That Hamlet loves Horatio is undeniable. In fact, it is likely one of the few statements you could say about Hamlet without the antithesis also being true. What's less is clear is whether that love is platonic or romantic, and the degree to which it's reciprocated.
Horatio has a unique relationship with Hamlet. Throughout the play, Horatio remains his main confidant and source of emotional support. Horatio is truly Hamlet’s only colleague who listens to and sincerely cares about him. Ophelia is acting on Polonius’ agenda; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern obviously care only about Claudius. In such a miserable situation, Horatio’s decent character would be hypervisible to Hamlet and his attraction—nay, need for him—becomes almost a coping mechanism.
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But until the end of the play, it would appear that Hamlet's romantic love for Horatio is unrequited, as illustrated in 3.2's brief conversation between the pair.
Hamlet tells Horatio that he is the most honourable man Hamlet has ever met, which is met with a short “O my dear lord”. This could ostensibly be construed as a preamble to verbal (or physical) affection. However, the moaning “O” signifies displeasure. “My dear lord” is an impersonal, professional term that Horatio calls Hamlet often (a little less than half his lines to Hamlet include “my lord”). Given that Hamlet would likely pick up on this—given his sharp intellect and familiarity with Horatio—he quickly shifts his tone, with: “Nay, do not think I flatter.” Horatio has humiliated him with this subtle
rejection. Hamlet switches tacts instantaneously. “Why should the poor be flattered?” [[page number]] is a shockingly hurtful response. Of course, Hamlet cannot be overtly angry at Horatio for long. He begins with “[L]et the candied tongue lick absurd pomp... thrift may follow fawning”, an overtly sexual line of dialogue. One does not need to be “fluent” in Shakespearean English to understand what Hamlet is conveying. And Hamlet spends much of the rest of speech crafting words to resentfully describe how in control of Horatio’s emotions he is—“Give me that man that is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him in my heart’s core...as I do thee”. Hamlet wants Horatio to be open and obvious, like himself. In a broader, play-wide, view, the mutuality of their attraction manifests in more obvious ways. For example, Hamlet signs off his letter to Horatio (in which he describes the incident with the pirates, p.114 4.6.30) as, “He that knowest thine, Hamlet”. “Know” in the biblical sense means “to be intimate with/have sex with”, which the original audience would have certainly been aware. There would have been thousands of other ways for Shakespeare to write that line—why would he choose “know” if he wasn’t aware of the homoerotic implications? In Act 5, their goodbyes to each other are eloquent and heartbreaking. They form a stark contrast to Hamlet's exaggerated and excessive (not to mention awkwardly-timed, at best) proclamations of love for Ophelia during her burial. Horatio verbalizes his desire to kill himself in order to avoid living without Hamlet: "I am more an antique Roman than a Dane. Here's yet some liquor left" (5.2.324-5), which engenders an even more gut-wrenching end to this tragedy. In dramatic terms, a flat Horatio in performance makes for a one-dimensional, unlikable Hamlet. Horatio is vital to Hamlet’s character—specifically to how the audience views Hamlet. It’s so easy to characterize him as an indecisive, abrasive, selfish person. To have a vibrant Horatio allows us to perceive that Hamlet loves this wonderful person, and that wonderful person loves him as well. Horatio is Hamlet’s major redeeming quality; he brings him to life. And while Hamlet could probably have a story without Horatio, Horatio definitely cannot have a story without Hamlet. That is how essential they are to each other. Plato put it adeptly in the Symposium: “Love is simply the name for the desire and pursuit of the whole.” Horatio and Hamlet are literally nothing without existing as each other’s whole. The person who dismisses their relationship as simply a strong friendship is entirely ignoring all the evidence to the contrary. If Horatio was a woman (or vice versa), the obvious love between them would be much more widely acknowledged.
”(I.i.56-58). Here Horatio confirms that he is the “narrator” of the play and the most sensible observer. However, no matter what, Horatio is still Hamlet’s friend and despite his calm mindedness, at the end of the play Horatio is still faithful to Hamlet and even offers to die with him. “Never believe it; I am more an antique Roman than a Dane: Here’s some liquor left.” (V.ii.344-346).This shows Horatio’s love for Hamlet and loyalty to his friends despite their flaws.
doesn't want Horatio to reveal anything that might be going on. If Horatio isn't surprised by Hamlet's supposed madness or he leads on that he knows. something then Hamlet's antic disposition will not be affective. He tells. Horatio he will be acting mad and he mustn't say anything. If Hamlet plans to put on an act of antic disposition, then he can't be insane. & nbsp;  
Perhaps even more innocent than Ophelia in Shakespere’s Hamlet is Horatio. This essay will treat his character in depth, including many literary critical evaluations.
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.
The main plot of Shakespeare's Hamlet centers around Prince Hamlet's desire to repay King Claudius for his evil deeds. Around this central action revolve the stories concerning the minor characters of Polonius and Ophelia. Though they do not motivate Hamlet's actions towards the King, these characters act as forces upon Hamlet himself, trying to spur him to do things he does not want to do. Both Polonius and Ophelia try, unsuccessfully, to manipulate Hamlet into a place of inferiority.
William Shakespeare wrote about a distraught prince trying to avenge the wrongful death of his father while all his faith in honesty and the good of man was nearly destroyed. In his play Hamlet, Hamlet is the prince and he is the one who would have lost all his faith in the good of man had it not been for his loyal friend Horatio. Many critics say that Horatio did not play such an important role in the tragedy, that he merely was the informant for the audience and that his character was not developed beyond that fact that he was just the honest confidant of Hamlet. That may be true, however, Horatio does serve two central purposes to the drama, and it is through these purposes that show the qualities that make Horatio memorable and admirable. Horatio is the harbinger of truth. It is through Horatio that the actions taken by Hamlet gain credibility. He is the outside observer to the madness. Hamlet could soliloquize on and on, but it is his conversations with Horatio that gives sanity to Hamlet’s thoughts. His second role is to be the loyal, truthful confidant of Hamlet.
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.
In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the character Horatio plays a quintessential role in gaining a deeper understanding on the perplexing tragic hero, Hamlet, from the perspective he has about him. Horatio’s sensible ideology becomes apparent as he takes on the role of the spokesman of common sense, attempting to advise the stubborn tragic hero about his destructive journey towards revenge. Additionally, because of the true friendship Horatio presents Hamlet, it leads him to confide in Horatio about his secrets and plans, thus highlighting his essential role in bringing out Hamlet’s true intentions. Hamlet’s death becomes more meaningful as a result of Horatio’s approval of Hamlet and the devotion he shows Hamlet until the end, which
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
Hamlet admires Horatio for the qualities that Hamlet himself does not possess. He praises Horatio for his virtue and self-control: "Horatio, thou art e'en as just a man/As e'er my conversation cop'd withal" (III.ii.56-7). Horatio's strength of character is unwavering, and Hamlet longs for the peace of mind that such stoicism must bring to Horatio:
...ith his plans like watching King Claudius’ reactions during the play, Horatio is the well-educated person who looks completely normal while Hamlet goes crazy and thirsty for revenge, and even though Horatio thinks about the situations, when Hamlet is dying he decides to take away his life too because he doesn’t want to live without his beloved friend.
Horatio’s minor role is vital to the story of Hamlet. He does not add anything to the plot of the play and instead acts as the voice of common sense. Horatio is an outside observer to the madness that ensues after the murder of King Hamlet. All of Hamlet’s soliloquies revolve around irrational speculations about death and decay. However, Hamlet’s conversation with Horatio ground the play in reality. In those conversations, Hamlet reveals his feelings to his closest friend. Horatio is the only one Hamlet can come talk to about what is going on in his life.
Horatio. Horatio is a good friend, as stated in Act 1, Sc 2, L163, and the
Gertrude and Ophelia both love Hamlet, yet they love him in different ways. Gertrude, his mother, loves Hamlet in a motherly way, placing his honor under her current husband Claudius, which is Hamlet’s uncle, and also the brother of Gertrude’s deceased husband and Hamlet’s late father. Hamlet thinks of his mother as a whore because she married Claudius right after her husband’s untimely death. Gertrude is not a whore;
Hamlet by William Shakespeare focuses on the title character plotting vengeance against Claudius for his father's murder to capture the Danish crown. The new king is also Hamlet's uncle and now stepdad due to the marriage with his mother, Gertrude. Through a sequence of events, the protagonist eventually avenges his father, although both his mother and himself fall to a tragic fate as well. Throughout the course of the play, the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude changes from strained to a disrespectful and mistrustful to a bittersweet ending.