Compare and contrast the characters of Hamlet and Horatio in Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Hamlet and Horatio are both young men, and attend the same
school, Wittenberg, in Germany.  They are both very loyal characters.  Hamlet is loyal
to the love and memory of his father, and is doing his best to ascertain the veracity of
the ghost's story, and then avenge his father's death.  Horatio shows loyalty by keeping
Hamlet's secrects:  the appearance of the ghost, Claudius's guilt in the murder of King
Hamlet, and Hamlet's surprise return to Denmark from the aborted trip to
England.

Both men show concern for others.  Hamlet is
concerned about the morality of the court of Denmark and his mother in particular. 
Horatio shows concern for Hamlet's safety in Act 1 when he warns Hamlet to be careful in
his meeting with the ghost, lest it do something to destroy him.  In Act 4 he warns
Hamlet to be careful going into the sword fight with
Laertes.

Hamlet and Horatio both have a willingness to die
for their causes.  Hamlet resigns himself to his fate by the end of the play and says a
version of, 'what will be will be' and "the readiness is all."  He doesn't WANT to die
in his attempt to avenge Claudius, but if he does, then that is what will be.  Horatio
is so upset over the impending death of Hamlet, that he takes up the poison cup and
plans to drink the last drops in a show of despair and acknowledgement of the waste of
this whole situation.  Hamlet is able to talk him out of the act by reminding him that
someone must live to tell the tale of what happened here, otherwise
people will think a crazy Hamlet went on a rampage.  His chosing to live shows loyalty
to Hamlet and his reputation.

Their biggest difference is
in their involvement and investment in the Claudius/King Hamlet situation.  Horatio can
sympathize with Hamlet's situation, but expresses caution.  Hamlet has no choice to keep
moving forward with his plans, such as they are, to prove Claudius's guilt and avenge
his father's death.