Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead

A comedy about a ridiculous couple futilely striving to grasp the meaning of existence

In Shakespeare's play «Hamlet,» there are two characters who can be considered not even secondary but tertiary: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. After reading the play, not everyone remembers them. They appear and disappear on the stage together, uttering a few insignificant lines to Hamlet or Gertrude, thinking that they do not have much impact on the events unfolding and failing to notice that others are manipulating them as they wish. Then they board a ship to England and never return. In the final scene, a casual remark is made, stating that they are dead, and that is essentially it.

Stoppard, on the other hand, looks at «Hamlet» through the eyes of these two unfortunate souls. He ingeniously transforms the tragedy into a farce, dedicated to the wanderings of these two bewildered individuals through Elsinore in search of meaning and answers.

Before watching, it is advisable to refresh your memory and reread the original «Hamlet», it will make the comedy funnier and more comprehensible.