What is the role of friendship in the play? Who are the most genuine friends, if there are any in the play?
The play Hamlet shows mostly the dark side of human nature. There are many betrayals happening in the play. Even the so-called friends, from school, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are not loyal to Hamlet. The only genuine friendship that Hamlet holds is the one with Horatio. In Act 3, Scene 2, right before the play, Hamlet says to Horatio: “There is a play tonight before the king. One scene of it comes near the circumstance Which I have told thee of my father’s death.” Hamlet trusts Horatio enough to tell him how the new King kills the old King, and his plan to catch the new King off guard with the play-in-play. Horatio delivers his loyalty by not telling the king of Hamlet’s accusation and the plan.
I agree with you, Horatio is the only true friend Hamlet has. At the end of the play, after the fencing match, Hamlet has been poisoned and is dying. Horatio wants to end his own life with the remaining poison. Hamlet tells Horatio to ” Absent thee from felicity a while” and stay in the world (Act 5, Scene 2). When Hamlet actually dies, Horatio says “Now cracks a noble heart.—Good night, sweet prince, And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest (Act 5, Scene 2).” Even when Hamlet is dead, Horatio is still loyal to him.