Horatio – Hamlet's dearest friendIn Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet, many characters can be accused of many sins – but not Horatio. Hamlet rightly compliments Horatio on his nobility and dignity; he is indeed a faithful friend. This essay will highlight this ideal friendship as part of a general consideration of Horatio. Cumberland Clark in “The Supernatural in Hamlet” describes Horatio's reaction when the prince hears the ghost follow him: Hamlet addresses the spirit, which beckons him to follow him. Horatio tries to dissuade the willing Prince, because the ghosts are said to have the vile intention of inciting men to self-destruction (I.4.69-74): And if it tempts you towards the flood, my lord, or towards the terrible summit of the the cliff which extends above its base into the sea and there assumes another horrible form, which could deprive your sovereignty of reason and lead you into madness? . . .Hamlet obeys the Ghost's order to follow him, ignoring the protest of Horatio, who is very relieved, upon joining him later, to find him safe and sound (101). Who is the historian of the play? None other than Horatio. In the first scene, Horatio gives a detailed history of what happened before concerning King Hamlet: Our last king, whose image appeared to us even now, was, as you know, by Fortinbras of Norway, for whom he was stung by a most imitated pride, daring in battle; in which our valiant Hamlet (for so this side of our known world esteemed him) slew this Fortinbras; who, by a sealed contract, well ratified by law and heraldry, renounced, with his life, all his lands of which he was seized, to ...... middle of paper ...... on : Frank Cass & Co., Ltd., 1964. p.14-16. http://www.freehomepages.com/hamlet/other/essayson.htm#demag-ess N. pag.Pitt, Angela. “Women in Shakespeare’s Tragedies.” Readings on Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint of Shakespeare's Women. Np: np, 1981.Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Hamlet, prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.htmlWest, Rebecca. “A Court and a world infected by the disease of corruption.” Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. of The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957. Wilkie, Brian and James Hurt. “Shakespeare.” Literature of the Western world. Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co..., 1992.