Horatio Character Development

Horatio is Hamlet’s close friend, and someone who Hamlet trusts Horatio more than any of the other characters in the play. Horatio is loyal and tends to help Hamlet the most throughout the first 3 acts of the play. He is skeptical and indifferent when it comes to the ghost and its prophecies.

HORATIO

A mote it is to trouble the mind’s eye.

In the most high and palmy state of Rome,

A little ere the mightiest Julius fell,

The graves stood tenantless and the sheeted dead

Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets

As stars with trains of fire and dews of blood,

Disasters in the sun, and the moist star

Upon whose influence Neptune’s empire stands

Was sick almost to doomsday with eclipse.

And even the like precurse of feared events,

As harbingers preceding still the fates

And prologue to the omen coming on,

Have heaven and earth together demonstrated

Unto our climatures and countrymen.

But soft, behold! Lo, where it comes again.

I’ll cross it though it blast me.—Stay, illusion!

If thou hast any sound or use of voice,

Speak to me.

If there be any good thing to be done

That may to thee do ease and grace to me,

Speak to me.

If thou art privy to thy country’s fate,

Which happily foreknowing may avoid,

Oh, speak!

Or if thou hast uphoarded in thy life

Extorted treasure in the womb of earth,

For which, they say, you spirits oft walk in death,

Speak of it. Stay and speak!

In (I.I.111-138), Horatio, Marcellus and Barnardo are trying to understand the ghost, in which Horatio calls an “omen” which is something that is believed to foretell the future. IN this scene, Horatio proves himself to be trustworthy and reliable friend to Macbeth.  In his soliloquy, He says, “A little ere the mightiest Julius fell, The graves stood tenantless and the sheeted dead, Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets. As stars with trains of fire and dews of blood, and Disasters in the sun.”  Here, Horatio is comparing the ghost to the omens that led up to the death of Julius Caesar, showing his knowledge and understanding of potential threats. Also, he says, “If there be any good thing to be done, That may to thee do ease and grace to me, Speak to me.”  He is asking the ghost to tell him anything that he can do that will bring peace.  He is showing his loyalty and care for Denmark.

HORATIO

Do not, my lord.

HAMLET

  Why, what should be the fear?

I do not set my life in a pin’s fee,

And for my soul—what can it do to that,

Being a thing immortal as itself?

It waves me forth again. I’ll follow it.

HORATIO

What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord,

Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff

That beetles o'er his base into the sea,

And there assume some other horrible form,

Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason

And draw you into madness? Think of it.

The very place puts toys of desperation,

Without more motive, into every brain

That looks so many fathoms to the sea

And hears it roar beneath.

In (1.4.68-81), Horatio and Marcellus are trying to convince Hamlet to not follow the ghost because they are scared of what can happen to him.  Horatio says “What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord, Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff. That beetles o'er his base into the sea”.  Here, Horatio is asking Hamlet what if the ghosts takes you to a cliff or into a flood which overwhelms people and makes them wasn’t to go crazy (like Hamlet already is). This once again reveals to the audience that he is Hamlets loyal kinsman and serves as the person who sees things that Hamlet cannot always see.

HORATIO

  Here, sweet lord, at your service.

HAMLET

Horatio, thou art e'en as just a man

As e'er my conversation coped withal.

HORATIO

O my dear lord—

HAMLET

  Nay, do not think I flatter.

For what advancement may I hope from thee

That no revenue hast but thy good spirits,

To feed and clothe thee? Why should the poor be flattered?

No, let the candied tongue lick absurd pomp,

And crook the pregnant hinges of the knee

Where thrift may follow fawning. Dost thou hear?

Since my dear soul was mistress of her choice

And could of men distinguish, her election

Hath sealed thee for herself, for thou hast been—

As one in suffering all that suffers nothing—

A man that Fortune’s buffets and rewards

Hast ta'en with equal thanks. And blessed are those

Whose blood and judgment are so well commingled,

That they are not a pipe for Fortune’s finger

To sound what stop she please.

In (3.2.45-67),  Hamlet has arranged for the players to put on a play, mainly for Claudius. He says to Horatio,”…thou art e'en as just a man As e'er my conversation coped withal.” He is saying that he is one of the best men that he knows, showing his appreciation for the things that Horatio does for him.  This is but another example of how Horatio will do anything for Hamlet.  He obliges to watching Claudius during the play and examining his behavior and later says “If he steal aught the whilst this play is playing, And ’scape detecting, I will pay the theft.”. meaning that Horatio will not miss anything that the King does.

Hamlet

Give me that man

That is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him

In my heart’s core, ay, in my heart of heart,

As I do thee.—Something too much of this.—

 In (3.2.67-80) Hamlet is continuing to go on and on about how much of a loyal friend Horatio is.  But, now we see that Horatio has reached a point that Hamlet sees that Horatio will do anything for him and that Horatio loves Hamlet with all his heart. But, he feels that Horatio will never deny Hamlet’s orders, no matter what they are.  It is almost like he sees Horatio as a slave, "passion's slave." He wants Horatio to stand up for what he thinks is right, so that Hamlet can learn from this and try to become the type of person Horatio is. 

Horatio reminds me of Charlie from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia".  Charlie plays the role of a sidekick to Mac, Dennis and Frank, who are referred to as "the gang".  The gang gets Charlie to do whatever they want, most of the time, it is things that they do not want to get their hands dirty doing. Charlie never ends up having a mind for himself. He revolved around the ideas of Mac, Dennis, and Frank.