Summary and Analysis: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

Author: Tom Stoppard

Setting:  The play jumps around from an unknown forest (no-man’s land), Elsanor, in the stage in the Player’s trailer, and on a boat at sea.

Plot: Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead opens with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in an unknown forest flipping a coin. They unmistakingly get heads every time. This is the first sight of the games/gambling motif present in the play. When they stop the game, they wonder how they got to where they were. Unable to recall any memories, they can only come up with the conclusion that they were sent for by a messenger. As they venture through the forest (no-man’s land) Rosencrantz and Guildenstern encounter a group of actors called the Tragedians, led by the Player.

All of a sudden, Ros and Guil are in Elsanor with Hamlet and Ophelia. Claudius mistakes the two men for one another as he explains he sent for them to try and figure out what is going on with Hamlet. In preparation for their talk with Hamlet, they play word games. One of them then pretended to be Hamlet while the other questioned him. They are unable to find insight as to why Hamlet has gone insane. They talk to Claudius and explain they have no clue as to why Hamlet went crazy. They continue to think about Hamlet, which leads them to pondering the idea of death. Ros and Guil are then invited to a play performed by the Tragedians. This play is the same one from Hamlet that shadows the affair between Claudius and Gertrude. During the play, they see characters that represent themselves die. These deaths foreshadow their death later in the play.

In the next scene, Claudius tells Ros and Guil they will be accompanying Hamlet to England. On the boat ride to England Rosencrantz and Guildenstern try to figure out where they are going and how everything has happened. As they talk about the future, the letter from Claudius to the king of England is opened. They read it and discover it says for the King of England to kill Hamlet. They decide that they have to deliver the letter. Hamlet, who overheard them reading the letter earlier, changes the letter with a different one. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern wake up to find that the letter instructs the King of England to instead execute the two of them instead. Horrified, the characters try to figure out how life has come to this before the scene ends. Horatio ends the play with the speech he gives at the end of Hamlet.

Significant Characters:

Rosencrantz: Childhood friend of Hamlet who was called to Esalnor to get details on Hamlet’s transformation. Right-hand man to Guildenstern.

Guildenstern: Childhood friend of Hamlet who was called to Esalnor to get details on Hamlet’s transformation. Right-hand man to Rosencrantz.

Player: Leader of the Tragedians. He presents a mysterious, god-like presence throughout the play with his accurate predictions of what is going to happen.

Alfred: One of the tragedians. A depressed man who is used in examples in all of the plays put on for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

Hamlet: Prince of Denmark who went crazy after his father’s death and mother’s marriage to his uncle. He is the reason Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were called to Elsanor.

Claudius: King of Denmark- the man who called for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

Narrator: Since this is a play, there is no narrator.

Quotes:

“Life is a gamble, at terrible odds- if it was a bet you wouldn’t take it.” –Player

-This quote encompasses the idea that the Player had some sort of control over the fate of Ros and Guil. It also showcases the motif of gambling and emphasizes one of the themes present in the book.

“Words, words. They’re all we have to go on.”

-This quote shows how Ros and Guil had no idea as to what was going on in their lives. They had no ability to change anything or remember anything.

Symbols/Motifs:

Death- Death is a common motif throughout the play. This motif symbolizes that fate is inevitable.

Falling/Stumbling/Clumsiness- Throughout the play Ros and Guil stumble, fall, trip, etc. very often. This goes along with the existentialism idea that people go through life this way.

Confusion/Loss of Memory- Ros and Guil are confused and don’t remember anything for the majority of the play. This goes along with an existentialism idea. It also shows their uncertainty and inability to control their own lives.

Games/Gambling- Games are a motif throughout the play. They show the chance in life. They also shadow how Ros and Guil have no control over their lives.

Theme: Life is random and predetermined.

Response to Course Materials #7

FINALLY everything that has to do with Hamlet is done. I really shouldn't be this excited about it...but I am. I am so happy that we are finally on to novels. So far, Ceremony seems like a pretty good book. Somewhat confusing, but still interesting. And on the plus side, it makes more sense the R & G! 

We have been doing more multiple choice and writing. Both of these things, tedious and difficult, are necessary. I can't believe the AP test is approaching so soon. I feel like I need to improve drastically on the multiple choice and my open/closed prompts could use some work. I need to better understand the formula for writing AP Lit papers. Reading examples from past AP's really helped me see what I should be doing. The AP test also means I have to refresh my memory on not only all of the terms but all of the critics, comedy terms, writing periods, etc. from the beginning of this year. 

As the class has progressed, I have noticed things becoming more second nature. Didls examples just jump off the page and not analyzing every single word just seems asinine. Even poems and even Shakespeare are becoming somewhat more comfortable. This is definitely a good and exciting sign. 

Revision: Open Prompt #4

2001. One definition of madness is "mental delusion or the eccentric behavior arising from it." But Emily Dickinson wrote

    Much madness is divinest Sense-To a discerning Eye-Novelists and playwrights have often seen madness with a "discerning Eye." Select a novel or play in which a character's apparent madness or irrational behavior plays an important role. Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain what this delusion or eccentric behavior consists of and how it might be judged reasonable. Explain the significance of the "madness" to the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

            WHAT IS WRONG WITH WHILLY LOMAN? He talks to himself, undoubtedly has anger management, and couldn’t see the truth if it slapped him in the face. But why? What was Arthur Miller doing when he created this mindless, irrational character? The answer is simple; Willy’s madness is not madness. It is a tool used by Miller to emphasize aspects of the work. Through setting, imagery, and characterization Miller shows that betrayal can lead to devastation and downfall.

      Willy’s problems are the result from the society he is surrounded by. The setting of the book, The East Coast in the early 20^th century, places Willy in a time where happiness and power came from wealth. His madness was born to represent what happens to the everyday hero when they are placed in a world such as ours. Willy exemplifies Northup Frye’s version of a tragic hero, someone who falls because of society. Willy started out a “normal” man. He had a good family, a good job, a good life. But, people betrayed Willy over the years. His brother left, his company was taken over by his boss’s son, and he believed he was betrayed by Biff. He was stuck, surrounded by wealthy, successful individuals like his neighbor Charley, while being betrayed by people he felt closest to. He coped with this betrayed by transforming into this somewhat psychotic being.

Willy’s flashbacks, constant rambling, and hallucinations stand as enormous parts of the play. Miller uses his sporadic flashbacks to show the reader the truth of the past. The imagery wrapped up in these flashbacks give the reader a clue as to what is really wrong with Willy Loman. His hallucinations of his brother represent an important element of Willy’s childhood. We see how he feels betrayed by big brother Ben and his father. The flashbacks to Happy and Biff’s childhood let us see why and how he feels betrayed by them too. Without the imagery found in the play, we wouldn’t have a sense as to why Willy feels betrayed and therefore we wouldn’t understand his downfall and devastation.

         Miller used Willy’s madness to expose the dysfunction in the Loman household. His character is the key to the reader that there is something wrong in their broken down house. With Linda characterized as a mother figure to Willy, we see deeper into his devastation and downfall as a man. The personality of Biff and his inability to please his father is one of the key aspects of betrayal. This idea is a huge piece in Willy’s downfall. The characters in the book and their betrayal of one another are what drive the message of the play. 

         In Death of A Salesman, Miller uses characterization, imagery, and setting to show that betrayal can lead to devastation and downfall. Through the story of the Lomans, a middle-class American family, the reader sees the downfall of a common man.  

Course Materials #6

       Now that Hamlet is FINALLY over, we can focus on other things...like multiple choice! As much as I despise the tedious questions that remind me way too much of the reading section on the ACT, I know I need to work hard on them. I mean, that is what will be on the AP exam, right? I find that the vocabulary words are slowly making their way into my memory bank to be used to answer some of the multiple choice questions. This is huge progress in my mind. The poems are still a little rough, but I guess with more practice they will get easier. 
      Meanwhile, the blog posts are becoming better. I like revising our old posts compared to first semester's assignments. This helps me go back and look at my own work and see where I can improve.
      The new openers are fun, challenging, and I feel like they help a lot. We are able to review didls at the same time. It is pretty obvious knowing didls well is impartitive to do well on the AP exam. Now that spring is approaching, I feel like the main focus is the exam. 
      I am excited we are starting a new play but the fact that we haven't completely escpaed Hamlet is a little humorous. 

Open Promt #3 Revision

2005, Form B. One of the strongest human drives seems to be a desire for power. Write an essay in which you discuss how a character in a novel or a drama struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your essay how the author uses this power struggle to enhance the meaning of the work.

        

When the Hunger Games trilogy by Susanne Collins hit the best-seller list, the main attraction was the love battle between the teen heart-throbs Gale and Pita. Once the reader unwraps the text, he or she discovers that the books represent much more then just a petty love story. They are peeling back and exposing issues in government and society. The whole book is based on a future society where “The Capital” holds the power to control every aspect of the “districts” and Katniss Everdeen is attempting to destroy the powerful, evil, controlling machine.

When her beloved little sister is chosen to take part in the annual Hunger Games-- a Capital controlled activity in which 24 children are thrown into a harsh environment and forced to kill each other until there is just one survivor-- rebellious Katniss Everdeen shockingly volunteers to take her innocent sister’s place. As the story rolls on and Katniss moves closer and closer towards the heart of the corrupt government, she wants nothing more then to strip away it’s power. Katniss becomes a symbol of rebellion and freedom: a light that shines over all of the Capital controlled districts.

         The whole book revolves around the idea of corrupt power. The Capital has sole control over all of its districts. It controls what they do, eat, wear, and survive. Susanne Collins uses this idea to propel the story and piece together the story. The reader inevitably hates the Capital and everything they stand for. We give all of our love to Katniss. She holds the future of the Districts as they place their power into her hands. Power is a motif that represents not only aspects of the plot but individual characters as well.

By using Katniss Everdeen, Susanne Collins seamlessly intertwines a magnetic love story with a power struggle. The book revolves around a heart wrenching confrontation: The Capital vs. Katniss Everdeen and the rest of the districts. In the end, it is all about power: who has the power to win, to love, to fight, and to conquer. 

Summary/ Analysis of Hamlet

Author: William Shakespeare

Setting: Elsanor- royal compound in Denmark

Plot: The story begins with Horatio and a few castle guards seeing the ghost of Old Hamlet, the late King of Denmark. King Claudius has just killed his brother, Old Hamlet, and married Old Hamlet’s wife, Gertrude. Horatio tells Hamlet who he has seen which leads to Hamlet seeking out his father’s ghost in the middle of the night and speaking to him. His father’s ghost tells him about how he was murdered by Claudius and instructs him to get revenge. This sets off Hamlet’s madness and makes him obsessed with killing Claudius. Hamlet decides he needs to “fake” going crazy and makes Horatio sware to tell no one of his plan. Meanwhile. Opehlia, Hamlet’s old lover, is stuck between Hamlet who is going crazy and her father who recently finds out about her romance with Hamlet. As her brother Laertes goes back to school in France, Polonius tells the Queen and King all about the romance by reading Ophelia’s letters to Hamlet out loud to the court. The King and Queen have also asked Hamlet’s childhood friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet. At this point, the characters are suspicious of Hamlet’s madness.

         Hamlet decides to put on a play that represents his father’s murder and the marriage of his Uncle and mother. While the play is going on, Claudius gets very upset and leaves making it certain to Hamlet that he did in fact kill his father. He is then told that Gertrude wishes to speak to him. On his way to his mother’s bedchambers, he sees Claudius in a vulnerable spot; somewhere Hamlet could easily murder him. Once he sees Claudius is praying he knows he can’t kill him since that would send Claudius to heaven. During his talk with his mother, he sees something moving behind the curtain and believes it is Claudius spying. Thus, he stabs whatever is behind the curtain. It turns out, it was Polonius. Later on in his conversation with his mother, his father’s Ghost appears. Gertrude cannot see the ghost, which shows Hamlet’s madness.       

Claudius desperately wants to get rid of Hamlet since everyone in Denmark loves him. He sends him to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern attempting to get Hamlet killed.  Back in Elsanor, Laertes returns and Ophelia kills herself after going mad. A very upset Laertes plans to seek revenge on Hamlet, who has returned unharmed from England without Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and conspires with Claudius.

The play ends in a battle. Before the battle, Hamlet apologizes to Laetres. Claudius has made a poisoned glass of wine that he plans on serving to Hamlet if he is not killed by Laertes poisoned sword. But, the Queen drinks the poisoned wine and dies. Hamlet is cut by Laertes poisoned sword and Laertes is cut by it too. Before dying, Laertes confesses the plan to Hamlet. Hamlet then kills the king too. Knowing everyone is dying, Horatio wants to kill himself but Hamlet doesn’t allow it. Hamlet’s final request is for Fortinbras, prince of Norway, to take over the throne.

Characters:

Hamlet – Prince of Denmark, son of Gertrude and Old Hamlet. He goes crazy trying to seek revenge for his late father on Claudius. He is obsessed with the idea of seeking revenge by killing Claudius but he fails to take action throughout the whole play.

Claudius- King of Elsinore, Hamlet’s uncle/step dad and Old Hamlet’s brother. He is dedicated to keeping his position as King, his new wife (Gertrude), and getting rid of Hamlet. He killed his brother, Old Hamlet, in order to get the title of King.

Gertrude- Hamlet’s mother and Queen of Denmark. She was married to Old Hamlet and then married Claudius after Old Hamlet was killed. She loves her son but is a very wishy-washy, confusing character. She wants Hamlet to stay in Elsanor and not return to Wittenberg but she is also committed to her new husband.

Polonius- King Claudius’s chief counselor and father of Laertes and Ophelia. He is on Claudius’s “side.” He is very against Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship and is big on giving advice to his children. He is killed while spying on Gertrude and Hamlet by Hamlet who confused him as Claudius. 

Ophelia- Hamlet’s old lover and lady-in waiting for Gertrude. When Hamlet goes crazy she is stuck between him and her father. Her father forces her to turn on Hamlet. When her father dies, Ophelia goes crazy. Some readers believe she was pregnant. She drowns herself after her father’s death.

Laetres- Ophelia’s brother and Polonius’s son. His father dies while he is away at school in France. He conspires with Claudius to kill Hamlet and ends up being the one to do so in a duel.

Horatio- Hamlet’s friend and “moral compass.” He is one of the few “good” characters in the play.

Fortinbras- prince of Norway, aggressive, action-taking foil to Hamlet

Narrative Tone/Style:

         Since it is a play, the story does not have a narrarator. We hear about what is going on through each individual character, allowing the reader to make an unbiased interpretation of the play. We are able to see each character’s motives and learn how they are actually feeling. The play is enhanced by numerous soliloquies and asides (mainly by Hamlet.) We see his internal battles unravel throughout the play by his multiple lengthy monologues. The tone throughout the story varies. There is always an underlying tone of mischief, revenge, confusion, and anger. Shakespeare gets many points across by using various sets of foils.

Theme: One cannot successfully complete a task without taking action.

Quotes:

1. My mother. Father and mother is man and wife, Man and wife is one flesh, {and} so, my mother. – Hamlet (Act 4. Scene 4)

-Hamlet is explaining how incestuous and wrong Claudius marrying Gertrude is. He is extremely against it especially since he thought so highly of his dad and believed his mother and father had a great relationship.

2. I will speak {daggers} to her, but use none. My tongue and soul in this be hypocrites. –Hamlet (Act 3. Scene 2)

-Hamet says this right before going to speak with his mother. He is very angry with her but knows he would never hurt her. Hamlet loves his mother but is upset and disappointed in her choice of Claudius.

3. Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet. I pray thee, stay with us. Go not to Wittenburg.- Gertrude (Act 1. Scene 2)

-At the beginning of the play we see how much Gertrude loves Hamlet. She is a very confusing character but we do know she loves her son.

  

Response to Course Materials #5

Hamlet: will you ever end? This has been one VERY LONG play. Maybe it is my complete lack of understanding of Shakespeare or my 100% annoyance of every character and scene in the never-ending story, but my brain can’t handle anymore. It is frustrating because I feel like no matter how much we talk about it, how many movie clips, and how many of my highlighters loose ink annotating I can’t seem to wrap my head around the logic in the story. I will say, I like the second movie better than the first but that probably has something to do with its modern movie sets.

Now, that Hamlet is yet so close to being done, I have to think about finals. Who knew the terms test could ever haunt me more then it did the first time. I am truly frightened for my grade. I am not quite sure how to study for the final since my studying for the terms test didn’t do me much good.

I do enjoy the new openers. Writing about the tone gets me ready for an hour of lit compared to just jumping into it 1^st hour. I think perfecting tone is very important and very hard. Also, the daily writings allow Ms.Holmes to share some of her writing tips and review different didls strategies.