This work will focus on the structural feature of the play within the play in "Hamlet" and "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead", to unveil similarities and differences of its occurrence. The first chapter will focus on the history of this feature and furthermore on ideals and inspirations for Stoppard’s play. The second chapter tries to define features of the play within the play.
The third and main chapter works out the appearances and differences of this feature in both plays. It will analyse in how far both plays inherit the different types of the category play in the play. Furthermore, this chapter will focus on stylistic means connected with the category like the ambiguous use of words or different layers of reality.
"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" is Tom Stoppard’s best known and most performed stage play. Its debut performance was a production by the National Theatre at the Old Vic in 1967. Despite its popularity, critics controversially discussed its artistic achievements. Robert Gordon pointed out that he does not value the play as commentary on Shakespeare’s "Hamlet", derived from an expert reading the text. For the vast majority, "Hamlet" serves as archetypal tragedy dealing with the dilemma of a sensitive individual confronted by a corrupt society and power politics. Nevertheless, only few people value the structural details of the play.
Table of Contents
1. Predecessors and ideas
2. Definition of the play within the play
3. The play within the play: Realisations and differences in Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
3.1 The play within the play in Hamlet
3.2 The play within the play in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
3.3 Interlacing of play-layers
3.4 Use of ambiguous words
Research Objectives and Topics
This work aims to analyze the structural feature of the "play within the play" in Shakespeare's Hamlet and Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, identifying key similarities and differences in how this metadramatic device is utilized to blur the boundaries between fiction and reality.
- Historical context and evolution of the "play within the play" as a theatrical device.
- Definitions and categories of metadramatic structures in literature.
- Comparison of the function of nested plays and pantomimes in defining character fate.
- The role of language games and ambiguous terminology in deconstructing traditional theater.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 The play within the play in Hamlet
Before the players enact The Murder of Gonzago (Act 3), they start with a pantomime, which incorporates some features of a play within the play: a plot, players and time-frame of its own as well as a restricted space. By leaving out details the situation becomes universally valid to support involvement of the audience. Once more it becomes apparent that the dumb-play is part of fiction, by transferring this observation to the whole play, borders of fiction are again perforated. The pantomime tells the story of a man who murders a king while he is sleeping, and his loving wife, initially inconsolable over the king's death, marries the usurper, who has crowned himself king. Thus the dumb-show interprets and sums up a plot, which is at that moment, part of Hamlet’s Mousetrap.
Chapter Summary
1. Predecessors and ideas: Discusses the historical development of the play within the play and how Beckett’s Waiting for Godot influenced Stoppard’s approach to absurdism and narrative.
2. Definition of the play within the play: Provides a theoretical framework for metadramatic devices, distinguishing between "inset" and "framed" types of narrative structures.
3. The play within the play: Realisations and differences in Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead: Compares the practical dramaturgical implementation of these devices in both plays.
3.1 The play within the play in Hamlet: Analyzes the function of the dumb-show and The Murder of Gonzago as tools for unmasking guilt.
3.2 The play within the play in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead: Examines how the protagonists’ lack of agency and identity crises transform the inner play into a focus on existential themes.
3.3 Interlacing of play-layers: Investigates the structural layers of reality and the role of the audience within the theatrical experience.
3.4 Use of ambiguous words: Explores how specific terminology related to theater serves to constantly remind the audience of the artificial nature of the performance.
Keywords
Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Tom Stoppard, William Shakespeare, Play within the play, Metadrama, Fiction vs Reality, Absurdism, Theatricality, Samuel Beckett, Pantomime, Mousetrap, Structuralism, Deconstruction, Literary comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic work?
The research focuses on the structural and functional analysis of the "play within the play" device in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.
What are the central themes discussed in the text?
The central themes include the relationship between fiction and reality, the deconstruction of traditional theater, identity crises, and the use of metadramatic language.
What is the main objective of the comparative analysis?
The goal is to unveil the similarities and differences in how these two playwrights use nested narratives to challenge the audience's perception of "truth" on stage.
Which scientific methodology is primarily applied?
The work employs a comparative literary analysis, utilizing definitions from theater theorists like Hornby, Wilson, and Voigt to dissect the plays' structures.
What does the main part of the investigation cover?
The core section examines specific scenes—such as the dumb-show in Hamlet and the coin games in Stoppard’s work—to illustrate the interlacing of play-layers and the use of ambiguous word games.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include Metadrama, Play within the play, Stoppard, Shakespeare, Reality, Fiction, and Performance.
How does the role of the audience differ between the two plays?
While Hamlet uses the nested play to directly manipulate characters on stage, Stoppard uses it to break the "fourth wall" and highlight the existential confusion of his protagonists.
How does Stoppard utilize the "Mousetrap" differently than Shakespeare?
Stoppard strips the nested play of its motive of revenge, instead using it to highlight the gap between the protagonists' minor roles in Hamlet and their central, yet futile, struggle for meaning in his own play.
- Quote paper
- Guido Maiwald (Author), 2018, Comparison between Shakespeare’s "Hamlet" and Tom Stoppard’s "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead". The Play within the Play - Comparison of Settings, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1556320
