Final answer:
Hamlet's letter to Horatio entails a dispute about the existence of ghosts, with Hamlet standing firm on their presence and Horatio and Polonius skeptical, leading to a survey to seek the truth. This reflects the play's inquiry into perception and reality, tied to the sociopolitical context of Shakespeare's era.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the letter from Hamlet to Horatio, Prince Hamlet of Denmark, who is also a student of statistics, expresses his firm belief in the existence of ghosts, challenging the skepticism of his tutor Polonius and his friend Horatio. Horatio is sent to conduct a survey to determine whether others share Hamlet's belief. The letter is discussed within the context of Hamlet's unreliable narration and reflects a time when the existence of ghosts was a common topic of debate, which Shakespeare explores in his play "Hamlet."
Horatio and Polonius are central figures in this discussion with Hamlet, taking on the tasks of proving or disproving the existence of these apparitions through empirical data. Yet the play goes beyond a mere ghost story, as it delves into the complexities of human perception and reality, hinting at deeper themes of religious difference and societal expectations during Shakespeare's time.