Has there ever been someone in your life that held you down to the earth? They are that person that you can confide in and just be yourself with, and no matter how mad you are they still try to understand you. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Horatio is indeed the one that holds Hamlet down to earth. Many may think that it is Ophelia yet that is also up to opinion in some arguments. Hamlet trusted Horatio enough that he was going to feigning being mad, and to ask him to help search for his father’s ghost. Horatio is Hamlet's rock through everything that he’s going through and has been through. In act one the audience really starts to see the real connection between Hamlet and Horatio as the scene opens up to the exchanging of the guards. Currently …show more content…
Since he is also being an educated man was asked to join because he speaks fluent latin. As the scene begins to progress into the hunt for the ghost to the very spot it has last appeared. “Horatio. As thou art to thyself. 75 Such was the very armour he had on When he th' ambitious Norway combated. So frown'd he once when, in an angry parle, He smote the sledded Polacks on the ice. 'Tis strange”(Act 1 Scene 1 Lines 75-80) In this set of lines Horatio is expressing how the ghost is wearing the same armors as King Hamlet himself wore in battle against Norway, and how he himself can believe it is the King himself. Now this is important to note because Horatio is taking in every single thing he would have know about the thing to truly confirm it was indeed the king that they were indeed seeing. In Act 1 Scene 2 the audience see King Claudius and Gertrude talking to the council and addressing them as the King and not the brother of the passed king. After the confrontation everyone exits aside from Hamlet and he enters into his first silque(Act 1 Scene 2 131-161). In this silque is where the audience really sees the pain that Hamlet is hiding from everyone and what he is holding back.”Hamlet: My father’s brother, but no more like my father Than I to Hercules; within a month,” (Act 1 Scene 2 Lines 155 - 156) In this quotes is when his true expression is made towards his uncle/step father and how he has a plain hatred towards him for trying to take …show more content…
“Hor. Oh, where, my lord? Ham. In my mind’s eye, Horatio, 188 Hor. I saw him once; he was a goodly king. Ham. He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again. Hor. My lord, I think I saw him yesternight. 192 Ham. Saw? Who? Hor. My lord, the King your father. Ham. The King my father!” (Act 1 Scene 2) Here Shakespeare really lets the audience see the reaction of Hamlet hearing about his father being a ghost. This is in turns shows the importance of Horatio for Hamlet would have never know that his father was roaming around until he was meet by him in the next scene. Horation’s honesty is the most important to the development of Hamlet as the play progress because Horatio is also the kind of man Hamlet wants to be so as Hamlet’s interactions with some of the other characters reflects himself and also that of Horatio. In Act 1 scene 5 the scene opens up to Hamlet and Horatio “ Hor. Look, my lord, it comes! Ham. Angels and ministers of grace defend us! Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damn’d, Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell, 44 Be thy intents wicked or charitable, Thou com’st in such a questionable 12 shape That I will speak to thee. I’ll call thee Hamlet, King, father; royal Dane, O, answer me!
Throughout the story, Horatio is continuously shown as the voice of reason and clarity. He is the authority figure and it is through him that we see the truth behind the actions of Hamlet and the others. Horatio is the outside observer to the play and it is a result of his words and actions that we can ground the play in reality. Ever since the beginning of the play, Horatio is shown to be a voice of cautious reason and measured skepticism along with a voice of truth, for it was not until he saw the ghost that the ghost became a reality. This idea is clearly portrayed atop the battlements when Horatio says “Before my God, I might not this believe/ without the sensible and true avouch/ of mine own eyes.”(I.i.56-58). Here Horatio confirms that he is the “narrator” of the play and the most sensible observer. However no matter what, Horatio is still Hamlet’s friend and despite his calm mindedness, at the end...
This play takes place mostly in Elsinore, Denmark between the fourteenth and fifteen century following the death of the late King Hamlet, who has been dead for two months prior to the beginning of the play (Shmoop Editorial Team). Act One commences in the middle of a routine nightly shift where Horatio, Hamlet’s friend, and two other guards witness the coming of a spirit that bears an uncanny resemblance to the recently deceased king. Meanwhile at Elsinore Claudius is crowned King with Hamlet’s mother as his queen. This chain of events causes discontent within Prince Hamlet as he delays his mourning time out of spite for the coronation. Afterwards, Horatio and the guards come to the consensus and tell Hamlet of their encounter so that the Prince may meet with the Ghost. The Ghost reveals to Hamlet that he was a victim of a well-planned murder at the hands of Claudius.
After talking with the ghost, Hamlet, comes back to Horatio and Marcellus and tries to explain to them never to let anyone know what has happened. Both are very scared but agree to the prince’s, but both are still looking to find out what happened between the ghost and him. Further on in the evening Hamlet takes Horatio to the side and explains to him that no matter how odd he acted that Horatio say nothing. (And therefore as a stranger-you most need help you Act1 sc5 line 187-202) He basically explained to Horatio that he was going to be acting much differently than normal, and he told him not to ask questions. This here proves he knew what he was going to have to do. It shows that he was willing to get his revenge by any way possible.
Horatio serves often as the voice of reason, for instance; he is skeptical of the watchman's testimony that a ghost appeared during their watch in the previous night. Marcellus says of the watchman's testimony, "Horatio says 'tis but our fantasy, / And will not let belief take hold of him" (1.1.23-4). Horatio believes the watchmen only when he witnesses the ghost and even then is still skeptical. He is also the voice of reason when he asks Hamlet to restrain himself from meeting the ghost. He is afraid that Hamlet will hurt himself or go mad (1.4.63-91), finally telling Hamlet, "Be ruled, you shall not go" (1.4.81). Hamlet often seeks verification of events from Horatio as well. Horatio agrees with Hamlet, in 1.4, that the night is cold (1.4.2), and verifies Hamlet's belief that the ghost is "wondrous strange" (1.4.164). Horatio does not exaggerate about the length of the stay of the ghost. In 1.2, Horatio tells Hamlet that the ghost stayed in his presence for possibly "a hundreth" (1.2.137), followed by Marcellus and Barnardo's utterance, "Longer, longer" (1.2...
In the first act the ghost appears to two soldiers Marcellus, and Barnardo, as well as to Hamlet’s friend Horatio, who is a very credible and intelligent person. The same ghost appeared to Hamlet several times through out the play also. These facts eliminate the chance of this ghost being a figment of people’s imagination because too many people saw the same thing. In act 1 scene 1 it is revealed that the ghost appeared twice wearing the same armor King Hamlet wore when he fought the ambitious old Fortinbras, King of Norway, and also when he defeated the Poles. Young Fortinbras is determined to get back the land his father lost. This fact brings more in depth evidence to the ghost being real. The reason the guards are there on watch is a direct relationship to an attack from Fortinbras and the ghost is wearing the armor of the event that started this whole thing.When the ghost asks Hamlet to avenge his death, he reveals a true fact involving the death of King Hamlet:Ghost. I find thee apt; and duller shouldst thou the fat weed that roots itself in ease on lethe wharf wouldst thou not stir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear. ‘tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, a serpent stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark in by a forged process of my death rankly abused. But know, thou noble youth, the serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown.Hamlet. O, my prophetic soul! My uncle! (1.3. 38-48) Later in the play is revealed that Claudius murdered King Hamlet in order to achieve the crown himself. This fact proves the reality of the ghost. Claudius admits to killing King Hamlet in a prayer: "…since I am still possessed of those effects for which I did the murder: My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen…"(3.3 57-59) The ghost told Hamlet about that fact before Claudias ever admits it.
makes the metaphysics of the play dark. The ghost says nothing despite the valiant efforts on the parts of Horatio, Marcellus, and Bernardo. Suspense is created when the audience is ignorant as to the purpose of the ghost. Later in the play the ghost is utilized to allow Hamlet and the audience knowledge of the vile murder of the king by Claudius, the kings own brother. When the ghost finally speaks, he tells Hamlet,
Horatio. Horatio is a good friend, as stated in Act 1, Sc 2, L163, and the
There are many ways to interpret Hamlet 's relationship with Horatio. Most obviously, Horatio is the only person in the play that Hamlet trusts. He is the only one who knows for certain that Hamlet 's madness is an act, the one person Hamlet confides in personally, and the one whom bids Hamlet goodnight upon his death. Considering his conflicts with his family, Horatio is the only "family" Hamlet has. He understands that Horatio is very rational and thoughtful, yet not overly pensieve like himself. As the play continues, Horatio questions Hamlet 's judgment twice. Once is when Hamlet tells him of a letter from King Claudius that he has found in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern 's pack, telling the King of England that he must have Hamlet killed. The second instance is when Hamlet tells Horatio that he will fight Laertes, son of Polonius, who Hamlet killed earlier in the play. Horatio loves Hamlet with all his heart, but he is directed by a more sensible disposition, which makes him to speak the truth to Hamlet, despite the fact that Hamlet never once takes Horatio 's warnings. In fact, there is only a single point in the play at which Horatio loses his sensible outlook, and it is but a momentary loss. At the end of the play, when Hamlet is killed in his fight with Laertes, Horatio, in his grief, offers to kill himself with his own sword. It is Hamlet 's dying request that Horatio tell
Many characters in the play have confidence in Horatio because of his trustworthiness. Horatio is very trustworthy, and not only in the way that he can keep a secret if needed, but he is honorable and keeps his word, and is honest to himself, showing integrity. Here, Horatio shows this trait by revealing to Hamlet that Hamlet’s father’s ghost had appeared.
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet revolves around Hamlet’s quest to avenge his father’s murder. Claudius’ first speech as King at the beginning of Scene 2, Act 1 introduces the themes of hierarchy, incest and appearance versus reality and plays the crucial role of revealing Claudius’ character as part of the exposition. The audience is left skeptical after Horatio’s questioning of King Hamlet’s ghost in the first scene of the play. By placing Claudius’ pompous speech immediately after the frightening appearance of Hamlet’s ghost, Shakespeare contrasts the mournful atmosphere in Denmark to the fanfare at the palace and makes a statement about Claudius’ hypocrisy. Through diction, doubling and figurative language, Shakespeare reveals Claudius to be a self centered, hypocritical, manipulative and commanding politician.
At the start of the play, Horatio and his companions, Bernardo and Marcellus, witness the sudden and frightening apparition of Hamlet’s deceased father, former king of Denmark. The three friends are “[harrowed] with fear and wonder” as they encounter the ghost and Horatio is convinced to attempt conversation it (Shakespeare, I. I. pg. 2). Before engaging the ghost, Horatio recalls the time before “the mightiest Julius fell” when “the graves stood tenantless, and the sheeted dead / Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets.” (Shakespeare, I. I. pg. 4) In that instance, the rising of the dead precipitated the brutal and premature demise of Julius Caesar, a horrible misfortune that rocked all of Rome. Likewise, Horatio sees the parallelism in the appearance of King Hamlet’s ghost concluding that his manifestation must be Fate’s morbid signal of impending doom and disaster (Weller).
1. Act I- Scene 2, one sees Hamlet as a sensitive young prince who is mourning the death of his father, the King.
Horatio’s minor role is vital to the story of Hamlet. He does not add anything to the plot of the play and instead acts as the voice of common sense. Horatio is an outside observer to the madness that ensues after the murder of King Hamlet. All of Hamlet’s soliloquies revolve around irrational speculations about death and decay. However, Hamlet’s conversation with Horatio ground the play in reality. In those conversations, Hamlet reveals his feelings to his closest friend. Horatio is the only one Hamlet can come talk to about what is going on in his life.
As often associated with a tragedy, a conflict usually ensues between a protagonist and another force in the play. A tragedy is ‘a serious drama typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that elicits pity or terror’ (Webster's dictionary). Given its structure and depth in characterization, this play will or can be analyzed and interpreted from various perspectives and beliefs. However, my analysis of the play is conducted on the basis of various components which are: Hamlet as a tragic hero, the ironic message conveyed in the play, the roles of its characters, the role and personification of madness, the role of paranormality, the role of friends and family, the role of inaction, the role of sex and violence, and the role of death as portrayed in the play. Based on literary definitions and portrayal of his character, there is popular belief that Hamlet as the protagonist acted to satisfy his own conscience but could his actions be attributed purely to his desire or was he being influenced by other factors?
Horatio, you’re about to know everything. I’ll start with telling you the letter I wrote to the King of England.