see why he is “universally admired”.

So far I’ve stated that Horatio is a critically acclaimed young scholar character, probably in his twenties as does Hamlet. Horatio’s parents weren‘t even mentioned at all in the play. This must lead to the idea that he is not of the rich and maybe his parents are deceased. Horatio also is not in any way affiliated with the daily activities with Hamlet’s class, family, and royal court but only as Hamlet’s dear friend. His nature is quite easily to distinguish if one thinks deeply. He appeared several times in the play but it was at crucial moments such as the ghost appearance, the thrust and parry moments between Hamlet and Claudius, and of course, the climatic ending.

From the crucial moments (or every moment he appears actually) it is when we learn more of Horatio. He is always by Hamlet’s side and is willing to help conspire with Hamlet against Claudius, which is ironic because he is the “ideally good character”. Perhaps it is his scholarly way of searching for the real truth and having a preference for justice or reasonably, it is his love and friendship for Hamlet. One can argue, but I will go into detail later on. Horatio is also a man who goes by the teachings, and what has been known and real to him, which is why he didn’t believe in such things as ghosts. As Marcellus said “Horatio says 'tis but our fantasy And will not let belief take hold of him. Touching this dreaded sight twice seen of us. Therefore I have entreated him along With us to watch the minutes of this night, That if again this apparition come. He may approve our eyes and speak to it.”

Shakespeare’s Hamlet has the theme of what is and what isn’t. We can clearly see that in the beginning of Act 1 and in Horatio‘s character. Horatio keeps things real and yet logical at the same time. For instance, his prophetic deciphering after he saw the ghost. “A mote it is to trouble the mind's eye. In the most high and palmy state of Rome, A little ere the mightiest Julius fell, The graves stood tenantless and the sheeted dead 115 Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets…And prologue to the omen coming on, Have heaven and earth together demonstrated. Unto our climatures and countrymen.” Which basically means that there is an omen and something has thrown off the state of things.

Every time Horatio appears, he serves as an observer, or a witness to something happening around the Danish castle. So we believe his function is of the ever observing character, although he may had done some things such as conspiring, but his fate, at the end, was to carry on the truth of Hamlet’s tragedy and a message for Fortinbras. In other words, he is like the scop, living only to tell and witness the next story of such tragedies.

Perhaps the reason as to why he is universally admired is because of his ethics, personality, and humbleness. Horatio is unlike Hamlet since he keeps to himself all his suffering and pains, meanwhile Hamlet goes off like an angst teenager against the world. Maybe this is why Hamlet admires him so. His scholarly ethics enables him not to judge so quickly and if he judges, it has to be within reason. And since he is humble and out of the worldly affairs, he does not need to be burden with such problems. He is, after all, the “ideal” character.