The Complexity of Life and Death in Rosencrantz and...

The main theme of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead is the complexity of life, death, and the events that lead to it. It also depicts the theory of determinism vs. free will. These are very similar to the themes seen in Hamlet. There is a complementary structure between Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead and Hamlet in the sense that, they are written in different time periods and show different understanding on the subject at hand. In 1602, the time when Hamlet was written, people believed in church and that dead would go to heaven or hell based on their deeds , but Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead was written in 1960’s a time of existentialism, when existence of god and essence of life were questioned.†¦show more content†¦They both also think about what happens to a person after he dies and seem to have come to similar conclusions that after death nothing remains of him other than his body; As Guildenstern says â€Å"You see him now and then you donâ €™t see him†. Another parallel structure is that both Hamlet and Player think that there is no good and bad, only thinking makes it so. For example the player says that â€Å"truth is only that which is taken to be true†. There is also a parallel structure in the way that Hamlet and Player believe that we are all actors who pretend to be people. In Hamlet, Hamlet acts like an insane person, but for all that we know he could be insane. When he says â€Å"We’re actors†¦we are the opposite of people†. The player is trying to convey that we all pretend to be something we are. The setting of the play is also critical for the theme of the play. It orients the audience to the crucial elements such as time, place and mood. By stripping the play off these, Stoppard is confusing the audience further about the identity of Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. There are minimal props in the play. The few props that are used, like the coins, do not follow the normal l aw, like the law of probability by falling heads all the time. The stage direction of the play is also important in the sense that it conveys determinism. This is because an actor in a play has a script, a certain posture and a determined pace to be stood at. This leaves noShow MoreRelatedLorrayne Broach. Dr. Guerra. Long Assignment . 5/05/2017.1339 Words   |  6 Pagesjoined at the hip characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, is based off of the ideas of determinism and passivity. Within the text, they have proven to be nothing more than young Hamlet’s former friends who mindlessly act on the orders of the king. Shakespeare writes them as transparent character at the hand of Hamlet’s mockery and pen. 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