Horatio Young Fortinbras Analysis

Norman N. Holland correctly describes Horatio, young Fortinbras, and Hamlet in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Horatio perfectly encompasses the ‘man of thought.’ Throughout the majority of the play he advises Hamlet on what to do, when he should do it, and that he should not delay. One of the most perfect examples is in the first act when the ghost appears. He tells Hamlet not to follow it because it may cause him harm. He thinks things through, and does not want his friend to act rashly. Fortinbras, on the other hand, is a ‘man of action.’ He begins preparing for an invasion of Denmark without considering the consequences. He and his soldiers are ready. The only reason that he stops is because his uncle discovers his plan. Young Fortinbras …show more content…
I think that Shakespeare made Horatio so thoughtful and Fortinbras ready to take action so that Hamlet could be compared to them. A person needs both characteristics to properly get through life, but Hamlet does not know how to employ them due to his emotional state. His tragic flaw is the inability to take action. He had the perfect opportunity to kill Claudius after the players’ performance, but ignores it. If he had run him through when he was supposed to, only life would have been lost. He refuses to take action, because he starts thinking, and I agree that he fails, but I do not believe that he is a failure. Hamlet is confused and scared and does not know what to do. His world it torn out from underneath him, and he struggles to figure out his place in life. I concur with Holland’s descriptions of Horatio and Fortinbras. Horatio is a scholar, and thinks everything through. His friends know that he is smart, and they use him for this reason. Fortinbras takes action. He could think a little bit more, but at least he knows what he wants. If his uncle had not been there to stop him from invading Denmark at the beginning of the play, he would have caused a mass amount of