Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead Comparison Essay

Words, words, words. Words themselves can be inherently ambiguous, only having real meaning when combined with action. In the 1990 film adaption of the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead written and directed by Tom Stoppard, the dialogue is witty and entertaining, and when paired with equally interesting actors, enhances the themes of the play. The story, featuring Rosencrantz (Gary Oldman) and Guildenstern (Tim Roth), is an absurdist, existential take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It follows the journey of two peripheral characters from the play who spend most of their time playing word games, pondering the nature of death, and desperately and futilely trying to understand the epic events unfolding around them. This adaptation excellently meshes together the plot of Stoppard’s play and original segments of Shakespeare’s story, enhances the play’s existential elements, and further enlivens the film by adding humor.
The film opens with Rosencrantz flipping a coin that repeatedly lands on heads, establishing the absurdness of his reality. Upon arriving at the castle, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are tasked with uncovering the reason behind the prince’s madness. After seeing a …show more content…
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern stumble their way around the castle, amazed when they find themselves in the same room, drawing attention to the ongoing conflict between randomness and order. They are often unaware of the significance of their actions, evidenced by their comical and accidental missed historical scientific discoveries. Rosencrantz not only invents the hamburger, but also discovers gravity, Newton’s cradle, and water displacement. However, these moments quickly pass after he is distracted by something else. The witty and amusing back-and-forth dialogue between Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, such as the verbal tennis match, is even more enjoyable when shown on screen, where the dialogue is easier to