Nowmy+Salam

H ORATIO

//27 September, 1598 //

//I came to Denmark for the King's funeral, for my friend Hamlet who was suddenly left fatherless. How much worse it is that my arrival may also be for a wedding, as the Queen has remarried within two months of the death - to none other but the King’s brother! I cannot imagine what Hamlet must be going through, but I can tell he is unwell because everything that has happened. What is most peculiar is what happened this morning, something I would never have believed unless I saw with my own eyes. I did not believe Marcellus, thought the watchmen were only imagining it, but there it was, I swear, a horrible thing looking like the very King of Denmark wearing the exact armour he fought in with the King of Norway. Its visor up, I could even see its brown beard with the same whisks of grey as King Hamlet’s. Bernardo was only describing the last time they saw it when it suddenly appeared and marched past us with a grave frown. Be it the devil’s soul or Hamlet’s restless father, I do not know, but he has something to say, something that is trapping him here, something too precious for us to know. I asked it to speak, many times to speak, but it would not utter a single word. The officers said this has happened twice before, the ghost appearing after midnight and stalking past their post three times before disappearing into the night. It looked like it might have said something but it left at the rooster’s caw - for fear of the day I am certain. We were wrong to threaten it, if it is the dead King. I am also certain it would speak to Hamlet, which is why I told him as soon as I could. Oh Hamlet, the despair he is in. He was nothing like this at Wittenberg, so full of life and hope then, a man who knew how to drink. He believes his father was perfect - and though I only saw the King once in life, I already knew how he great must have been. How furious Hamlet is with his mother, and honestly who wouldn’t be? Perhaps the ghost is at unease with the things happening in the castle: his wife and brother in bed two month after his death. Perhaps he has knowledge of the coming battles and needs to notify us before moving on. Perhaps he was killed in some other mortifying way, not the snake bite rumoured around. Perhaps it does not have anything to do with King Hamlet at all, but a devil leading all of us to hell. Whatever it may be, this disturbing thing will bring us something horrible and we will only know what it is if it speaks. Hopefully it will tonight when Hamlet accompanies us. I have a bad feeling for tonight. For now, all I can do is keep my word to keep this a secret. //

//- Horatio //

//Occupation //. Most of the occupations during 16th century Europe fell into four categories: craftsmen, traders, workers on land, and service industries. Though I am not wealthy, I have had good education at Wittenberg University alongside Hamlet and would work in the service industry. The jobs I believe I may pursue one day include a schoolmaster, a lawyer, a playwright, or a scrivener - most likely a scrivener or playwright in order to share my friend Hamlet’s story to the world, as that was his last wish. //Wardrobe // I do not not dress as richly as Hamlet would wear large puffy sleeves and lace, but still in respective court appropriate clothing such as a doublet over a linen shirt with a collar or ruff, along with wrist ruffs sometimes. For the lower half I would wear panned trunk hose with stockings and flat rounded-toe shoes, or leather riding boots.  //Transportation // My main mode of transportation is by horse, but I've traveled to and from England once by ship in my early years of study. //Spare time // I enjoy riding, and sometimes a good one-on-one with wooden lances and any armour we can get out hands on. I prefer to fight on horse because it enhances the challenge in battle. I'm not a big gambler, but it is an enjoyable pastime every now and again. //Relations in the play // Hamlet is my dearest friend who trusts me most, while the others usually don't acknowledge me as if I am not in the room. I don't mind, as I'm only here to visit him after all of the tragic events he has gone through. I have good ties with the officers Marcellus and Bernardo, as well as the Guardsman Francisco. I also know Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as Hamlet’s friends, though I cannot say I’m very fond of them for betraying him and helping Claudius and Gertrude for money. //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 28px; vertical-align: baseline;">Home and possessions // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">I live in a townhouse, timber-framed and built with brick. It is a decent two-story house for my family, though the windows are very small due to size they are sold in, and the price. I prefer to be outside because of the smelly and gloomy environment. The most difficult part is not having an internal water supply. We have bring buckets from the communal water pump which is rather dirty. We do not own very much, but perhaps our greatest possession is a set of carefully carved goblets my father was gifted years ago by one of his rich and generous apothecary customers. Nonetheless, home is still home and we are very fortunate to have as much as we do have, including each other. //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 28px; vertical-align: baseline;">Food // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">I regularly eat barley or rye bread with cheese and onions in the morning. Other meals always consisted of vegetables, but on occasion I’m able to add strips of meat. I accompany my meals with ale or cider and drink water when it is not too dirty, though I usually don’t have a choice. I enjoy sweets the most, sweetened with honey for the expense of sugar, but I have always preferred honey anyway. //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 28px; vertical-align: baseline;">Education // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">I am studying Moral Philosophy at the Wittenberg University, Germany. The course is in the Faculty of Arts and focuses on ethics, politics, rhetorics, and poetics. My education, if not a physical possession, is one of my greatest possessions because it has opened many opportunities for me. //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 28px; vertical-align: baseline;">Other attributes // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">I am the one Prince Hamlet trusts the most, and the one who is most aware of the Denmark’s situation. I know about the wars, Hamlet’s plans, the ghost, Claudius's deeds, and much more. Having this knowledge allows me to understand everyone in the castle, and know what they are up to. I know who to not trust, who to speak to and who to avoid, giving me an advantage over all others who are only aware of one side of the story. I also live to see the end of the kingdom, the only one who knows what happened within the castle.