Hamlet and Horatio Best Friends for Life: an Analysis of Hamlet

3 November 2009 Hamlet and Horatio Best Friends for Life: an Analysis of Hamlet In Hamlet, two characters I believe to be important are Hamlet and his friend, Horatio. Horatio is the second most important character in the play. Horatio is Hamlet’s best friend and advisor. Horatio never keeps anything from Hamlet. In Act one, scene one; Horatio, Bernardo, and Marcellus see the ghost of king Hamlet who was killed by his brother, Claudius. After the ghost disappears, Horatio tells Marcellus and Bernardo to reveal to Hamlet what they have seen. †¦Let us impart what we have seen tonight Unto young Hamlet; for upon my life, This spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him†¦. † (Act 1, Scene 1). Hamlet reveals to Horatio what the spirit reveled to him about Claudius. â€Å"†¦But know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown. † (Act 1, scene 5). Horatio tells no one, of what Hamlet has told him, and he plays along with Hamlet’s idea of pretending to be mad or insane. I believe this exhibits that Hamlet trusts Horatio more than the other characters. I believe that Hamlet can go to Horatio for anything. †¦There is a play tonight before the king. One scene of it comes near the circumstance Which I have told thee of my father’s death. I prithee, when thou seest that act afoot, Even with the very comment of thy soul Observe my uncle†¦. † (Act 3, Scene 2). I believe that Horatio is able to understand Hamlet better than the other characters do. In Act five, scene two, Hamlet tells Horatio to tell his story to everyone. The only reason that Hamlet would tell Horatio this; is if he was the only one left that could tell his story, and because Horatio is his friend. Let us face it, if we were on our deathbed, would we not want our best friend to tell our story? In Act one, scene two, we get a glimpse of Hamlet’s resentment over his mother’s marriage, to his uncle, which follow hard upon the funeral of his father. â€Å"†¦Within a month, Ere yet the sale of most unrighteous tears Had left the flushing in her galled eyes She married. O most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! It is not, nor it cannot come to good. But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue. † ( Act 1, Scene 2). In Act two, Scene one, we see a hint of Hamlet’s love for Ophelia. In Act two, scene two, Hamlet doubts the spirit of his father, and thinks that his father could be telling the truth or telling a lie. He is not quite sure which is truth and which is false. We see that Hamlet has many questions as to what he could do to see if the ghost is telling the truth. He decides to put on a play with a scene that he has added. In Act three, scene one, we get a peek of how he seems to know everything. â€Å"Let the doors be shut upon him [Polonius], that he may play the fool nowhere but in’s own house. Farewell. † In this Act, he says things to Ophelia that I believe he does not mean, such as, â€Å"Get thee to a nunnery. ’’ I believe he is saying what he says for the benefit of Polonius, Ophelia’s father. Polonius believes that Hamlet is mad, or insane. â€Å"Your noble son is mad. † Hamlet is abhorrent toward Claudius because Claudius killed his father. In act three, scene four we see Hamlet’s reluctance to kill his uncle, but this time he is unwilling to kill Claudius because he is praying or that is what it seems like to Hamlet. Let us face it, who in their right mind would kill someone while they are praying? However, I believe that Hamlet should have killed Claudius in this scene because if he did then the other characters that die would not have died and his father’s spirit would be able to rest in peace. At the end of Act three, Hamlet kills Polonius believing him to be Claudius. â€Å"I took thee for thy better. † It was so easy for Hamlet to kill Polonius because he believed him to be Claudius. Hamlet then hides the body because he does not want anyone to know what he has done, or maybe he hides the body ecause he wants people to believe that he is insane. At the end of the play, Hamlet forces Claudius to drink from a cup of poison thus killing him. Horatio knowing that Hamlet was dying decides to drink from the cup so he would not be alone, but Hamlet stops him. Hamlet then tells Horatio to tell his story to the world. Hamlet also dies from the same poison. Throughout the play, Hamlet ha s been at war with Claudius because Claudius killed his father and then married his mother. At the same time, he is at a constant battle with his feelings. He asks questions that are difficult to answer or even understand, but he always comes up with an answer. Horatio’s part in the play is the second important part. Without Horatio, I believe that Hamlet would have killed himself, because he would not have any one to share his burden of killing his uncle. Horatio keeps helping Hamlet every chance he gets. Horatio also tries to take poison because Hamlet is dying; if this is not true friendship then I do not know what is. Shaksper's Hamlet