First performed in 1603, Hamlet is probably the best known of William Shakespeare's works, and may well be the most famous English language play ever written. But while Hamlet has been the subject of critical analysis since Elizabethan times, the 1960's saw Tom Stoppard bring Hamlet back to life with "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead". Using Shakespeare's work as his own starting point, he makes the two minor characters from the title who were off-stage, become on-stage.

"All the world's a stage..." William Shakespeare.

The transformation between these two texts is fascinating, as the past 350 years has had an incredible effect upon the English language and the ever transforming contexts of the times.

So, let's make a stereotypical conclusion about the Elizabethans. They lived life in a hierarchical system, dominated by monarchs, priests to the wealthier citizens, right down to animals, plants and the basic elements. This is shown through Hamlet, as many of the protagonists are monarchs or high ranking members of their country's nobility. Act 2, scene 1 of Hamlet, we see Reynaldo, a servant to Polonius, demonstrating this hierarchical system through his conversation.

And here give up ourselves in the full bent

King: Thanks, Rosencrantz and gentle Guildenstern.

In "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern" we can also witness several dramatic functions

The plot of "R & G" comes from the conclusion of Hamlet, as the Prince, Laertes, Claudius and Gertrude all lie dead, an ambassador from England arrives on the scene with the blunt report that " Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead" (V, ii, l.371). The inclusion of this news seems like a pointless "overkill" by Shakespeare, for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are relatively minor characters and we have already been led to this conclusion from Hamlet's report to Horatio that his old friends had been sent to their death after the Prince's ruse. The phrase itself would serve as the title of Tom Stoppard's composition. In the modern piece, the two characters are resurrected as innocents confronting death in a situation that they do no begin to understand. While Hamlet had the ability to draw conclusions through the power of language, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern did not. Rather than making answers, they asked questions through strange and quite often unintelligible and meaningless speech. Like in Hamlet, Stoppard has continued on (and definitely extended) the closeness between the protagonists. Both characters weave in and out of one anothers speech, as though they are "two sides of one coin".

Polonius: Give first admittance to th'ambassadors.

To lay our service freely at your feet,

Language used in

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1029
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)