The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 9.0905  Sunday, 27 September 1998.

[1]     From:   Melissa D. Aaron <
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        Date:   Friday, 25 Sep 1998 22:10:16 -0400
        Subj:   Re: SHK 9.0898  Re: Origin of Horatio

[2]     From:   H. R. Greenberg <
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        Date:   Friday, 25 Sep 1998 22:34:32 EDT
        Subj:   Re: SHK 9.0889  Q: Origin of Horatio

[3]     From:   John Ramsay <
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        Date:   Saturday, 26 Sep 98 2:49:25 EDT
        Subj:   Re: SHK 9.0898  Re: Origin of Horatio


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Melissa D. Aaron <
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Date:           Friday, 25 Sep 1998 22:10:16 -0400
Subject: 9.0898  Re: Origin of Horatio
Comment:        Re: SHK 9.0898  Re: Origin of Horatio

>The name crops up in Kyd's
>Spanish Tragedy, a virtuous character, but that show was an old bore by
>the time Hamlet was staged, or so I've always thought (corrections
>welcome).

Actually, it was my understanding that "Hieronimo" remained a fairly
popular play throughout the Early Modern period.  Isn't Henslowe (pardon
me-the text is not in front of me) still collecting receipts on it past
1600?  And I think he also asked Jonson for additions to the play in
1602.  Plus it goes through several editions, right up to 1633 (at least
according to Chambers *ES* 3: 395-96).

Melissa Aaron
University of Michigan

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From:           H. R. Greenberg <
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Date:           Friday, 25 Sep 1998 22:34:32 EDT
Subject: 9.0889  Q: Origin of Horatio
Comment:        Re: SHK 9.0889  Q: Origin of Horatio

No scholar I on this subject, but doesn't Hamlet in at least one
speech-the famous "more honored in the breach..." about Claudius'
wassail springs immediatley to mind-seem to be instructing Horatio in
Danish customs?  I cannot say where Horatio is from-there is much
British about his character to me except the lunacy the gravedigger
infers-but I do not think Shakespeare meant him to be a fellow
countryman to the Melancholy Dane.

[3]-------------------------------------------------------------
From:           John Ramsay <
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Date:           Saturday, 26 Sep 98 2:49:25 EDT
Subject: 9.0898  Re: Origin of Horatio
Comment:        Re: SHK 9.0898  Re: Origin of Horatio

Re : Origin of Horatio

Since the original question was about 'hard evidence in the play' as to
whether Horatio was a Dane or not, a close look at Act I Sc 1 has him
saying 'our last king', 'our valiant Hamlet', 'our state', etc.

He also knows more about the political situation in Denmark than the
sentries, even though it's later revealed he's been away at university.

Why would a non-Dane speak like that and have such knowledge?

John Ramsay
Welland Ontario
Canada