Horatio In Hamlet

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Although William Shakespeare's Hamlet contains death and horrors, according to critic Norrie Epstein the audience must experience an uplift at the conclusion to categorize a play as a tragedy. Hamlet meets this criterion because many of the kingdom's problems are ultimately solved. By the end of the play, the kingdom has improved from its previous state because Hamlet achieves his goal of avenging his father's death, the corruption of Claudius’s dynasty comes to an ends, and the legacy of Old King Hamlet's rule can resume under the advice of Horatio.
In Hamlet’s mind he thoroughly debates whether he can diverge from his moral compass and murder another person. From Hamlet’s first encounter with the ghost of his father, Hamlet has been contemplating …show more content…
Thus, we are glad he dies. Claudius’ lack of strong character and corruption is exemplified in his treatment of Hamlet, his great haste, and inability to act in the best interests of the kingdom. After Old Hamlet’s death, Hamlet is still recovering from his grief and Claudius refuses to give him any chance to grieve and mocks him instead: “But you must know your father lost a father, / That father lost, lost his, and the survivor bound / In filial obligation for some term / To do obsequious sorrow. But to persever / In obstinate condolement is a course / Of impious stubbornness” (1.2.93-98). Claudius makes the situation even worse by acting inappropriately towards him. Obviously Hamlet is aware that every father has lost the father before him, but a respectful person refrains from these comments. Claudius acts as if Hamlet’s father was a stranger to him. Claudius has moved with such haste for his own personal gain that Hamlet makes a plausible exaggeration: “Thrift, thrift, Horatio. The funeral baked meats / Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables” (1.2.187-8). Hamlet has not had any chance to reflect and digest the events that have unfolded in front of him, to the point where the food from the funeral was used for the wedding! Claudius is aware that in order to become King, he …show more content…
In Norway, Fortinbras and his people wish to take back land, so Fortinbras rallied his army to pursue and succeed in such a goal. Fortinbras treats Hamlet very respectfully after his death: “Bear Hamlet like a soldier to the stage, / For he was likely, had he been put on, / To have proved most royal” (5.2.441-445). Fortinbras may become an effective leader as he treats his subjects with utmost respect as well as those in previous regimes. The audience is hopeful to see a new leader because it will be a change compared to the corruption under Claudius where he was so focused on belittling those he saw as internal threats and ignoring his true leadership in his
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