Comparison Of Fortinbras And Horatio In Hamlet By William Shakespeare

In Hamlet, Shakespeare Proves To Be For All Time
Literature is important because it connects individuals with larger truths and ideas in society. The play Hamlet, written by Shakespeare, succeeds in connecting an individual’s life with the play through relatable characters. Characters such as Hamlet and Ophelia show how difficult young love and death can be to handle, while characters like Fortinbras display acts of determination and bravery. Horatio, also another character in the play, is a prime example of a true best friend in a person’s life. Shakespeare is for all time because, the themes portrayed in the play and the characters taking part in it are relatable to issues and people in a young person’s life today. Hamlet’s personality and

Fortinbras shows love for his father by avenging him and being determined to do so by taking back the lands that were stripped away from his father. Horatio reveals, “And it doth well appear unto our state –/ But to recover of us, by strong hand/ And terms compulsatory, those ‘foresaid lands/ So by his father lost” (1.1.101-104). Horatio reveals Prince Fortinbras’ future plans to take over the lands that were taken from his father by Denmark, and how he is a very determined person and it will be hard to defend those lands. This shows Fortinbras ambition and courage, and with this he was able to win those lands back, and become king of Denmark as Hamlet nominates him moments before he died. This relates to a young individual’s life because, there is always people who will work hard for what they want, and will end up successful. Horatio plays the role of Hamlets best friend in the play, and is very relatable to adolescents as they all have that one friend who deeply cares and loves them, and is always there to support them through the hardest of times. When Hamlet follows the ghost so he can find out what his business is, Horatio is that one friend that tells him, “What if tempt you toward the flood, my lord,/ Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff/That beetles o’er his base into the sea,”(1.4.69-71). Horatio warns Hamlet of how dangerous this can be and tries to dissuade him from speaking with the ghost, since he can get fooled into his death. This however is not the only time Horatio shows affection for Hamlet. At the end of the play when Hamlet is poisoned, Horatio proclaims the love he has for him and says, “I am more an antique Roman than a Dane” (5.2.333). Famous Romans committed suicide instead of accepting defeat, and Horatio makes this comparison, where he is saying he cannot live without Hamlet. Horatio proved to be Hamlets true