Rosencrantz & Guildenstern

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern

1. R + G are much more comforting to the King then they ever were to hamlet

   • 'Never alone/ did the King sigh but with a general groan'
     • No loyalty- only to person who can give them the most benefits(3.3)
   • 'We cannot get from him./ But where is he'
     • King and Rosencrantz finish each other's lines in broken iambic pentameter . This is a large contrast to the elaborate rehearsed performances in Act 1. Shakespeare is also showing us the closeness between the two characters - R is being trusted by the king- but is someone who is devious and self-centered enough to betray his won friend. Tell us they tyoe of people they like to associate with and so the type they are.

2. Hamlet dislikes their naievity and loyalty. Automatically making us ditat from them. his and their association with the king makes them Characters the audience is not attached to

   • 'How can that be .. succession in Denmark
     • They cannot imagine any reason to be unhappy when he is promised position and power- much more vein outlook on life- undermines them as friends - but also royals and idea that money and power bring happiness.
   • 'Do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe'
     • Interrogative- Shows how he is directly addressing loyalty to King and Queen- He is becoming more impatient- more desperate for action- annoyed at pretences.
   • 'that soaks up the kings countenance'
     • Metaphor of a sponge is a visual representation of R + G greed-constant need for more gain and how easily they can be emptied if the King chooses- 'you shsll be dry again'
     • Friendship with R + G is clearly not a colse one as when H tries to insult them using his sharp wit- they don't seem to undestand. Such and intellectual gap suggests they are not close.

3. They are very alike and interchangeable and seem incapable of functioning independantly.

   • 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern' 'guildenstern and Rosencranz'
     • The King's mix up shows how interchangeable the two are- highlighting the duplicity in Claudius' court. Almost seen as deception personified. evn the names they share both have three syllables and the same syllabic emphasis.
   • 'On fortunes cap we are not the very button'
     • They seem out of their depth- and have no control over their own destiny or the events of the play- Their deaths are a a result of a plot which they don't understand