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Horatio Has Several Key Purposes In Hamlet
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Free Essay Submitted by bignerds on 06/28/2008 08:11 PM
- Category: English
- Words: 492
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Horatio Has Several Key Purposes In Hamlet
In Shakespeare's masterpiece Hamlet, of all the major characters, Horatio alone stands amid the death and carnage at the end to tell Hamlet's real story. His honesty and loyalty towards Hamlet is evident throughout the play.
In the same way, Horatio has several key purposes in the play.
Firstly, Horatio is a foil to Hamlet and the other characters. Unlike Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Horatio is a true friend and actually helps Hamlets instead of betraying him. For instance, when Hamlet asks Horatio to observe the king's reaction during the play. Another noteworthy contrast between Horatio and Hamlet is through the way they think. Hamlet lacks self-control, unlike Horatio who handles his contained emotions very well. Several characters are dishonest to Hamlet, but Horatio is exceptionally trusting. Thus when he swears to keep the promise of the sighting of the Ghost. After all, through these examples Horatio proves himself to be a foil to various characters.
In addition, Horatio often helps reveal background information. Especially in the opening scene he provides information on the duel between Hamlet Sr. & the King of Norway. He also explains how Fortinbras wants to regain the land his father had once lost. Again in the play, Horatio informs the Queen that Ophelia has gone mad. Also, at the end of the play Horatio agrees to tell the story of what really happened, but postpones the actual narration. Indeed, Horatio is a real asset to the novel because of the information that he constantly provides.
Also, Horatio adds a lot of suspense to the play. Likewise, in the opening scene of the play, he witnesses the Ghost sighting with Marcellus and Barnardo. In Act I, scene IV, Horatio witnesses the Ghost sighting once again. This time he witnesses it with Hamlet and Marcellus. During the play that Hamlet had arranged Horatio is asked to observe the king's actions. After he notices the odd behavior that the king...
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