Throughout the play, Hamlet expresses some of his inner most feelings to his best friend Horatio. Horatio functions not only as a confident to Hamlet but also as a contrast to Hamlet's potential insanity.

        From the onset of the play it was clear that Horatio was a clear thinking, intelligent individual. Hamlet on the other hand is impulsive and needs Horatio to balance out his emotion driven mind. In the first scene of the play, Horatio is called to confirm the existence of a ghost because he is well known for his rationality. Were it not for Horatio’s confirmation on the existence of the ghost, the audience may have believed the ghost to be a figment of Hamlet’s overactive imagination. Hamlet later acknowledges the importance of this trait in his friend when he compares himself to Horatio who is not ‘passions slave’. Although Horatio’s rational opinion was well valued, Hamlet refused take his advice in the final act which led to Hamlet’s participation in a duel and his eventual death.

        Horatio’s role in Shakespeare’s play is very important not only as the confidante but also to contrast Hamlet’s personality.  Both Hamlet and the audience need Horatio’s presence in the play to express Hamlets feelings since Horatio is possibly the only other character Hamlet really trusts. Being a “man that is not passion’s slave”, Horatio’s clear opinion is also needed to contrast Hamlet’s growing instability. At the end of the play Horatio is given the most important role of all; to recount the story of Hamlet for the world to know.