Horatio

Horatio is always been a character whose worth and importance has been disregard in the play Hamlet. Shakespeare deliberately introduces him as a minor character but his importance increases in stature through the plays progression. Shakespeare establishes Horatio as the pinnacle character, by whose standards and morality, everybody else is judged by. He embodies sanity and reason amidst our world of corruption and instability. He was basically a stranger to hamlet at the start of the play where the only thing they share in common is their education at Wittenberg yet his relationship with hamlet endures and strengthens compared to hamlet’s other relationships with Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Yet as these relationship perished Horatio was there, his presence maintained hamlets brewing insanity and helped ground him. In addition unlike all the other characters, Shakespeare enabled him to remains the sole survivor who lived to tell the tale of this renowned tragedy and who reasoned with Fortinbras in support of peace amidst turmoil. As a result Shakespeare has bestowed him as the survivor of Denmark, a remarkable achievement that has never been appreciated. Therefore despite being considered a minor character, Horatio plays a very significant role in the play Hamlet where in reality he is the main hero of the play.
We are first introduced to Horatio when he accompanies soldiers Marcellus and Bernardo, whom both have seen the apparition twice and have asked horatio to help verify and perhaps explain the meaning of these supernatural occurrences which they have encounter while on guard. As a scholar, Horatio is skeptical about the presence of ghosts and this attitude distinguishes him from the uneducated and superstitious soldiers who harbour out-dated beliefs. Shakespeare insights the audience of the commonly held beliefs within society during his time regarding ghosts and evil omens. The renaissance had not changed these superstitious ideas among the general populace. In the societal hierarchy still prevalent during early modern era, horatio was positioned above the soldiers. He is “the embodiment of the Elizabethan sceptic, one who is well educated and doubtful of the legitimacy of ghosts”. Though his actual social standing has never been identified, it was because he is a scholar who attended Wittenberg with the Prince that the soldiers differ to his judgment. They also trust that if the ghost reappears, horatio will be able to speak to it.
Marcellus “Thou art a scholar peak to it, horatio.
This line indicates that the soldiers want horatio to address ghost in Latin as they believe it is the language of scholars. The soldiers feel they cannot communicate with the ghost as they are not as educated enough. However Horatio’s doubts are dispelled when he sees the ghostly figure dressed in armour and ready for battle ascend towards them. The fact that the skeptical and reluctant horatio is now convinced validates the ghost to the soldier and the audience. Nevertheless, unlike the soldiers who wither away in fear horatio without thought begins to chase after it, determined to hear why it walks around the castle.
“That art thou that usurp’st this time of night, Together with that fair and war-like form In which the majesty of buried Denmark Did sometimes murch? By heaven I charge thee speak!”
However even though the ghost turns away and departs, regal, soldierly and proud, the scene reveals that Horatio is brave and calculating man, whose actions are coupled with an objective or purpose. He does not act out of emotion but is civil and rational. After the brief encounter with the ghost the solders look to Horatio for an answer but all Horatio can give men the men is the only explanation he can think of. He feels that these supernatural occurrences are the result of the Kings death and due to brewing tensions between Norway and Denmark. Horatio believes the ghost’s presence is form of an omen or a sign of trouble for Denmark. He believes Norway is mobilising for war with Denmark as young Fortinbras is seeking to avenge his father, who was killed in battle by the now dead king Hamlet. Horatio reflects on the apparition and believe that he visions resembled the late king Hamlet who would continually haunt the castle night after night until he communicates with his son Prince hamlet. Hence he feels that out of duty to his country that he must inform Hamlet and tell him what he saw. This reveals that horatio is very patriotic and fearless who is willing to do all means necessary to protect his country.
Despite being a minor character, he becomes the only character whom hamlet grows to love and trust. When Horatio and Marcellus go to meet hamlet with news of the apparition, hamlet greets them spontaneously and with genuine pleasure. This contracts dramatically with the emotionally unstable hamlet we see that the beginning of the scene. His enthusiasm and oblivious happiness at the sight of Horatio betrays his somewhat nervous vitality for life. Nevertheless in this scene Horatio is practically a stranger to hamlet, where the only thing they share in common is their education at Wittenberg University.
Horatio: Hail your lordship Hamlet: I am glad to see you well: horatio, or I do forget myself.
Yet he is more intrigued by Horatio presence then that of Marcellus as he completely ignores him and only focuses on Horatio. This is because he sees horatio as an equal based on intelligence and knowledge. Also as the viewer we can see that hamlet is really forging happiness when really he is in distress regarding his father’s death and his mother’s quick marriage to his uncle Claudius. He also is in distressed because he feels that everyone he knows and is close to is lying to him. However, horatio earns Hamlets respect and regard by tell him to his face the truth which those around him are denying. My lord, I came to see your father’s funeral Hamlet I pay thee, do not mock me, fellow student; I think it was to see my mother’s wedding Horatio: Indeed, my lord, it follow’d hard upon.
Horatio is practically a stranger to him, yet he is the only one agrees that his mother got married too early and that her action does seem suspicious. As the viewer we are able to see that Horatio and Hamlet obviously have a strong bond. The extent of their friendship can be measured in their conversation and their quick understanding of each other. Horatio uses this as the perfect opportunity to explain the apparition. Initially, hamlet was skeptical as horatio was that night. Yet over time he becomes more convinced and begins to questions the matter while sounding more excited and hopeful. He is at least for the time being no longer melancholy and this continues throughout the play when he is in the presence of Horatio. Professor Dowden, expresses In Mind and Art of Shakespeare that Horatio is” noteworthy for grave strength, self-government, and well-balanced faculties.” He believed that his strong nature including his fortitude, his passive strength, had added ardour and enthusiasm, helped soothed the young prince's melancholy and enabled him to be more optimistic.
Despite being a minor character, Horatio from this moment appears in all the important scenes with Hamlet. However even though he doesn’t have the biggest speaking role and the most striking personality like others in the play, he is a distinct person who is the most honest, trustworthy, intelligent and a compassionate man in this play. He is always present alongside hamlet and remains his closest advisor and friend. As a reader we can see that their relationship is enabled through aspects of Horatio’s personality such as being more balanced and being far less ruled by his emotions compared to his unstable friend hamlet. This has allowed Horatio to be the ideal companion to hamlet. Furthermore Horatio is political, in a way that Hamlet is not, dealing as he does with his 'betters' in an appropriate manner as to not arouse suspicion. In many ways Horatio who despite remains invisible at court; are the eyes, the conscience, and the ears of those who consult him.
He is also a significant character as he remains the sole survivor in play. This is because he never made any enemies as no one had a problem with him. He earned the loyalty and trust from of all members in the play. He soon becomes the only person in the court whom Hamlet himself could trust, and believes him to be the last remaining decent person left in his world. In act III scene II, hamlet stops all his preparations for the play to praise Horatio. Hamlet reveals his genuine delight in the sanity, the strength, the constancy of Horatio's character., but horatio modestly shrugs of hamlets compliments. Nevertheless Hamlets this persists to tell how much his loyalty and honesty means to him in a world that is turned upside down from corruption and evil.
Give me that man that is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him In my heart’s core, ay in my heart of heart
Horatio remains the better friend in contrast to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who were childhood companions who grew up with Hamlet at Elsinore. They are dim witted and foolish men who are incapable of functioning independently. They willingly allowed themselves to be employed by Claudius’ to watch over Hamlet and glean information from him. This reveals the insecurity of their relationship as they are so openly were willing to betray hamlet to the king. When hamlet first meets them he greets them as he greeted horatio earlier, happily and exuberantly,
“My excellent good friends!’ But the conversation that follows is superficial compared to the conversation with Horatio. Hamlet engages with the two men politely but his initial enthusiasm at seeing his old friends dissipates steadily until by the end of the encounter he is clearly depressed and disappointed. The hypocrisy of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is so transparent that hamlet begins to question their motives instantly and asks, “Were who not sent for” when they avoid the question hamlet states “you were sent for… I know the good king and queen have sent you.” Though emotional unstable, hamlets greatest strengths is knowing when he is being lied too. This is why he respects Horatio as he is the only person he can resort to for the truth. Latter on he suspects that Claudius made Rosencrantz and Guildenstern accompany him to England to send the letter which would allow him to he killed. Nevertheless hamlet snatches their letter from Claudius and remorselessly rewrites it so that they will be sentenced to die. He instead sends a letter to horatio recalling the events as he feels that he is last person he can actually depend on. In addition horatio was also the person whom Claudius trusted to go after Ophelia when she wanders madly out of the throne room. Instead he goes to look to look for hamlet. Hence even though horatio is inferior to his princely friend in intelligence, Horatio is superior to him in will. "He cannot, indeed, supply the void which death has made, but he can at least serve as an occasional prop to the vacillating temper of Hamlet. He is no broken reed like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; no hope of preferment will turn Horatio into a tool of Claudius or a flatterer of Gertrude." Instead he is the steady, reliable character in the midst of unstable and unreliable characters.
In addition despite being a minor character, horatio is a very significant character in the play. Shakespeare himself deliberately uses his character as the penicale, by whose standards and morality, everybody else is judged by. Neverthless he is
He is intelligent, but not driven by his intellectual creativity. Horatio seems to accept the world as it is handed to him where Hamlet is driven by his impulse question all apparent truths.