A person cannot truly exist without the people around them, just as a play cannot succeed without its supporting characters. Horatio and Ophelia are often ignored as "supporting players" within the play. They spend very little time on stage, and when they are on stage their roles seem banal; however, their true purpose is much greater. The characters of Horace and Ophelia have two very different functions in the work. Horatio is used as a foil for Hamlet, the person with whom Hamlet can discuss his course of action and act as his true self. Ophelia, however, has an important role that is not initially apparent. She is the embodiment of how Hamlet's opinion of women changes over the course of the play. These two characters have drastically different roles, but both are vital to Hamlet's success. In Hamlet, Shakespeare develops Hamlet's character through numerous soliloquies and long speeches. The use of these literary devices is not only difficult for the actor, but also tiring for the audience, who must listen to the monotony of the same person speak continuously for several minutes, without any interruption. Playwrights developed plays to appeal to both audiences and prominent stage actors of the period. Shakespeare needed a means to reduce the amount of time Hamlet talks to himself. The addition of another character, Horatio, provides this, turning what could have been a boring monologue into a more manageable dialogue between two characters. Horatio fills the role of Hamlet's friend and confidant, someone with whom Hamlet can talk and explain his ideas. Horatio is Hamlet's only true friend in the play. The title of "best friend" may not seem overly impressive, but it plays a crucial role in......middle of paper......itHamlet's true personality and his madness, as well as shortening the number of monologues in the show. Ophelia has a much larger role. Ophelia is the physical representation of Hamlet's opinion of women, and reflects it in his actions and behavior. When Hamlet believes that women are innocent, Ophelia is naive; when he deems them lecherous traitors, Ophelia is altered to prove it. The time spent off stage helps strengthen their respective roles: Horatio as Hamlet's steadfast friend, who is always there for Hamlet to speak; and Ophelia, who is the physical representation of Hamlet's decadent opinion of women. Horatio and Ophelia are necessary to the plot to show the audience Hamlet's different perspectives. Without these characters, Hamlet would become a boring and flat play, consisting mainly of soliloquies and questions from the audience..