Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Summary and Analysis

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Summary:

~Author - Tom Stoppard
~Setting - Hamlet's court, a boat, limbo
~Plot - So there are these friends that live in limbo. Really, they need to get lives. But... since they can't they just have to make due. They go through life (or what we know of it...) asking if they can take action, not how to take action like Hamlet. Guil is the 'philosophical' guy that keeps asking questions about life and its meaning, but he leads an unhappy life. Ros, on the other hand, is the epitome of the phrase "ignorance is bliss," he doesn't question.. only accepts the reality he is in. Gertrude and Claudius bring them in to help find out what is wrong with Hamlet and eventually they are to take him to England. Once they can't fulfill that duty, they are essentially dead, although we don't know what really happened. 


Significant Characters:

~ Rozencrantz and Guilenstern: Old friends of Hamlet, help the king
~ Hamlet: the friend
~The players: give meaning to the story
~ Gertrude & Claudius: Mother/stepfather to Hamlet


Narrative Voice and Author's style:

~View: No narrator, nobody knows all
~ Tone: witty, sarcastic, bleak
~Imagery:
     * Wind imagery
     * play withing a play imagery
~ Symbolism:
     * The coins: chance, life 
     * The boat: death 
  

Quotes
~ Rosencrantz: What are you playing at?
Guildenstern: Words, words. They’re all we have to go on. 

When Guil says this, he is talking about the good and bad things about language. Having words to go on seems to be a blessing, but when that's all we have... how do we know what's true other than what people tell us? This is an important idea throughout the book.  

~  Audiences know what to expect, and that is all they are prepared to believe in.

This quote shows how stoppard feels about plays in general. 

Theme: 

Course Response - March 10

So, I'm pretty sure the last time I posted we had not yet finished R&G are dead, so I guess I'll talk about that little trip ending. At first, I loved the play. The first half was.... hilarious. Then came the second half and it was a little less than spectacular. When I saw the movie, however, everything was pulled together. I think that the play was one of my favorites that we have read so far, mostly because of the two main characters.
Guil is so sensitive and unhappy with life and through his mistaken theories about life, he isn't able to lead a healthy life. Ros on the other hand... completely ignorant. He is the epitome of the phrase "ignorance is bliss." Which leads to the question about life and whether we should be happy with not knowing everything, or seek to have all the answers and risk out happiness. I don't think that's something we talked about in class much, but I like how different the two characters are but how close they seem to be to each other.

We have also done a few mood examples on the board, which really helps me pick tone words. Often when describing the tone of a piece I have trouble coming up with the right word. I can pick a word... yes, but it's often not the right one.

Lastly, we have started Ceremony. Oh good lord, I am not looking forward to reading the whole book by Wednesday. I mean... I have so many other things to do. And there's that pesky senioritis thing going on. But hey, I'm writing this blog on time so that has to count for something. Anyway, even though it seems daunting now, I'm really looking forward to getting deeper into the book. So far, I really haven't had any trouble with the circular time. My tactic is to just roll with it; don't question, just read. It's kind of like imaginary numbers; why do we need them, what do they do? Don't ask, just do the math.