Horatio In Hamlet

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Recommended: How do the minor characters in Hamlet relate to the main characters

The plot William Shakespeare’s Hamlet revolves around its namesake, Hamlet, and his quest for vengeance against his uncle for the murder of his father. Shakespeare utilizes several minor characters, including Ophelia, Laertes and Horatio, to advance the plot, explain ideas to the audience, and aid in Hamlet’s characterization. These characters allow him to bring the play to its ultimate conclusion: Hamlet achieves his goal but dies from poison soon after. By examining his interaction with Hamlet and both of their character traits, Horatio proves to be a voice of reason, a conveyor of information, and a foil for Hamlet, making him Hamlet’s most vital minor character because of his instrumental, indispensable role in the play. Hamlet …show more content…

The first scene of the play finds Horatio and a few minor characters encountering the ghost of Old Hamlet dressed for battle. One of the characters is confused by the ghost’s appearance and Horatio, being a scholar, is able to accurately explain a brief history between Norway and Denmark and the current plans of Norway’s Prince Fortinbras (1.1.91-119). Shakespeare uses Horatio in this instance to create exposition for the audience in a way that does not interrupt the flow of the play. Horatio’s credibility is further proven when Claudius brings Fortinbras’ plan to repossess a portion of Denmark to the attention of the Danish court …show more content…

Hamlet is the epitome of indecisiveness and inconsistency. For example, the depth of Hamlet’s love for Ophelia varies drastically throughout the play. First he tells Ophelia that he once loved her, but in the same speech proclaims that he did not (3.1.100-161). When at her funeral, Hamlet fights Ophelia’s brother Laertes, and says to him,“I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers / Could not with all their quantity of love / Make up my sum,” yet he does not grieve again for the remainder of the play (5.1.280-82). In contrast, Horatio remains a loyal friend to Hamlet and logical character throughout the play, never wavering in his support, love, and concern for Hamlet. Horatio’s stability as a character highlights Hamlet’s instability because he is a “normal” person with which the audience can compare to

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