The play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead in its present form is the result of several drafts and older versions of this play, which Tom Stoppard wrote and staged. The first one was Rosencrantz and Guildenstern meet King Lear and was performed by amateur actors at a Ford Foundation cultural picnic in Berlin, in 1964. In this form the play was a one-act comedy in verse.1 In the following years the title changed and Stoppard rewrote the play into prose. At the Edinburgh Festival in 1966 the play had its break through and soon later its script was bought and produced by the National Theatre at the Old Vic. According to the Sunday Times it was “the most important event in the British professional theatre of the last nine years.”2 The reason for the enthusiastic reactions towards the play is the fact that it illustrates the confusion of mankind in the post-modern world. Today’s pluralism leaves the individual all to himself. The unity, which used to be created by religion, class or moral values, has been split up in favour of countless parallel existing societies with their own moral ideals and goals. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is a comical depiction of two friends looking for an orientation in a world, which to them has lost its orders and values. By using Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who are the two courtiers from Elsinore, from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Stoppard shows an unknown perspective of Hamlet. It is the one of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Without knowing the entire plot they experience the action from their point of view and constantly try to find explanations of their roles and future in the play. The lack of orientation and the absence of reliable values in this strange world remind the audience of the contemporary pluralistic society and its problems. Even though the matter is serious Stoppard manages to establish a comical atmosphere, which includes a certain self-critique as selfcontrol to prevent Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead from becoming in any way idealistic or instructive. To show this I will analyse the play from a post-modern perspective and thereby focus on the metadramatic features, which make up for the self-control of the play. At first I will describe the plot and setting of the play. Secondly I will define postmodernism and metadrama for an analysis of the play. In the context of metadrama some textual allusions to Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Beckett’s Waiting for Godot will be described.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- The Play
- The Setting
- Post-modernism in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
- Metadrama in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The objective of this paper is to analyze Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead through a post-modern lens, focusing on its metadramatic elements. The paper examines how the play reflects the confusion and lack of orientation in a post-modern world, highlighting the play's comedic approach to a serious subject.
- Post-modernism and its influence on the play's structure and themes.
- Metadramatic elements and their role in the play's self-awareness and critique.
- The characters' struggle for meaning and understanding in a chaotic world.
- The use of humor and irony to address serious themes.
- Allusions to Shakespeare's Hamlet and Beckett's Waiting for Godot.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
Introduction: This introductory chapter provides background information on the play's development, from its early version, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Meet King Lear, to its successful production at the National Theatre. It highlights the play's relevance to the post-modern condition, portraying the confusion of individuals in a world lacking unified values. The introduction sets the stage for an analysis of the play through a post-modern and metadramatic lens, outlining the structure of the paper.
The Play: This chapter delves into the setting and plot of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. It establishes the characters' predicament: two minor characters from Shakespeare's Hamlet thrust into a world they don't fully comprehend. The chapter introduces the crucial distinction between "on-stage" and "off-stage" sections. "On-stage" sections directly integrate scenes from Hamlet, showcasing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's participation in the larger drama. "Off-stage" sections, however, offer new material, revealing the characters' internal struggles and attempts to understand their roles. This contrast underscores the play's metadramatic nature and its exploration of the uncertainty and absurdity of existence.
The Setting: This section further elaborates on the play's setting and the characters' limited perspective. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s experiences are filtered entirely through their limited understanding of the events unfolding around them within the context of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Their confusion and attempts to interpret their surroundings are central, highlighting the play's themes of existential uncertainty and the search for meaning in a chaotic world. The chapter also emphasizes the use of stylistic devices like time and space jumps, which contribute to the fragmented and disorienting atmosphere of the play.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Post-modernism, metadrama, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Tom Stoppard, Hamlet, Shakespeare, existentialism, absurdity, comedy, irony, uncertainty, meaning, identity.
Frequently Asked Questions: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead - A Post-Modern Analysis
What is the main objective of this paper?
The paper analyzes Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead through a post-modern lens, focusing on its metadramatic elements. It examines how the play reflects the confusion and lack of orientation in a post-modern world, highlighting its comedic approach to a serious subject.
What are the key themes explored in the paper?
Key themes include post-modernism's influence on the play's structure and themes; metadramatic elements and their role in self-awareness and critique; the characters' struggle for meaning and understanding in a chaotic world; the use of humor and irony to address serious themes; and allusions to Shakespeare's Hamlet and Beckett's Waiting for Godot.
What is covered in the "Introduction" chapter?
The introduction provides background information on the play's development, from its early version to its successful production. It highlights the play's relevance to the post-modern condition and sets the stage for an analysis through a post-modern and metadramatic lens.
What does the "The Play" chapter discuss?
This chapter delves into the setting and plot, establishing the characters' predicament as minor characters from Hamlet thrust into a world they don't fully comprehend. It introduces the crucial distinction between "on-stage" and "off-stage" sections, highlighting the play's metadramatic nature and exploration of existential uncertainty and absurdity.
What is the focus of "The Setting" section?
This section elaborates on the play's setting and the characters' limited perspective, emphasizing their confusion and attempts to interpret their surroundings. It highlights themes of existential uncertainty and the search for meaning in a chaotic world, focusing on stylistic devices like time and space jumps that contribute to the fragmented atmosphere.
What are the keywords associated with this analysis?
Keywords include Post-modernism, metadrama, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Tom Stoppard, Hamlet, Shakespeare, existentialism, absurdity, comedy, irony, uncertainty, meaning, and identity.
What is the overall structure of the analysis?
The analysis is structured with an introduction, a chapter on the play itself (including a dedicated section on the setting), a discussion of post-modernism and metadrama within the play, and a conclusion (implied, as the provided text focuses on the preceding sections).
What is the significance of the "on-stage" and "off-stage" distinction?
The distinction between "on-stage" (scenes directly integrating Hamlet) and "off-stage" (revealing characters' internal struggles) sections underscores the play's metadramatic nature and its exploration of uncertainty and absurdity. It shows how Stoppard uses both Shakespeare's original text and new material to create a complex and layered narrative.
- Quote paper
- Karl Mattern (Author), 2006, Analysis of 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead', Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/60770
