The Shakespearian Play: Hamlet Essay -- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

Tom Stoppard creates a life off the stage for the characters of the poplar Shakespearian play, Hamlet. He provided a dramatic and comedic effect through the story of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two childhood companions of Hamlet. In the setting of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, two different worlds exist. There is the onstage world of Hamlet, in which all of the characters are caught up in the story line of the play, and the offstage world of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The odd and void-like world of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern provides these characters with little information and forces them to believe that nothing is happening in their lives. They come to realize that they solely exist within this story to provide their services to the needs of the story happening around them. They barely take part in this story, as the other characters are completely unaware of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s existence. The characters of Hamlet only seem to exist within th e play and are provided with no other reasons to believe that their world might not be real. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern finally show up in the play, they are discomforted and do not spend enough time onstage to gather enough information to understand this alternate life. None of the other characters show concern for the duo and do not seem to be interested in their lives once they leave the stage. However, they spark the interest of The Player. He illustrates the capability of being able to easily move between the two worlds. He is the leader of the Tragedians and displays a sense of understanding to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The Player seems to be the only character that can easily transition between both worlds and has an understanding of th... ...ut the play, even though death is determined, that fulfillment of life is enough for anyone. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do not realize this throughout the play and they become distraught to know that portrayed them to be insignificant. Through the Player, Stoppard creates a character that is able to appreciate the pointlessness of the absurd world he lives in, and discover significance in it by creating it for himself. The Player’s habit to mix the lines between theatre and reality by asserting he does not distinguish the two is a statement that the two require the same thing in order to be understood: suspension of disbelief. (2.81) Works Cited Shakespeare, William. â€Å"The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark† Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print The Shakespearian Play: Hamlet Essay -- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Tom Stoppard creates a life off the stage for the characters of the poplar Shakespearian play, Hamlet. He provided a dramatic and comedic effect through the story of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two childhood companions of Hamlet. In the setting of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, two different worlds exist. There is the onstage world of Hamlet, in which all of the characters are caught up in the story line of the play, and the offstage world of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The odd and void-like world of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern provides these characters with little information and forces them to believe that nothing is happening in their lives. They come to realize that they solely exist within this story to provide their services to the needs of the story happening around them. They barely take part in this story, as the other characters are completely unaware of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s existence. The characters of Hamlet only seem to exist within th e play and are provided with no other reasons to believe that their world might not be real. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern finally show up in the play, they are discomforted and do not spend enough time onstage to gather enough information to understand this alternate life. None of the other characters show concern for the duo and do not seem to be interested in their lives once they leave the stage. However, they spark the interest of The Player. He illustrates the capability of being able to easily move between the two worlds. He is the leader of the Tragedians and displays a sense of understanding to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The Player seems to be the only character that can easily transition between both worlds and has an understanding of th... ...ut the play, even though death is determined, that fulfillment of life is enough for anyone. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do not realize this throughout the play and they become distraught to know that portrayed them to be insignificant. Through the Player, Stoppard creates a character that is able to appreciate the pointlessness of the absurd world he lives in, and discover significance in it by creating it for himself. The Player’s habit to mix the lines between theatre and reality by asserting he does not distinguish the two is a statement that the two require the same thing in order to be understood: suspension of disbelief. (2.81) Works Cited Shakespeare, William. â€Å"The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark† Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print