Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead

“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead”- Tom Stoppard

In the play “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead”, the writer Tom Stoppard reveals to the reader the importance of “play” in his play and how it helps develop the plot and the characters of his literary work. Stoppard uses witty language, and satirical humour to help highlight the importance of numerous types play to the reader.
Stoppard uses play as a main theme throughout his play as commentary on how play has many different interpretations, thus he uses his play as an impetus to explore this theme and allow the reader and the audience to gain a better understanding. One of the most prominent forms of play that is evident in the exposition of the play is how Stoppard plays around
The player is able to do this by playing around with the minds of both the protagonists, firstly through his sexual innuendos as explored above and through the fact that he helps Rosencrantz and Guildenstern realise that they are actors on stage and that they are performers to an audience. Stoppard is able to use the Player as a foil to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who begin to question the Player asking him “…aren’t you going to change into your costume?”, “I never change out of it, sir” and “aren’t you going to – come on?”, “I am on.” Here we see the irony Stoppard is trying to convey as both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern did not walk onto stage appear to put on a costume in order to come on and act. Here Stoppard explores the theme of “seeming and being” as he shows how throughout the play the two protagonists interchangeably play around with their characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in “Hamlet” and in Stoppard’s play. This leaves us the reader to question whether Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are acting or whether they are being themselves, leaving us intrigued as we ponder this peculiar