Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Essay

In the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern experience both the negative and positive aspects of living in isolation. While Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s exile brought them closer to one another, it disengaged them from everyone around them and ultimately lead to their death. Due to the fact that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s earliest memory is of the messenger, the only real concept they can count on is each other. Always being together has created a codependent relationship between them; what one does, the other does too. It is a positive experience because in tough moments, they always have each other. For example, when Rosencrantz was nervous about going to Denmark and the letter, Guildenstern walked him through the process. When Rosencrantz cried, he had Guildenstern right by his side, comforting him. All they truly needed was one another. As close as they are, their tight knit
Their lack of awareness is what got them killed. Because they did not pay attention to the fact that Hamlet was listening in to their conversation on the boat, Hamlet was able to switch the letter. Because they did not see what Hamlet was doing and connect the dots, they lost the opportunity to save themselves. Guildenstern himself mentions that his ignorance is problematic in his current situation and that it has lead him to confusion which is ultimately why he and Rosencrantz are always last to know what is happening in their environments. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as we see them in the play, seem to have been born into isolation. The reader never learns why or how both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern became isolated but because of that, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern don't know anything about themselves and therefore have no other option besides to believe what everyone is telling