The Perfect Friend; A Character Review of Horatio

1328 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Insanity of Hamlet

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. This type of friendship is hard to come by. In the world renowned play written by Shakespeare entitled, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark this exact friendship is demonstrated throughout the play. The play is about a prince that returns to the castle to attend his father’s funeral only to discover his mother has remarried to the king’s brother in a very short time. The ghost of Hamlet’s father led to Hamlet displaying acts of insanity which is kept in check by his loyal friend Horatio. Most people have friends but there are very few friends that live up to the example in the Bible or even in Hamlet. Friends have plenty of attributes that qualify them as friends. These attributes are normally things a person either strives to be or mimic those of the person. Horatio represents the light or conscience side of Hamlet in the play. The Loyalty, trustworthiness and level minded thinking of Horatio provides the sane interpretation of Hamlet’s insanity.
Loyalty is the number one characteristic that is searched for in a friendship. Horatio sets the example of this trait. Horatio is like the angle sitting on your left shoulder. The angel’s purpose is to provide guidance and clarity to a situation. This is Shakespeare way of allowing the viewer to take a side in the play and make Hamlet a hero. At the beginning Marcellus and Barnardo call upon him to assess the validity of their Ghost-sightings. Marcellu...

... middle of paper ...

... J. K. "Hamlet's Introspection." Essays In Criticism 61.1 (2011): 31-53. Humanities Source. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Lofland, Norman L. "Some Necessary Questions Of The Play (Book Review)." English Language Notes 34.1 (1996): 96. Humanities Source. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
Scodel, Joshua. "Finding Freedom In "Hamlet.." Modern Language Quarterly 72.2 (2011): 163-200. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Spinrad, Phoebe S. "The Fall Of The Sparrow And The Map Of Hamlet's Mind." Modern Philology 102.4 (2005): 453-477. Literary Reference Center. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Shakespeare, William. “Hamlet” Literature: A World of Writing. Ed David L. Pike and Ana M. Acosta. New York: Pearson Longman, 2011. 280-340. Print

Show More
Related

  • Custom Shakespeare's Hamlet Essay: Hamlet and Gertrude

    1925 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shakespeare’s sinful woman in the tragedy Hamlet is named Gertrude. Wife of Claudius and mother of the prince, she is not selected by the ghost for vengeance by the protagonist. Let’s consider her story in this essay.

    Read More

  • To Be or Not To Be Loved

    1398 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." Madden, Frank. Exploring Literature. 4th ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print 539-663

    Read More

  • Comparison of The Great Gatsby and A Streetcar Named Desire

    1095 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hamlet (The New Folger Library Shakespeare). Simon & Schuster; New Folger Edition, 2003.

    Read More

  • Foils as Reflections of Hamlet

    1055 Words  | 3 Pages

    Manning, John. "Symbola and Emblemata in Hamlet." New Essays on Hamlet. Ed. Mark Thornton Burnett and John Manning. New York: AMS Press, 1994. 11-18.

    Read More

  • Socrates and Epicurus - Live Life Without Fear of Death

    2744 Words  | 6 Pages

    Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 2nd ed. Vol. C. Ed. Sarah Lawall. New York: Norton, 2005. Print.

    Read More

  • The Character Horatio in Shakespeare's Hamlet

    1244 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the confidant Horatio is created to serve a number of different purposes. Horatio is a flat character. He is a loyal, obedient, and trustworthy companion to Hamlet. His character does not undergo any significant transformation throughout the play, except that he serves as a witness of the death of Hamlet, Claudius, and Gertrude. Horatio's role in the play seems to be as a utilitarian character that Shakespeare created in order to heighten the suspense of the play. Also for Horatio to be Hamlet's ear so as to appease the audience's ear, and to communicate the moral of the play.

    Read More

  • Fortinbras as Foil for Shakespeare's Hamlet

    1032 Words  | 3 Pages

    Manning, John. "Symbola and Emblemata in Hamlet." New Essays on Hamlet. Ed. Mark Thornton Burnett and John Manning. New York: AMS Press, 1994. 11-18.

    Read More

  • Hamlet: A Man of Many Qualities

    1173 Words  | 3 Pages

    Horatio.  Horatio is a good friend, as stated in Act 1, Sc 2, L163, and the

    Read More

  • Essay On The Relationship Between Hamlet And Horatio

    1760 Words  | 4 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • The Virtues of Horatio in William Shakespeare's Play

    942 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout literature, there a character who provides a moral compass for other characters. In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Horatio’s character seems fairly simple: somewhat of a “yes-man” to Hamlet, often agreeing with anything Hamlet says. However, at the end of the play we understand his significance, as he is one of the last survivors. This transition is unexpected because for most of the play, Horatio is a reserved character and doesn’t speak very often. Despite this, it is clear that Horatio and Hamlet’s friendship is extremely deep, and Hamlet trusts Horatio more than anybody. At first, the relationship is one of a prince and an advisor, but as the play goes on we realize they are in fact close friends. Horatio is much more than a “yes-man” to Hamlet, even though this may not be visible for most of the play. This friendship is due to three of Horatio’s characteristics: trustworthiness, loyalty, and admiration, which make him an ideal friend to Hamlet. These traits also inspire confidence in Horatio from other characters in the play. Even Shakespeare shows that he values Horatio by allowing him to survive at the end of the play.

    Read More

  • Hamlet, In Over his Head

    818 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Barbara A Mowat and Paul Werstine. 1. New York: Simon & Shuster, 2003.

    Read More

  • Justification of Death in Hamlet

    2588 Words  | 6 Pages

    Mack, Maynard. "The World of Hamlet." Yale Review. vol. 41 (1952) p. 502-23. Rpt. in Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996.

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Shakespeare's Prince Hamlet and Machiavelli’s The Prince

    1083 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shakespeare, William. The Three-Text Hamlet. Eds. Paul Bertram and Bernice Kliman. New York: AMS Press, 1991.

    Read More

  • Hamlet's Horatio: A True Friend

    1076 Words  | 3 Pages

    In William Shakespeare’s tragic play Hamlet, Prince Hamlet conspires to avenge his father’s murder. Throughout the play, Hamlet spirals through bouts of insanity, depression, and hostility. However, across his tragic tale, Hamlet’s old friend Horatio remains a constant. A scholar and a loyal friend to Hamlet, Horatio acts as one of Hamlet’s many character foils, meaning his characteristics contrast to Hamlet highlighting certain personality traits and allowing the reader to understand Hamlet.

    Read More

  • Condemned: Hamlet’s Moral Dilemma

    1663 Words  | 4 Pages

    Corum, Richard. Understanding Hamlet: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1998. Print.

    Read More

More about The Perfect Friend; A Character Review of Horatio

Open Document