Horatio in Hamlet
William Shakespeare's Hamlet is the story of a man whose faith in mankind has been destroyed. Hamlet has lost his father in a scandalous murder, and consequently his mother in the marriage that came as a result of this murder. As he works to avenge his father, Hamlet turns to his friends for comfort and advice, but out of all of the main characters in the play that Hamlet chooses to confide in, Horatio is the one who will prove to be the most loyal, level-headed, and trustworthy.We are introduced to Horatio in the first scene of the play. The events that night at the castle show the reader how respected Horatio is, and how he approaches difficult situations in a cool, intelligent manner. He is asked by the guards to serve as witness to the apparition because his honesty and wit are well esteemed, and the guards believe that if Horatio verifies this unusual event, then it is far more convincing to those who haven't witnessed it themselves. They also feel that he is the best one to speak to the apparition since he is educated and can speak with the intimidation that is required to discover the purpose of the ghost's visit. "If thou art privy to thy country's fate... O,
speak! Or if thou hast uphoarded in thy life Extorted treasure in the womb of earth. Hamlet is a man of passion, and often that passion gets in the way of his ability to reason, but Hamlet admires and praises Horatio's cool-headedness and self-control. Even when faced with the desire to commit suicide at the loss of his friend, Horatio still maintains his level-headedness and deals with the situation in an intelligent manner, not allowing his passions to overwhelm him. He is strong and brave as he confronts the ghost. In the second scene of the third act, Hamlet asks Horatio for help as he plans to stage a play for the new king and his queen. The friendship that forms the basis of this alliance between Hamlet and Horatio is Hamlet's admiration of all in Horatio that he cannot find in himself. His friendship and love for Hamlet remained steady and true even after death, and his behavior remained consistently indicative of these emotions throughout the play. Hamlet manages to stay alive just long enough to avenge his father by killing Claudius, but the end is very near for the tormented prince. Horatio's loyalty is demonstrated when Horatio becomes the one who informs Hamlet about the appearance of his father's ghost. As Hamlet lay dying, Horatio is driven to drink the poison wine to join his friend in death, but Hamlet asks him to refrain from such drastic measures.
Common topics in this essay:
Shakespeare's Hamlet,
Hamlet Laertes,
Horatio Hamlet,
Hamlet Horatio,
Horatio Hamlet's,
hamlet horatio,
intelligent manner,
horatio hamlet,
stay alive,
play king,
thou hast,
love hamlet,
alliance hamlet,
avenge father,
|
Acceptance Essays
