 Horatio is a variation on the Latin name Horatius.Many commentators have pointed out that the name is reminiscent of the Latin words "ratiō" ("reason") and "ōrātor" ("speaker"), reminding us of his roles as a reasoner with Prince Hamlet, and of his role at the end of the play, surviving to tell Hamlet's tale.Horatio makes his first appearance in Act I, Scene 1, when he, Bernardo, and Marcellus encounter the ghost of the deceased King Hamlet.