A son revenges the murder of his father. This is the briefest description of the plot of Hamlet, one of Shakespeare’s best-known plays. However, the tragedy explores many more ideas than just revenge, including death, love, family, politics, deception, the meaning of life, the impossibility of certainty, the complexity of action, the abilities of drama, misogyny, madness, religion, competing worldviews, loyalty, sex, gender and friendship. Even though friendship is one of the most important parts of everyone’s life, it is often forgotten about when summing up one of Shakespeare’s tragedies. The theme of friendship, with the exception of Timon of Athens, often seems to be secondary. The first associations with Romeo and Juliet are forbidden love and tragic death, with Macbeth they are madness and ambition, with Othello they are love and prejudices, and with Hamlet they are revenge, madness and lies.
However, the theme of friendship must have been somehow essential to William Shakespeare, since he completely invented a friend not only for dramatic purposes but also for moral support for his tragic hero. The origin of the characters Horatio, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and their roles in the play Hamlet will be examined later. Furthermore, this paper aims to put the often-forgotten motive of friendship in Hamlet, Shakespeare’s longest play and one of the most powerful and influential works of world literature, in the spotlight. It will give an overview of the Elizabethan understanding of friendship, portray Horatio’s and Hamlet’s friendship, examine the possible reasons for Rosencrantz’s and Guildenstern’s betrayal – both are former friends of Hamlet - and answer the question how similar these friendships are to modern ones.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Shakespeare’s Sources
3 Elizabethan Friendship
4 The Motive of Friendship in Hamlet
4.1 Hamlet’s Trust in Horatio
4.2 Horatio’s Qualities as a Friend
4.3 Equality in Hamlet’s and Horatio’s Friendship
4.4 Hamlet, Horatio and the Ghost
4.5 Hamlet’s and Horatio’s Mentality
4.6 Rosencrantz’ and Guildenstern’s Betrayal
5 Conclusion
6 Bibliography
6.1 Primary Sources
6.2 Secondary Sources
6.3 Webliography
6.4 Illustration Directory
7 Appendix
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This academic paper explores the often-overlooked theme of friendship in William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet. The research seeks to analyze the nature of the bond between Hamlet and Horatio, compare it with the betrayal by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and determine how these relationships align with both Elizabethan ideals and contemporary perspectives on friendship.
- Examination of Elizabethan cultural and philosophical understandings of friendship.
- Analysis of Horatio’s role as an intellectual and moral companion to Hamlet.
- Investigation into the motives behind Rosencrantz’s and Guildenstern’s betrayal.
- Assessment of the impact of stoic and Christian influences on character mentalities.
- Comparison between historical Elizabethan friendship ideals and modern concepts.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 Horatio’s Qualities as a Friend
Horatio shows his most beautiful qualities as a friend in recognising and respecting Hamlet's peculiarity. Even though he does not entirely understand his friend’s odd behaviour, he never judges him once in the play. His caring for Hamlet can be seen in I.4 where Horatio begs Hamlet not to follow the ghost. However, Hamlet does not listen to him. In V.2, Hamlet is challenged to a duel by Laertes. Horatio notices that the prince only pretends to be strong when predicting Hamlet would lose the bet (V.2.203). After Hamlet’s comment “Thou wouldst not think how ill all’s here about my heart” (V.2.206f), Horatio tries to stop him from participating in the duel and offers to make up excuses for Hamlet. He does not let us doubt for a moment about the bond between him and Hamlet by being exactly the friend that Hamlet needs. A friend with that unwavering strength and stability of character who gives security and calmness simply through his mere presence and occasional word (III.2.295, III.3.301). He wishes the best for his friend’s (Aristotle 205) and not for his own sake and loves Hamlet the way he is. This behaviour was classified by Aristotle as the correct behaviour in the “perfect friendship based on goodness” (205).
On the other hand, Horatio does not fear to disagree and argue with the prince and even criticise him for his doing. When Hamlet tells him about his plot on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Horatio’s "So Rosencrantz and Guildenstern go to it" (V.2.55) is a quiet, but no less significant, reproach on the brutality of the deed. He proves that his loyalty has nothing to do with uncritical devotion by following Cicero’s guideline “giving and taking criticism is the mark of a true friendship” (103). Although the friendship with Horatio may remain Hamlet’s only, sincere and stable feeling of solidarity until the end, even Horatio as his closest confidant can never win a determining influence on his actions and thinking.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides a brief overview of the play's themes and highlights the paper's aim to examine the neglected motive of friendship in Hamlet.
2 Shakespeare’s Sources: Analyzes the literary origins of the play, specifically examining how Shakespeare transformed the characters of Horatio, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern from his sources into distinct figures.
3 Elizabethan Friendship: Discusses the historical and cultural context of friendship during the Elizabethan era, emphasizing its deep, intellectual, and moral significance as described by contemporary writers like Montaigne and Cicero.
4 The Motive of Friendship in Hamlet: A comprehensive analysis of the core relationships in the play, focusing on Hamlet’s trust in Horatio, the nature of their bond, the spectral influence of the Ghost, and the eventual betrayal by his former schoolmates.
5 Conclusion: Summarizes findings by connecting historical friendship ideals to modern perspectives and advocating for a more performance-oriented approach to teaching Shakespeare.
Keywords
Hamlet, Horatio, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Shakespeare, Elizabethan Friendship, Betrayal, Trust, Stoicism, Drama, Literature, Moral Support, Renaissance, Loyalty, Tragedy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper examines the thematic importance of friendship within William Shakespeare's Hamlet, specifically analyzing the dynamics between the protagonist and his associates.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Key themes include the distinction between genuine friendship and utility-based relationships, the historical Elizabethan perception of friendship, loyalty, betrayal, and the influence of stoic and Christian philosophies on the characters.
What is the central research question?
The work aims to uncover the significance of the friendship motif in Hamlet and evaluate how these portrayed friendships compare to both Elizabethan ideals and modern-day expectations.
Which scientific methods does the author employ?
The author uses literary analysis, comparative studies of historical source material (Saxo Grammaticus, Belleforest), and examination of philosophical texts from Aristotle, Montaigne, and Cicero to interpret Shakespeare's dramatic choices.
What does the main body cover?
The main body focuses on the characterizations of Horatio and the duo Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, comparing their roles, mentalities, and interactions with Hamlet throughout the progression of the play.
What keywords define this work?
Essential keywords include Hamlet, Horatio, Friendship, Betrayal, Shakespeare, Elizabethan era, Loyalty, and Stoicism.
How does the author categorize the relationship between Hamlet and Horatio?
The author defines it as a "perfect friendship based on goodness," characterized by mutual trust, intellectual compatibility, and the ability to offer honest criticism, contrasting it with Hamlet’s other relationships.
Why are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern considered traitors?
While acknowledging they act as loyal subjects to the King, the author concludes they betray Hamlet by prioritizing their utility and obedience to the crown over their long-standing personal bond with the prince.
What role does Horatio play regarding the Ghost?
Horatio serves as a rational, scientific, and skeptical counterbalance to the supernatural events, initially demanding empirical evidence before accepting the validity of the Ghost's appearance.
How does the conclusion relate to education?
The conclusion suggests that modern students struggle with Shakespeare due to outdated language and proposes that his works should be treated as dynamic, performative scripts rather than just static literary texts.
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- Paulina Pietsch (Autor:in), 2018, Trust and Betrayal. The Motive of Friendship in Hamlet, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/457710
