WEB Horatio: The Uninteresting Truth-Teller of Hamlet
A Character Study of the Mysterious Horatio
WEB Horatio, a character in William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet, is a peculiar figure. He is present on the field when King Hamlet, the father of the main character Prince Hamlet, defeated Fortinbras the king. However, what makes Horatio truly intriguing is not his role in the plot but rather his unique personality.
Horatio is, in many ways, an almost completely uninteresting character. He is a loyal friend to Hamlet, but he lacks the passion and charisma of the titular prince. He is a skeptic, but he is not as cynical as Polonius. He is a witness to the play's events, but he does not play a major role in them. In short, Horatio is the epitome of the "average man."
"O day and night but this is wondrous strange And therefore as a stranger give it welcome There are more things in heaven and earth Horatio Than are dreamt of in your." - Hamlet, Act I, Scene v
Yet, it is precisely Horatio's lack of interest that makes him such an important character. He is the outside observer to the madness that engulfs the Danish court. He is the one who sees the truth clearly and who is able to articulate it to others. In a play where everyone seems to be lying or deceiving, Horatio is the one constant source of honesty and reliability.
Horatio is our harbinger of truth. It is through Horatio that the actions taken by Hamlet and other characters gain credibility. He is the one who tells us what is happening and why, and he is the one who helps us to understand the play's complex themes.
Hamlet's closest friend and most trusted confidant, Horatio wants to help Hamlet get to the root of his father's loss and take vengeance upon his murderer. But as Hamlet descends into inaction, Horatio becomes increasingly frustrated. He knows that Hamlet is capable of great things, but he also knows that Hamlet is self-sabotaging.
In the end, Horatio is the one who survives the carnage and tells the story of Hamlet to the world. He is the one who remembers Hamlet's greatness and who ensures that his legacy will live on.
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