In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet's uncle brings in two of Hamlet's closest friends to find out why Hamlet is now insane. These two guys are in two scenes, sent to England to deliver Hamlet and and have him killed, and the next we hear of them--mere moments before the end--is that there was a slight mix-up and that Hamlet's friends were killed instead..
But who are these guys? Are they really just a couple of interchangeable companions for Hamlet to ramble to for a couple of scenes? Or is there something more to them, something deeper?
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This play answers both questions with a resounding "yes." Guildenstern is contemplative, philosophical, and curious as to life's inner workings; his friend Rosencrantz is quite satisfied to leave things be. However, playwright Tom Stoppard doesn't delve any deeper into the characters than their personalities. Shakespeare left their pasts ambiguous outside of the duo being childhood friends of Hamlet's, but Stoppard makes even that ambiguous--"Ros" and "Guil" lack even the most basic memories of their past, where they're going or why they're there. They merely know that they are spying on Hamlet on behalf of his uncle, and even that basic fact is thrown into doubt.
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Filled with subtle wit and a stunning use of language which is almost, but not quite (thank God) Shakespearean, Ros & Guil Are Dead is a brilliantly chilling take on the nature of the past and human memory as well as dwelling on fate and other philosophical issues. Not recommended for someone without basic knowlege of the plot of Hamlet.
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