 Childhood friends of Hamlet  Serve as spies against Hamlet  Are hired by Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, and Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, to find out about Hamlet’s “madness”  They are later assigned to escort Hamlet to England, along with a letter, instructing the King of England to execute Hamlet because he murdered Polonius  In the last scene of Hamlet, when everyone dies, including Claudius and Hamlet, it is announced that “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead.”

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Hamlet:  Two slightly clumsy courtiers, former friends of Hamlet from college, who are summoned by Claudius and Gertrude to discover the cause of Hamlet’s strange behavior.  Being two very oblivious characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern find out absolutely nothing in regards to where Hamlet hid Polonius’ body and why he’s acting strange.  Rosencrantz: I understand you not, my lord. Hamlet: I am glad of it: a knavish speech sleeps in a foolish ear. Rosencrantz: My lord, you must tell us where the body is, and go with us to the king. Hamlet: The body is with the king, but the king is not with the body. The king is a thing — Guildenstern: A thing, my lord? Hamlet: Of nothing.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead:  Both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are meant to be “everyman” figures, more or less average men who represent humanity in general. Nevertheless, both men have specific character traits.

 Rosencrantz is decidedly the more easygoing of the two and always up for a gamble.  Rosencrantz spends a great deal of the play confused by both what is happening around him and Guildenstern’s reactions to their situation, but he rarely engages in the overt despair that is characteristic of Guildenstern.  Rosencrantz is realistic and seeks simple and efficient solutions to the pair’s problems rather than philosophical explanations of them, a trait that leads Guildenstern to believe that his friend is satisfied and unwilling or unable to think seriously and deeply.

 Rosencrantz reveals himself to be more complicated than Guildenstern believes. Despite their continued frustrations and problems, Rosencrantz does not lose sight of Guildenstern’s feelings.  Rosencrantz also tries to help Guildenstern in a more serious and sophisticated way by encouraging him to find personal happiness.  Rosencrantz may not be an actively philosophical man like his friend Guildenstern, but he is nevertheless capable of sensitive thought.

 On the surface, Guildenstern seems to be the polar opposite of his friend Rosencrantz.  Guildenstern is more anxious than Rosencrantz about the strange circumstances in which they find themselves.  Unlike Rosencrantz, Guildenstern wants desperately to understand their situation, and he tries to reason his way through the incidents that plague them.  He grows increasingly frustrated by his inability to make sense of the world around him. Guildenstern’s frustration is heightened by what he sees as Rosencrantz’s cheery indifference, and he lashes out at his friend on several occasions.

 Guildenstern is not simply a blend of rationality and passion. A few gestures within the play show him to be capable of compassion and sympathetic understanding.  Although Guildenstern is certainly angry at Rosencrantz at numerous points, he quickly calms and comforts his friend when the need arises.  Though he often acts as if he would rather be alone than be with Rosencrantz, Guildenstern’s final speech in the play has him alone onstage, turning to look for his friend for support.

 KING 1 Welcome, dear Rosencrantz and Guildenstern! 2 Moreover that we much did long to see you, 3 The need we have to use you did provoke 4 Our hasty sending. Something have you heard 5 Of Hamlet's transformation; so call it, 6 Sith nor the exterior nor the inward man 7 Resembles that it was. What it should be, 8 More than his father's death, that thus hath put him 9 So much from th' understanding of himself, 10 I cannot dream of. I entreat you both, 11 That, being of so young days brought up with him, 12 And sith so neighbor'd to his youth and havior, 13 That you vouchsafe your rest here in our court 14 Some little time, so by your companies 15 To draw him on to pleasures, and to gather, 16 So much as from occasion you may glean, 17 Whether aught, to us unknown, afflicts him thus, 18 That, open'd, lies within our remedy.  QUEEN 19 Good gentlemen, he hath much talk'd of you; 20 And sure I am two men there are not living 21 To whom he more adheres. If it will please you 22 To show us so much gentry and good will 23 As to expend your time with us awhile, 24 For the supply and profit of our hope, 25 Your visitation shall receive such thanks 26 As fits a king's remembrance.  ROSENCRANTZ 26 Both your majesties 27 Might, by the sovereign power you have of us, 28 Put your dread pleasures more into command 29 Than to entreaty.  GUILDENSTERN 29 But we both obey, 30 And here give up ourselves, in the full bent 31 To lay our service freely at your feet, 32 To be commanded.  KING 33 Thanks, Rosencrantz and gentle Guildenstern.  QUEEN 34 Thanks, Guildenstern and gentle Rosencrantz: 35 And I beseech you instantly to visit 36 My too much changed son. Go, some of you, 37 And bring these gentlemen where Hamlet is.  GUILDENSTERN 38 Heavens make our presence and our practises 39 Pleasant and helpful to him!

 Rosencrantz : Do you think Death could possibly be a boat?  Guildenstern : No, no, no... death is not. Death isn't. Take my meaning? Death is the ultimate negative. Not-being. You can't not be on a boat.  Rosencrantz : I've frequently not been on boats.  Guildenstern : No, no... what you've been is not on boats.

 Rosencrantz : Did you ever think of yourself as actually dead, lying in a box with a lid on it? Guildenstern : No. Rosencrantz : Nor do I, really. It's silly to be depressed by it. I mean, one thinks of it like being alive in a box. One keeps forgetting to take into account the fact that one is dead, which should make all the difference, shouldn't it? I mean, you'd never *know* you were in a box, would you? It would be just like you were asleep in a box. Not that I'd like to sleep in a box, mind you. Not without any air. You'd wake up dead for a start, and then where would you be? In a box. That's the bit I don't like, frankly. That's why I don't think of it. Because you'd be helpless, wouldn't you? Stuffed in a box like that. I mean, you'd be in there forever, even taking into account the fact that you're dead. It isn't a pleasant thought. Especially if you're dead, really. Ask yourself, if I asked you straight off, "I'm going to stuff you in this box. Now, would you rather be alive or dead?" naturally, you'd prefer to be alive. Life in a box is better than no life at all, I expect. You'd have a chance, at least. You could lie there thinking, "Well, at least I'm not dead. In a minute somebody is going to bang on the lid, and tell me to come out." [bangs on lid] Rosencrantz : "Hey you! What's your name? Come out of there!" Guildenstern : [long pause] I think I'm going to kill you. Rosencrantz Guildenstern Rosencrantz Guildenstern

 A comedy in which Rosencrantz plots with Guildenstern to get rid of Hamlet, so that Rosencrantz can marry his love interest, Ophelia.

 "CHEAT SHEET ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN." American Lit.,A.P. English,Teachers. Web. 01 Dec  WebsiteTagsEditDeleteTagsDelete  "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990) - IMDb." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 01 Dec  WebsiteTagsEditDeleteTagsDelete  "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Genre." Shmoop: Study Guides & Teacher Resources. Web. 01 Dec  WebsiteTagsEditDeleteTagsDelete  Shakespeare, William, and John Crowther. Hamlet. New York: SparkNotes, Print.