Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1966)

I appear to have lost my taste for absurdist drama. This reminded me of Beckett's Waiting for Godot, which I loved reading and seeing performed in my teens and twenties. There are some clever parts and it's cool to think of Hamlet while reading it. But, for me, it seems to be trying hard to be too clever. ( )

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead - meta-teatro por excelência - o teatro sobre o próprio teatro - é uma de minhas peças favoritas. Segue dois personagens irrelevantes de Hamlet (irrelevantes porque, embora servissem a um propósito significativo, não eram desenvolvidos em profundidade por Shakespeare) como indivíduos. Os personagens tropeçam em seu caminho através do filme, sem saber das consequências de suas ações ou de seu significado ou importância. É um texto sobre dois personagens que desconhecem por completo a magnitude dos acontecimentos que os rodeiam. Isso também é evidenciado em suas descobertas acidentais de descobertas científicas históricas significativas (como o conceito de gravidade). A peça também aborda o conceito de destino predeterminado. O destino de Rosencrantz e Guildenstern já está determinado antes de a cortina se abrir. E embora desempenhem um papel importante em uma das maiores histórias já contadas, eles desconhecem completamente seu destino; são meras vítimas das circunstâncias. ( )

I do so love this play! Of course, I love anything and everything Tom Stoppard writes! I have a similar love of language and semantics, and consequently I find his plays very satisfying intellectually.

That being said - I actually like the movie version of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern better. The screenplay was written by Mr. Stoppard and he was able to all sorts of narratively and visually interesting things that couldn't be done onstage. He was able to expand and improve the work in a different medium. If you haven't seen the screen adaptation, I highly recommend it! ( )

I'm so glad I had read Hamlet several times before I read this. These two guys are borne along by the events, and end up on the ship to England where they are supposed to deliver the Mad Dane. The players are also great. ( )

A fantastic retelling of Hamlet from the point of view of two minor characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The pair ramble, often dazed and confused, through the scenes of Hamlet, often not even realizing the importance of what is going on around them. It's brilliant and hilarious! ( )