Hamlet And R G Are Dead Essay Research

Hamlet And R+G Are Dead: Essay, Research Paper

Discuss the parallels between Shakespeare’s Hamlet and SToppard’s Rosencrantz and GUildenstern are dead and how Stoppard has transformed these parallels for a modern audience. Make reference to the context and text.

The plays Hamlet by William Shakespeare and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard contain many parallels such as themes, character comparisons and through the basic plot. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead has been heavily influenced by Hamlet, Samuel Beckett s Waiting For Godot, and several other plays and playwrights. In addition to these literary influences, a key factor in the transformation of the play, and the parallels contained within it and Hamlet, to a modern audience has also been the time in which it was written. Stoppards transformation of the play has been heavily influenced by absurdism in style and existentialism in philosophy and thought.

Ultimately however, we can see that the play Hamlet has been transformed from the early 17th century to 20th century values and beliefs. The play focuses on the life of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern during the play Hamlet, while they are not in Hamlet. As they are not major characters and have minimal roles in Hamlet, Stoppard has turned the original piece on its head and focused on these two. For much of the play we see Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in an off-stage world, which ironically is on-stage. One could say it is as if on one great stage, the plays of Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead are both occurring parallel to eachother in time, briefly coming into contact with eachother, when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern emerge in Hamlet. Some of Stoppards work has been appropriated from Shakespeares original Hamlet. This is what connects the two plays in both time period and setting.

Both writers have written for their target audience, using the language and style appropriate to convey their messages in an appropriate manner. Stoppard appropriates from the original Hamlet, but at times speaks in an anachronism through these parts. An example of this is the talk of syllogisms and the theory of probability, which are generally topics from modern day literature, displaying the absurdity of it all.

Stoppard has adopted the play to the newer society, with different values, beliefs and morals of the time in which he composed the play. This time frame presented us with a social revolution, that being a dramatic change in human views of the world. It was a time of questioning the status quo and challenging the system. People broke boundaries and went against conventions, and this non-conformist rebellion has emerged in Stoppards work. New ways of thinking have developed through three centuries of societal and political alterations, two world wars and times of hardship and depression.

The 1960 s also presented us with a society where people were irreverent. This concept has taken Stoppard to take one of, if not the most revered works of literature, Shakespeares Hamlet, and has played around with it , creating an explanation for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern being in Elsinore. Stoppard has transformed his play to make two of Hamlets bit characters the heroes of his respective play.

Both art works include the obvious parallel of including characters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, but Stoppard has re-created these two unimportant nobodies making their life the central focus. This is an important factor in the 20th century transformation as it is now a common style in modern literature to focus on the anti-hero, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern being these, the common person.

In Hamlet they have little significance, simply being played and manipulated with by the King spying on their friend Hamlet. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are seen as clowns, comic figures continuously sucking up to higher powers such as the King and Queens. Elizabethans would have found this courtier-like action amusing. In the transformation they are depicted as innocent, bumbling fools. It is notable that Stoppard has chosen to focus on these people without power and base the play on their insignificant lives.

In the transformation, Stoppard has maintained many important parallels to the original piece Hamlet. We can see however, that the corresponding themes and issues have been transposed to focus on modern day views and ideas such as existentialism. A principal difference between both plays is that in Hamlet we tend to concentrate on the development of one main character, Hamlet with his personal struggles and destiny. Through the transformation, Stoppard has moved the focus towards a more everyday exploration of the themes of Hamlet.

Shared themes include humanities place in the universe, life and death, illusion and reality, chance, fate and destiny.

The notions of fate and destiny are central to both plays, the distinction occurs when Shakespeares Hamlet has the illusion of choice and control over his life. Hamlet has choices and options, being not only influenced by external forces, but appears to direct the action towards himself. In contrast, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern rely on other characters for their direction, are constantly confused and uncertain and have little or no control over the action. An underlying fact of the play is that from the outset, Shakespeares Hamlet has previ