A Discussion of Three Messages from the Text of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” By Tom Stoppard

In addition to the pain Hamlet and John had endured because of their mothers, they both had to overcome the people who intended to use them. For Hamlet this meant suppressing information from the bothersome Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Upon the king’s request these two friends of Hamlet are sent off in an attempt to relieve Hamlet’s sorrow. However Hamlet soon discovers that they have alternative motives. They are strictly set out to discover the cause for Hamlet’s depression and madness, and don’t even attempt to enlighten his spirits.

Because they did not heed to the warning, they subsequently arranged their own downfall.  The incident with the coin flips, in turn cause the reader not to sympathize with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern at the conclusion of the narrative.  Other reasons the reader may not sympathize is because of the characters' unfaithfulness to their friend Hamlet.  This is another way the coin flips tie into Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's downfall.   From the principles of probability, one would expect for heads to turn up in so many amount of coin flips fifty percent of the time.   The fact that it did not signifies the event's unfaithfulness to the rules of probability.  This reflects Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's unloyalty to Hamlet.  They were like fools to ignore the event that was as conspicuous as a red light.  Consequently, they died a fool's death.

     Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are two of Hamlets childhood buddies who when asked by the king, try to find out what is troubling their friend. The two of them go to Hamlet pretending to be his friends, when in all actuality they are only there because the king asked them to find the truth. Hamlet realizes their purpose for their visit is to find the real reason for his sadness as of late. As the play continues the twins are asked again by the king to go to Hamlet and try again to find the real reason for Hamlets behavior. Hamlet insults them at every chance knowing they are lying to him about their purpose of the visit. "Tis as easy as lying; govern these

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are foils to Hamlet. The two are introduced as friends to Hamlet. But also they are like messengers for the king. Hamlet learns of their

   In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince Hamlet replaces the letter that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are carrying to England with a forgery of his own making, thus sending these two men to their deaths. He does this without giving it a second thought and never suffers from any guilt or remorse for his actions. Considering that these two men were friends from his youth, this would at first glance seem to reflect poorly on his character. However, one must consider carefully the characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern before passing judgment on Hamlet.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are comic reliefs by acting as the fool in the play Hamlet. The duo’s ignorant nature are picked at by Hamlet’s sharp toungue through the play, intensifying it’s ultimate tragic nature. One example is in act two scene two of Hamlet, when Hamlet is questioning Rosencrantz and Guildenstern about the reason they are at the castle. Hamlet offsets Humor in these scenes by his choice of words. Hamlet puts the pressure on the duo and Rosencrantz in an aside to Guildenstern asks what excuse they should make to Hamlet while the whole time Hamlet is aware of their conversation. “(to Guildenstern) What

In the soliloquy “To be, or not to be: that is the question” spoken by Hamlet, he discusses his views on death (III.i.56). In this scene he is contemplating his thoughts on suicide, death, life, and the afterlife as he awaits his meeting with Claudius. He reflects on whether the afterlife will have the same problems as his current life. He also shares his thoughts on death in another scene where he is a graveyard. Hamlet basically says you die and become food for the worms and then you are nothing in these lines “Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returned into dust; the dust is earth; of earth we make loam” (5.i.209-211). He gives so many details on life and death, yet he is the one causing so many of the deaths that occur within the play. If it were not for him seeking revenge for his father’s death then so many of the events that

Throughout my high school career, I’ve never worked with anything that has made me think so much. Sure, you can watch the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead at face value, have a few laughs until it stops being funny, and then go on with your life. But you aren’t getting out of it all that Tom Stoppard intended. This play is so much more than just an accompanying work to Hamlet. It fleshes out the characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in a way that makes you consider your own life! And if you really want to take anything from this play, you need to understand the messages it contains. This is a challenge to some, because of how deeply they contrast with the play at face value. But, if you can look deeper, you will a couple

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were two characters in the play who were justly punished. These two were supposed to be friends of Hamlet. They turned on him with one simple request from the King. I feel no remorse for them after Hamlet's little scheme. I find it ironic and reflective of their ending when the Ambassador comes and says, ."..Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead. Where should we have our thanks?" (5,2,411-12) This is somewhat humorous because

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, written in the 1960s by playwright Tom Stoppard, is a transforation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Stoppard effectively relocates Shakespeare’s play to the 1960s by reassessing and revaluating the themes and characters of Hamlet and considering core values and attitudes of the 1960s- a time significantly different to that of Shakespeare. He relies on the audience’s already established knowledge of Hamlet and transforms a revenge tragedy into an Absurd drama, which shifts the focus from royalty to common man. Within Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Stoppard uses a play within a play to blur the line that defines reality, and in doing so creates confusion both onstage- with his characters, and offstage-

I never forget a face” (82). While humorous, it is important to note that the players (who, save Alfred, are always regarded as simply: players) lose their individuality to the point of literally taking on the appearance of somebody else---Rosencrantz in this case. The final implication of their knowledge and even encouragement of fate in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern 's life is when Guildenstern asks, “What are we supposed to do?” and the player responds “This,” followed by laying down, implying death. The players are so connected to the concept of fate and it “playing” out that they may even be a part of the motif that fate is in the play.

Hamlet is undoubtedly one of the most well-studied and remembered tragedies in all of history. Renowned for its compelling soliloquies and thought-provoking discussions about life, death, and love, the play takes a very serious look at the topics it presents. Based on this famous work is another tragedy, known as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. In this work, which is interwoven with the original, the namesake characters bumble about in the immense world, over which they have no control. Without a sense of identity or purpose, the two merely drift to and fro at the whim of the larger forces around them; namely Hamlet, who eventually leads them to death. The twin plays follow the same story and end with the same result – nine deaths.

     Two of the most odd and certainly comic people in the work of Hamlet, are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Both of these people are considered to be friends of Hamlet by the Queen when in actuality they are not at all. Irony being another form of humor takes roll with these two as they are sent with a death warrant for Hamlet while Hamlet some how knows this he replaces the warrant with one for the death of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. They call the play of Hamlet “the tragedy of multiplicity'; for a good reason considering the state of friendship that also changes very often.

Metatheatre is best defined as a “play within a play,” having the ability to either show the unlikeliness of life in art, or prove the overall theatricality of life in art. This concept expresses the fine line between illusions and realities within a play. It presents absurd and improbable actions that allow the audience to realize the overall frame of the work. Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead makes use of this literary technique as he takes two minor characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and creates a comedic play fusing together the plot of Hamlet with Stoppard’s take on the experiences of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Thus, he creates a the play of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead within the framework of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Stoppard is limited in what he can and cannot do with his artistic choices and freedoms as a writer because he must ensure his plot and ideas fit within the overall plot of Hamlet, clearly illustrating the idea of metatheatricality. Along with Stoppard’s inclusion of Hamlet, he further develops the characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, creating more comedic and interesting characters who are constantly confused with their role in the play.

The tragic play “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead” by Stoppard were retold from the story of Shakespeare famous play “Hamlet”. The two insignificant characters in “Hamlet” became the protagonists in Stoppard’s play, “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead” and Hamlet as a minor character. The author’s different perspective of Shakespeare’s two minor characters made the audience realize that being control like a puppet by Hamlet might have led them to their death. Throughout the play, Hamlet’s presence effected the two protagonists’ life.