Though this be madness, yet there is method in't

From father to son. Hartley Coleridge (1796-1849) is the eldest son of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a poet (though was also a teacher), and likewise wrote about Hamlet. It is generally accepted that he was not as successful in literary terms, or in life more generally, as his father. Perhaps burdened by the expectation of his famous name, and in the shadow of his father's genius, he is variously described as 'wayward', 'a failure'. 'melancholic' and 'solitary'. HARTLEY COLERIDGE: from Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine , November 1828 Let us, for a moment, put Shakespeare out of the question, and consider Hamlet as a real person, a recently deceased acquaintance. In real life, it is no unusual thing to meet with characters every whit as obscure as that of the Prince of Denmark; men seemingly accomplished for the greatest actions, clear in thought, and dauntless in deed, still meditating mi...

The second section of this year's 'entrance' exam question on Hamlet was a traditional essay question and asked: (b) ‘In the world of Hamlet trust is a rare commodity.’ Using your knowledge of the play’s opening scenes, show how far you agree with this view. Remember to support your answer with reference to different interpretations. The first thing you need to do is form a hypothesis which engages with the statement that  ‘In the world of Hamlet trust is a rare commodity.’ Is trust rare? Who trusts whom? Who doesn't? What happens at the start of the play to set this up? What kind of overarching idea do you have? But it is also worth thinking about 'trust' in more hopeful terms. Where are the moments and relationships of trust? Could this actually form the thrust of your argument? Or at least some kind of 'counter' to a bland acceptance of the statement. Horatio's presentation as a trustworthy character, reinforced by the ending? The strong all...