Characters in Hamlet He is the courtier sent by Claudius to invite Hamlet to participate in the duel with Laertes. (This character is called "Ostricke" in the Second Quarto.) Osric, as well as Polonius, attempts to engage with Hamlet in the elaborate, witty discourse, fully consistent with Baldassare Castiglione's 1528 work, "The Courtier". This work outlines several courtly rules, specifically advising royal retainers to amuse their masters with inventive language. The Players are a company of actors who arrive at Elsinore Castle. Friends of Hamlet, they had earlier performed in "the city" (presumably Copenhagen), but faced stiff competition from boy performers, so they
Horatio (Hamlet) Horatio (Hamlet) Horatio is a character in William Shakespeare's tragedy "Hamlet". Horatio's origins are unknown, although he was present on the battlefield when Hamlet's father defeated 'the ambitious Norway', Fortinbras (the king), and attended Wittenberg University with Prince Hamlet. Horatio is evidently not directly involved in the intrigue at the Danish court; thus, he makes a good foil or sounding board for Prince Hamlet. He is often not identified as any specific court position, but simply as "friend to Hamlet." Horatio is a variation on the Latin name Horatius. Many commentators have pointed out that the name is reminiscent of