The play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead in its present form is the result of several drafts and older versions of this play, which Tom Stoppard wrote and staged. The first one was Rosencrantz and Guildenstern meet King Lear and was performed by amateur actors at a Ford Foundation cultural picnic in Berlin, in 1964. In this form the play was a one-act comedy in verse.1 In the following years the title changed and Stoppard rewrote the play into prose. At the Edinburgh Festival in 1966 the play had its break through and soon later its script was bought and produced by the National Theatre at the Old Vic. According to the Sunday Times it was “the most important event in the British professional theatre of the last nine years.”2 The reason for the enthusiastic reactions towards the play is the fact that it illustrates the confusion of mankind in the post-modern world. Today’s pluralism leaves the individual all to himself. The unity, which used to be created by religion, class or moral values, has been split up in favour of countless parallel existing societies with their own moral ideals and goals. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is a comical depiction of two friends looking for an orientation in a world, which to them has lost its orders and values. By using Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who are the two courtiers from Elsinore, from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Stoppard shows an unknown perspective of Hamlet. It is the one of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Without knowing the entire plot they experience the action from their point of view and constantly try to find explanations of their roles and future in the play. The lack of orientation and the absence of reliable values in this strange world remind the audience of the contemporary pluralistic society and its problems. Even though the matter is serious Stoppard manages to establish a comical atmosphere, which includes a certain self-critique as selfcontrol to prevent Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead from becoming in any way idealistic or instructive. To show this I will analyse the play from a post-modern perspective and thereby focus on the metadramatic features, which make up for the self-control of the play. At first I will describe the plot and setting of the play. Secondly I will define postmodernism and metadrama for an analysis of the play. In the context of metadrama some textual allusions to Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Beckett’s Waiting for Godot will be described.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The play
Post-modernism in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Metadrama in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines Tom Stoppard’s play "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" to analyze how the work reflects the confusion and loss of orientation characteristic of the post-modern world. By focusing on metadramatic elements and the intertextual relationship with Shakespeare’s "Hamlet" and Beckett’s "Waiting for Godot," the research explores how the protagonists struggle to find meaning and identity within a world where established orders have collapsed and existence is perceived as an illusion.
- Analysis of the play’s post-modern perspective and fragmented world view.
- Examination of metadramatic features, including explicit dialogue about theatre, self-referentiality, and the "play within the play."
- Comparative analysis of the thematic influences from Shakespeare’s "Hamlet."
- Comparative analysis of the thematic influences from Beckett’s "Waiting for Godot."
- Investigation into the protagonists' search for order and their struggle with identity.
Excerpt from the Book
The setting
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead focuses on the situation of these two characters known from their minor roles in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In both plays they appear as two courtiers at Elsinore who, without being able to avoid it, are caught up in the action and eventually get killed without ever finding out why they got involved. Stoppard’s play looks behind the scenes of Hamlet and depicts Ros and Guil (that is how the two friends call each other casually) as questioning the ongoing action. They are the stage characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who are inescapably imprisoned in their roles both trying to understand what is going on and taking their existence on stage for reality.
The entire text is strictly limited to the way Ros & Guil perceive the Hamlet plot. Their speculation about the purpose of their existence begins when Claudius commands them to court. It continues when they try to find out what is going on with Hamlet who obviously is bad-tempered. Finally they are chosen to bring Hamlet away from Elsinore to England without really knowing why. Only an audience familiar with Shakespeare’s play knows at this point that Ros & Guil have been selected to accompany the courtly agitator on the journey to the place of his execution. Hamlet however finds the letter expressing this request. To save his life he exchanges his name with those of Ros & Guil and leaves behind the two honest subjects from Elsinore who are doomed now.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides a historical overview of the play's development and outlines the analytical focus on post-modernism and metadramatic self-control.
The play: Discusses the setting, the protagonists' struggle for orientation in a chaotic environment, and the stylistic use of time and space jumps.
Post-modernism in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead: Defines the post-modern context of the work and examines how the characters attempt to find order through games and role-play in a pluralistic world.
Metadrama in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead: Analyzes the play's metadramatic structure, focusing on the concepts of self-reflection, the "play within the play," and the moral status of art.
Conclusion: Summarizes how the play serves as a recombination of literary fragments and philosophical ideas to reflect the absurd condition of humans in a post-modern world.
Keywords
Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Hamlet, Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot, Post-modernism, Metadrama, Pluralism, Intertextuality, Self-reflection, Existentialism, Identity, Theatricality, Order, Absurdity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work analyzes Tom Stoppard’s "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead," specifically looking at how the play reflects the post-modern condition of mankind through the experiences of the two titular courtiers.
What are the central themes discussed in the paper?
The central themes include the loss of order and reliable values, the search for identity, the nature of existence, and the role of art as a potential, yet elusive, source of meaning.
What is the main research objective?
The primary objective is to analyze the play from a post-modern perspective, with a specific focus on the metadramatic features that highlight the characters' lack of influence and understanding regarding their own fate.
Which academic methods are employed?
The analysis utilizes a literary and structuralist framework, examining intertextuality, metadramatic theory (citing scholars like Blüggel and Abel), and thematic comparisons with the works of Shakespeare and Beckett.
What content is covered in the main body?
The main body covers the plot and setting of the play, a detailed definition and application of post-modernism, an exploration of metadramatic elements, and the comparative relationships between Stoppard’s work and its primary influences, "Hamlet" and "Waiting for Godot."
Which keywords best characterize the paper?
The paper is characterized by terms such as post-modernism, metadrama, intertextuality, self-reflection, existentialism, and the specific literary analysis of Tom Stoppard’s drama.
How does the author interpret the role of "Hamlet" in this play?
The author argues that "Hamlet" serves as a "meta-sphere" or a "metaphysical order" for the protagonists, representing an incomprehensible, predetermined plot that dictates the lives of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
In what way does the "play within the play" function in Stoppard’s work?
The "play within the play" acts as a device to introduce new perspectives on the characters' reality, highlighting their inability to understand their own existence and their role as "puppets" within a larger, scripted tragedy.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Karl Mattern (Autor:in), 2006, Analysis of 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead', München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/60770
