In Stoppard's play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
there are many allusions to the play Hamlet which contribute to
the meaning of the play and helps the reader better understand
what is happening. In the tragedy, Hamlet Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern are two very minor characters whom the reader hardly
hears from throughout the course of the play. However, in Rosen
crantz and Guildenstern are Dead those two minor characters turn
into the main characters and the play is told from their point
of view using an abundance of slapstick/Abbot and Costello come
dy. The three most prevalent allusions within the play are: both
plays contained a disorder theme; however, it is greatly enhanced
within Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead , in Hamlet Rosen
crantz and Guildenstern seemed like one character with two
voices, but in the second play they are two different characters
with two different voices, and in Hamlet there were very few
light scenes while Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead was full
of slapstick humor.
In Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead the disorder theme
is greatly enhanced throughout the play. The first example of
disorder is the impossible run of "heads" while Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern are flipping coins. "Heads... The process is re
peated . Heads. Heads. Heads... a weaker man might be moved to
re-examine his faith, if in nothing else at least in the law of
probability. Heads." (pg 11-12) Ros and Guil had been flipping
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Shcoins for a good part of the day and every time the coins came up
a heads. It was an impossible occurrence of heads which adds to
the disorder theme and how everything went "haywire" after the
messenger came. Another example of the disorder theme is when
Ros and Guil had no clue what time of day...