Horatio As A Minor Character Analysis

Through hardships, the loyalty of a friend is found. Even in a minor character, though the fleeting moments seem insignificant in the time being, their roles are quite notable. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Horatio is portrayed as a minor character, however, through his presence, Hamlet realizes the importance of loyalty and friendship, in the events leading to Hamlets self-fulfillment. As scene one begins, we discover that Horatio is a trustworthy figure in Denmark. Horatio can be seen as the truth in all the madness, he says that this “bodes some strange eruption to our state” (Shakespeare 68; Act I). Horatio feels that this means that something is wrong with Denmark and this statement sets the tone for the entire play. He tells the guards

Despite Hamlets High power, he finds his guidance through Horatio. Horatio as a minor character, he is not given much background as to whether he comes from wealth, there are no exact answers that say he is wealthy other than him going to school with Hamlet. Although Horatio had the foundation to be greater than Hamlet, he never tried to out beat Hamlet and stayed humble in their relationship. He genuinely worried for him and his power. He worried that a ghost could “deprive your sovereignty”(358; Act V). He warned Hamlet of what the ghost could do and how he could draw him “into madness”(72; Act II). Horatio was never given credit but he always stayed true to Hamlet and never wanted any credential or fame. Hamlet actually instead had asked his “sweet lord” if he could help him. Horatio tells hamlet “thou art e’en just a man as e’er my conversation coped withal”(46; Act III). Horatio presents himself as Hamlet’s servant but Hamlet refuses this. Last time Hamlet pointedly exchanged the name “friend” with Horatio; this time, he calls him as good a man as he has ever known. This is important because throughout the play in Hamlet, wealth and power is misused. Claudius, the brother of the king, kills the king, in order to become king himself and then he marries the queen. Hamlet halts avenging his father because of the confession of the murderer. In fact, he abused his power of love over Ophelia and made her go insane. Horatio offers his support even at a climax, he tells Hamlet that he can “forestall their repair hither” (212; Act V) , when Claudius is betraying Hamlet, Horatio is there to offer an excuse to get him out of the corruption. The abuse of power was a characteristic Horatio did not use on Hamlet even though he was the key to all of the secrets. The power and deaths from struggles in Hamlet revealed Horatio as a faithful