Is Hornblower based on an actual naval captain of the time?
According to C.S. Forester, Hornblower isn’t based on one particular character in history, though there have been several theories from others about who the ‘real Hornblower’ might be. I tend to believe Forester and remain of the opinion that he didn’t borrow directly from any historical figure in particular as his inspiration for Hornblower, but that’s just my opinion. There is one common belief among some which I wish to clear up, though: just because the character’s name is “Horatio” doesn’t mean that Hornblower is based on Nelson. In fact, Forester mentions in the Companion that “‘Horatio’ came first to mind, and oddly enough not because of Nelson but because of Hamlet; but it met an essential requirement because it was a name with contemporary associations.” In other words, one surefire way of getting the Scaryfangirl to roll her eyes at you is to state that Hornblower is a literary copy of Nelson. Pshaw.
