Rosencrantz And Guildenstern

In the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern written by Tom Stoppard, Stoppard uses symbolism throughout the play to further promote the actual theme. He uses the coins, the barrel, and the lights to demonstrate the actual meaning of what the play is really about. The coins in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead were used for betting, in the opening paragraph in the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern “are betting on the coin toss” which opens the theme to promote chance and create havoc (Stoppard 1). The coin repeatedly lands on heads, which defies the law of probability, as the coin keeps landing on heads; Guildenstern tries to find reason in why the coin keeps landing on heads. Eventually Guildenstern decides to give the coin toss a try, which ultimately ends up on …show more content…
When the lights are off it symbolizes the inevitable fate of both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. According to Hamlet, both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern must go to Elsinore and die at the hands of the King. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are completely oblivious and the audience is very doubtful that they’ll make it to Elsinore. However, thanks to the “a lighting change”, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern end up in the castle (Stoppard 14). Another “lighting change” occurs in Act II when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are “sprawled on the ground in the approximate positions last held by the dead spies”, which foreshadows their upcoming fate (Stoppard 42). The “lighting change” shifts Hamlet, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern to “alter the exterior” (Stoppard 14). In Stoppard’s play, the light rushes both men to their next scene which is on the boat. Where Hamlet is seen “blowing out the lantern and the stage goes pitch black”, this shows the fate of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Stoppard 57). The purpose of the light shows, that the darkness that is used throughout the play determines their unpredictable