My last wall of text entry was probably pretty boring to look at, so I'll try to make this one more interesting.
First off, gotta love how Hamlet and Ophelia's entrance is like
First off, gotta love how Hamlet and Ophelia's entrance is like
I also noticed that pretty immediately, the duo has their identities confused yet again:
CLAUDIUS: Welcome, dear Rosencrantz... (he raises a hand at GUIL while ROS bows - GUIL bows late and hurriedly.)... and Guildenstern.
(He raises a hand at ROS while GUIL bows to him - ROS is still straightening up from his previous bow and half way up he bows down again. With his head down, he twists to look at GUIL, who is on the way up.)
Aside from offering a little laugh, this also relates back to the sort of existential crisis Guildenstern seems to be having. Kind of like how an awesome teacher once told me that being an identical twin causes you to develop a severe lack of an individual identity, it seems that the two here have a similar issue.
Something have you heard
Of Hamlet's transformation, so call it,
Sith nor th'exterior nor inward man
Resembles that it was.
Hold up. Did I select a quote to paste from the wrong tab, or...?
Stoppard straight-up copy-and-pasted text from Hamlet! Interesting choice. You can immediately tell since it goes from sounding like modern-day dialogue to suddenly Shakespeare.
(Huh, "Suddenly Shakespeare sounds" like the literary equivalent of instant noodles.)
This could just be looking into it too much, but maybe the shift in dialogue styles is indicative of how Ros & Guil talk a lot more formally to their higher-ups? Or just more casually when it's just the two of them? Or maybe the author just wanted to make the parallels to Hamlet even more abundantly clear for those in the audience who may not remember who Rosenwhatever and Guildenwhatshisface are.
CLAUDIUS: Thanks, Rosencrantz (turning to ROS who is caught unprepared, while GUIL bows) and gentle Guildenstern (turning to GUIL who is bent double).
GERTRUDE (correcting): Thanks, Guildenstern (turning to ROS, who bows as GUIL checks upward movement to bow too - both bent double, squinting at each other)... and gentle Rosencrantz. (Turning to GUIL, both straightening up - GUIL checks again and bows again.)
Something interesting to note is when Guil says:
We can't afford anything quite so arbitrary. Nor did we come all this way for a christening.
First off, he mentions the arbitrary, which is ironic considering the whole heads or tails episode they just had. Secondly, like I mentioned in my previous entry, Ros & Guil's names are first given to the audience in their first onstage appearance (in Hamlet).
Give us this day our daily mask.
Biblical allusion! Although the original quote is, "Give us this day our daily bread." "Mask" could be yet another meta-theatrical reference, as it's the quintessential symbol of theater... In the same metaphysical sense, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were not created by a god, but by a writer.
[Hamlet]'s always talking about us— there aren't two people living whom he dotes on more than us.
Huh, interesting observation from Guil here. I tend to disagree with him, actually. Hamlet (at least from what I've gathered) is completely obsessed with himself, fate, and avenging his father. Ros and Guil hardly ever cross his mind, except when they're around. I suppose from the duo's point of view, this would be an accurate statement, since Hamlet only ever mentions the two when they're in his presence...
ACTUALLY as I just re-read that quote, I had another thought. There aren't two living people he thinks more about... Hamlet's thoughts are mostly occupied by himself and his father, who's dead... Hm.
ACTUALLY as I just re-read that quote, I had another thought. There aren't two living people he thinks more about... Hamlet's thoughts are mostly occupied by himself and his father, who's dead... Hm.
Exactly, it's a matter of asking the right questions and giving away as little as we can. It's a game.
Funny, I thought that was how Hamlet got information from you two.
In all seriousness, though, this is another example of how things are perceived differently in the viewpoints of different characters. Each side of the conversation thinks that it's being crafty in manipulating the other side.
This also gives some evidence that the duo (or at least Guildenstern) is much smarter than given credit for in Hamlet.
This also gives some evidence that the duo (or at least Guildenstern) is much smarter than given credit for in Hamlet.
GUIL: And receive such thanks as fits a king's remembrance.
ROS: I like the sound of that. What do you think he means by remembrance?
GUIL: He doesn't forget his friends.
You know what? Forget it. I take back what I just said. >:|
Uh oh. It's happened. I've stumbled into a part where I have no idea what's going on. Admittedly, that's one of the weaknesses of reading a play instead of watching it. There's a whole section on pages 42-43 where the two are going back and forth with dialogue and none of it seems to make sense. Maybe it would make more sense on stage? Or perhaps it's just absurd banter? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Okay, so they finally find Hamlet and what do they do? Argue with each other instead of talk to him, of course! Jeez, this is even worse than when Pozzo fell over and yelled for help for like 20 minutes in Waiting for Godot....
Okay, so they finally find Hamlet and what do they do? Argue with each other instead of talk to him, of course! Jeez, this is even worse than when Pozzo fell over and yelled for help for like 20 minutes in Waiting for Godot....
HAMLET: My excellent good friends! How dost thou Guildenstern? (Coming downstage with am arm raised to ROS, GUIL meanwhile bowing to no greeting. HAMLET corrects himself. Still to ROS.) Ah Rosencrantz!
(They laugh good naturedly at the mistake. They all meet midstage, turn upside to walk, HAMLET in the middle, arm over each shoulder.)
HAMLET: Good lads, how do you both?
Ouch.
Also, heh, there's identity confusion again.
One interesting thing to note from this tidbit is that, originally in Hamlet, you kind of assume that Ros and Guil are the bad friends for spying on him, but in this play, it really twists it so that it seems like they could be really genuinely concerned for his well-being. Moreover, Hamlet drops this on them, and it just... ow.
Also, heh, there's identity confusion again.
One interesting thing to note from this tidbit is that, originally in Hamlet, you kind of assume that Ros and Guil are the bad friends for spying on him, but in this play, it really twists it so that it seems like they could be really genuinely concerned for his well-being. Moreover, Hamlet drops this on them, and it just... ow.
Thus ends Act I! Just two more to go. So far, this has been a thoroughly interesting experience. If Timon and Pumba are supposed to be Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in the Lion King, then I guess this play's movie equivalent would be Lion King 1½.