Hamlet's Relationship Between Hamlet And Horatio

When Hamlet loses his father he must find a way to save himself before his depression hurts him. Hamlet looks to confide in the first person that truly understands him: Horatio. In his play, Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses the relationship between Hamlet and Horatio to represent the fatherly bond Hamlet lost. The characterization of Hamlet and Horatio 's bond through the grief of death, their respect for each other, and how much they care about one another proves how Hamlet replaces his father with Horatio out of desperation for someone to look up to, just as he did his father.

Hamlet is immediately drawn to Horatio because of their shared grief over the death of King Hamlet. The play begins with Marcellus asking for Horatio 's advice

Horatio and Hamlet share a relationship of respect, just as a father and son would. Horatio 's calm and intelligent demeanor reflects King Hamlet, gaining him Hamlet 's admiration. Hamlet states that a true friend is not "a pipe for Fortune 's finger,/To sound what stop she please" (Shakespeare 3.2.70-71). Hamlet wishes he could be as unaffected and relaxed as Horatio is when stressed. By giving a speech entirely dedicated to Horatio, Hamlet displays his appreciation for his friend 's qualities. His respect for Horatio parallels the reverence Hamlet once held for his father. On the other side of the relationship, Horatio displays how much he cares by giving advice to Hamlet multiple times. He is one of the only characters who tells Hamlet what he really thinks. By giving Hamlet advice, even if he does not listen, Horatio displays the affection of a father. By having different levels of status Horatio and Hamlet maintain the respect shared between a father and son. Evans states, “Hamlet is so gracious to Horatio precisely because he knows that Horatio is both his social inferior and a relative stranger.” The relationship of a child and a parent is an unequal relation no matter how much trust or love there is. Hamlet is a king while Horatio is just a "servant" to Hamlet, creating the unequal relationship. The father-son bond between Hamlet and Horatio is established throughout the play by their mutual respect and the balance

Throughout the play the fatherly bond between Horatio and Hamlet continues to grow by means of their kindness and care for each other. Horatio remains the only person Hamlet confides in, so much as to trust him with his hidden plan. By sharing with Horatio everything that happens to him and "the fact that he has apparently shared with Horatio his deepest secret--the ghost 's allegation against Claudius--shows that Hamlet 's trust is more than merely verbal" (Evans). Horatio is the only man who knows what actually happens to Hamlet because of the trust they share. Since his father’s death, Hamlet begins to confide in Horatio because of his need for a father figure. Hamlet has such faith in Horatio that he leaves him with one last request: to tell his story. The close bond between the two makes this possible because, being the one man who knows everything that happened, Horatio is the only one who can tell the story. The confidence Hamlet has in Horatio, even after death, is something only a father could have. The deep care the two have for each other is significantly proven in the final moments of Hamlet’s life. After discovering Hamlet is going to die, Horatio believes the next logical step would be to drink the poison. This causes one of Hamlet’s last physical acts to be a “duel with his friend for possession of the poisoned cup" (Evans). Horatio refuses to live without his friend because his life would have no meaning, just as a father would believe his life is