Hamlet Group

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saint4d4
saint4d4
Student
High School - 12th Grade

Why is it so important that Horatio tell Hamlet's history?

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Posted by saint4d4 on Saturday November 22, 2008 at 9:43 PM and tagged with claudius, hamlet, horatio.

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  1. lit24
    lit24 Teacher
    Doctorate

    eNotes Editor

    In Act V Sc2 Hamlet is about die, wounded by the poisoned sword of Laertes. When Horatio sees his dearest friend  Hamlet about to die he also wants to kill himself and tries to drink the poisoned wine. Hamlet grabs the cup of poisoned wine from Horatio's  hand and requests him earnestly that he must live and set the record straight about the circumstances of his death, "O good Horatio, what a wounded name/Things standing thus unknown, shall live behind me!"  otherwise no one will know the truth and they will condemn Hamlet as a murderer.  

    Horatio must live and tell everyone that Hamlet is innocent and that Claudius is the villain who killed Hamlet's father and usurped Hamlet's throne.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/hamlet/character-analysis
    http://www.enotes.com/hamlet/criticism
    http://www.enotes.com/hamlet/summary

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    Posted by lit24 on Sunday November 23, 2008 at 6:30 AM