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    • What did Rosencrantz and Guildenstern hear in the morning?

    <p>The sounds of the Tragedians’ music.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who reveals that their play angered Claudius?

    <p>The Player.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Rosencrantz and Guildenstern find themselves in complete control of their fate.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern at the end of the play?

    <p>They are executed as per Claudius's orders.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Guildenstern despairs over the __________ of their situation.

    <p>pointlessness</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What object does Guildenstern grab from the Player?

    <p>A knife.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern feel towards Hamlet's murder of Polonius?

    <p>They do not judge Hamlet for the murder.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The Player believes that all deaths witnessed on stage are real.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Rosencrantz and Guildenstern vanish from the stage as they wonder about __________.

    <p>their fate</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does Rosencrantz say while watching the morning dawn?

    <p>Things could have turned out worse than they have.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern hear nearby?

    <p>The Tragedians</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The Player reveals that they had to escape from Claudius in costumes.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens after the Player and his group emerge?

    <p>Hamlet walks down and spits in their direction.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are able to remember all of their actions throughout the play.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern discover about the letter they open?

    <p>It has been substituted for a letter ordering their deaths.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does Guildenstern do to the Player?

    <p>He grabs a knife from the Player and stabs him.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The Player’s death is real and has serious consequences.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern realize as the play ends?

    <p>They wonder how they were caught up in their terrible situation and question if they went wrong somewhere.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the English ambassador announce?

    <p>Claudius has ordered the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are depicted as ___ by the end of the play.

    <p>sympathetic</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the Player signify about the nature of death during the performance?

    <p>Only stage deaths are believed to be real.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern react to their involvement in Hamlet's situation?

    <p>They blindly obey Claudius's requests.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What underlying theme does the Player's comment about real deaths highlight?

    <p>The blurred line between reality and performance.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Guildenstern's emotional response towards the end of the play?

    <p>He is confused about his identity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What action does Hamlet take as he encounters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

    <p>He spits in their direction.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern hear that prompts their search?

    <p>A faint music originating from the Tragedians.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's actions throughout the play influence readers' perceptions of them?

    <p>Their flaws evoke sympathy and relatability.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is significant about Rosencrantz's final realization before he vanishes?

    <p>He acknowledges their powerlessness over fate.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the Player reveal about their escape?

    <p>They hid inside the barrels to avoid detection.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does Guildenstern react to the news of Hamlet's disappearance?

    <p>He shows anger towards Rosencrantz.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern fail to do that contributes to their tragic fate?

    <p>They do not destroy Claudius's letter.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What underlying theme is suggested by Guildenstern's outburst about their situation?

    <p>The inevitability of fate.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What creates ambiguity around the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

    <p>The Player's commentary about witnessed deaths.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement best describes the portrayals of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Act I compared to later acts?

    <p>They gain depth and sympathy as the story progresses.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the letter that Guildenstern opens signify for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

    <p>A death sentence.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which characteristic of the Tragedians is highlighted when they surround Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

    <p>Their intimidating presence.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What event triggers Rosencrantz's final breakdown?

    <p>Receiving no response to his pleas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does Rosencrantz suggest they need to do after Guildenstern's emotional outburst?

    <p>Carry on with their mission.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the Player express about death during their encounter?

    <p>It is a natural part of life.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the ending scene with only two barrels suggest?

    <p>The finality of their situation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

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    Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's Transformation

    • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern initially appear as comedic characters, lacking focus and coherence.
    • Their character development shifts in Act II, where their desire to help Hamlet clashes with their obedient nature, resulting in following Claudius's order to capture Hamlet.
    • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's inability to make sense of the situation leads to their failure to destroy the letter ordering Hamlet's execution, ultimately contributing to Hamlet's tragic fate.

    The Everyman Role

    • The characters' struggle to understand their circumstances, especially in the final act, portrays a sense of pathos.
    • Rosencrantz's plea for mercy, and Guildenstern's lament over their inexplicable fate, evokes sympathy.
    • Their character arcs emphasize the "everyman" archetype, making their situations relatable to the audience.

    The Ambiguity of Death

    • The play leaves the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern open to interpretation, forcing the audience to consider their fate.
    • Stoppard cleverly uses the Player's perspective to challenge conventional notions of death, highlighting the theatrical nature of death and emphasizing the audience's belief in what they see.
    • The play's title, the English ambassador's statement, and the new letter, which orders their execution, heavily imply their death, highlighting the ambiguity of their fate.
    • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's final statements, hinting at a chance at redemption, further complicate their fate.

    The Play's Finale

    • The ambiguous ending leaves the definitive fate of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to the audience's interpretation.
    • The final scene with Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, and Laertes reinforces the ambiguity of the play's ending.
    • The English ambassador's announcement reinforces the notion of their death, while Horatio's account of the tragedy and the music fading out emphasize the play's theatrical nature.

    Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s Character Development

    • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern begin the play as foolish and insignificant characters, lacking focus and unable to form coherent thoughts or conclusions.
    • In Act II, they are presented as genuinely wanting to help Hamlet but are unwittingly manipulated by Claudius to capture him after the murder of Polonius.
    • They fail to comfort Hamlet after Polonius's death.
    • In Act III, they have an opportunity to save Hamlet’s life but fail to act due to their inability to grasp the situation and the complexities of the world around them.

    Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Death

    • The ambiguity and uncertainty surrounding the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern leave the audience to interpret and visualize their demise.
    • The Player claims that people only believe in deaths that are witnessed on stage, implying that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's deaths will not be believed because they are not seen on stage.
    • The play's title and the English ambassador’s statement strongly suggest that the men have died, while the characters themselves struggle to accept their fate.
    • Their final words before leaving the stage hint at a belief in a second chance, but this could be interpreted as a reflection of their chronic misunderstanding of events.
    • Ultimately, the play leaves it to the audience to decide whether or not the characters truly died offstage.

    Significance of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s Role

    • As their characters develop, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern become more relatable and sympathetic. Their plight resonates with readers, prompting a sense of identification with the men's situation and the absurdity of life.
    • Their inability to understand and influence their own destinies highlights the overarching themes of existentialism and the human condition. They become “everyman” figures representing the helplessness of individuals in the face of fate.

    Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's Journey

    • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's character development goes from comical to sympathetic
    • Their inability to focus in Act I distances them from the audience
    • They are portrayed as comedic figures, lacking depth
    • In Act II, they are portrayed as trying to help Hamlet, but also obediently follow Claudius' orders
    • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern fail to comfort Hamlet and do not honor Polonius' death by attempting to understand the cause
    • In Act III, they fail to destroy the letter that calls for Hamlet's death, highlighting their lack of understanding over malicious intent
    • The events of the final act portray Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as pathetic, eliciting reader sympathy
    • Rosencrantz begs to be spared and ultimately gives up, while Guildenstern laments their fate as innocent men.
    • Their "Everyman" status grows as audiences recognize elements of themselves in their predicament
    • Stoppard forces readers to interpret the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as he does not visually portray the event, causing readers to imagine their deaths.
    • The Player suggests people only believe in deaths witnessed onstage, implying that due to the lack of visual confirmation, people will not believe in the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
    • The play's title confirms the men's death, echoing the English ambassador's assertion at the end of Act III.
    • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern seem to question their deaths, wavering between believing the letter's decree and thinking they will survive.
    • The new letter states the execution of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern upon reaching England, strongly suggesting their deaths.
    • The Player emphasizes in Act II that characters written to die, must die without exception.
    • While readers must decide for themselves the offstage fate of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the evidence heavily suggests their deaths.

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