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Do rosencrantz and guildenstern know that Hamlet was to be killed?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
It is not clear from the text. Hamlet appears to think so when he says "Why, man, they did make love to this employment.", but then, he is answering Horatio's rebuke for his callousness about murdering Ros and Guil, and so may be choosing to believe what is easiest for his conscience. It is clear that the orders were sealed and that Ros and Guil had not read them, but it is possible and even plausible that Claudius, to lend credence to the orders, had orally instructed the messengers on their tenor.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 7y agoHe escapes being killed, first, by finding the sealed orders for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and by replacing them with forged orders to kill R & G, and second, by jumping aboard a pirate ship in a sea-fight so he doesn't go to England at all. How does he feel about killing his school chums? Meh. "They made love to this employment" says Hamlet "They are not near my conscience."
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoNo. When Horatio disapproves of his callousness in sending them to their deaths, Hamlet says "Why, man, they did make love to this employment. They are not near my conscience."
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Why are rosencrantz and guildenstern hesitant to admit that they are in elsinore because the king and queen sent for them?
They were sent for specifically to spy on Hamlet and report to the king and queen. Spies generally do not like the people they are spying on to know it. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern would have an easier time getting unguarded admissions from Hamlet if they were not "outed".
What important things do rosencrantz and guildenstern have great difficulty remembering?
In Tom Stoppard's play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Ros and Guil have a difficult time remembering their own names. They know they are one of Rosencrantz or Guildenstern, but are not sure which. Viewers of Shakespeare's Hamlet often have a similar problem, as does King Claudius, although the characters themselves seem to be clear on the issue in the Shakespeare play.
When does Hamlet vent his anger on someone who didn't deserve it?
Most noticeably when he arranges for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's death when they were just the messengers. His anger at Ophelia, Gertrude and Polonius may also be seen as misplaced. It is Claudius who he should be angry with. Hamlet is angry with his mother, but his mother had no part in the death of Hamlet's father nor did she know that Claudius had killed him.
In what mood does hamlet speak with rosencrantz and guidenstern in scene 2?
they are talking to him in a friendly way because they do not know that they are going to be hired by his stepfather/uncle, Clauduis, later to murder him while he is on his way to England.
What events happened act iii of hamlet?
Act 3 is a busy act in Hamlet. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern make a report to the king, and he and Polonius plan to spy on Hamlet. They place themselves in a hidden space with Ophelia as bait. Hamlet strolls along and makes his "To be or not to be" speech. He sees Ophelia and they have a very peculiar conversation which ends with Hamlet getting angry with her and accusing her of prostituting herself (figuratively). Ophelia thinks he has lost his mind ("O what a noble mind is here o'erthrown") but Claudius draws the opposite conclusion. That's Scene 1. In Scene 2, Hamlet meets up with the players, and after telling them how to do their job, asks Horatio to watch Claudius during the play. The play is then performed with Hamlet being terrifically rude both to the actors and to his fellow audience members. Claudius spots that the play is all to similar to his murder of Hamlet Sr. and demands that it stop. As he exits, Hamlet is exultant: the Ghost has been vindicated! Rosencrantz and Guildenstern show up and tell Hamlet to visit his mother. On the way, Hamlet spots his uncle praying. We hear part of the prayer and know that Claudius is feeling guilt for murdering his brother. Hamlet is about to kill him then hesitates, deciding to wait until Claudius is doing something sinful. Nevertheless he says he could "drink hot blood" and he is now going to give his mother a talking-to. In Scene four, Hamlet arrives at his mother's bedroom and begins chastising her. Polonius, hiding behind a curtain, hears and echoes Gertrude's cries for help. Hamlet, believing his moment to kill Claudius has come at last, kills Polonius thinking that he is the king. He then launches into a long tirade to his weeping mother, and is only stopped by the appearance of the Ghost. Gertrude is persuaded that Claudius is a murderer and agrees to help Hamlet, and Hamlet drags the corpse of Polonius off.
Where does Rozencrantz and Guildenstern prepare to take Hamlet to?
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do more than one job for the king. The first is to try to draw Hamlet out in conversation, so they can know what is on his mind. Later they accompany Hamlet to England.
Why are rosencrantz and guildenstern hesitant to admit that they are in elsinore because the king and queen sent for them?
They were sent for specifically to spy on Hamlet and report to the king and queen. Spies generally do not like the people they are spying on to know it. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern would have an easier time getting unguarded admissions from Hamlet if they were not "outed".
What important things do rosencrantz and guildenstern have great difficulty remembering?
In Tom Stoppard's play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Ros and Guil have a difficult time remembering their own names. They know they are one of Rosencrantz or Guildenstern, but are not sure which. Viewers of Shakespeare's Hamlet often have a similar problem, as does King Claudius, although the characters themselves seem to be clear on the issue in the Shakespeare play.
Do rosencrantz and guildenstern know the true purpose of their journey to England?
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do not know the true purpose of their journey to England. They are being used by King Claudius to escort Prince Hamlet to England, where he is supposed to be executed. The two friends are unaware of the plot against Hamlet and are manipulated by the king for his own political gain.
How are the fates of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern revealed?
hamlet switched the letters. so when the people of England opened it and read that they are to kill the person who gives them the letter. since hamlet switched the letters, rosencrantz and guildenstern die
What happens to hamlet in his passage to England?
Hamlet's ship was attacked by pirates. The pirates agreed to return Hamlet to Denmark for a price. He sent word to Horatio and asked him to get ready to meet him. We also learn that his traitorous friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, have met with some dire circumstances.
When does Hamlet vent his anger on someone who didn't deserve it?
Most noticeably when he arranges for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's death when they were just the messengers. His anger at Ophelia, Gertrude and Polonius may also be seen as misplaced. It is Claudius who he should be angry with. Hamlet is angry with his mother, but his mother had no part in the death of Hamlet's father nor did she know that Claudius had killed him.
How does Hamlet show his complete contempt for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who are old schoolfriends of Hamlet's are called upon by the king to spy on Hamlet in order to find out what is bothering him. Hamlet, however, figures out why they are there, gets them to confess it and tells them what he guesses to be their business. He then lets out some vague and quite misleading hints as to what is on his mind (the "what a piece of work is man" speech.)
Where does the King plan to send Hamlet?
Claudius tries to send Hamlet to England, accompanied by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. However, R & G don't know it's a mission to have Hamlet killed. We can be certain of that just because of the fact that they continue to England without Hamlet.
What is the content of the letters the king sent with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to England with Hamlet?
Hamlet relays to Horatio that two days on his voyage to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, they were overtook by pirates. Upon boarding the pirate ship to stand and fight, Hamlet was captured. Hamlet says in his letter that the pirates were well in their mercy, but of course expected some kindness back in some way. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are safely on their way to England still. Hamlet has been released by the pirates and now writes to Horatio to tell him that he's alright. He also tells Horatio to escort his messengers to the King and Queen, for they have messages for them too. Later on, Hamlet reveals to Horatio what Rosencrantz's and Guildenstern's fates are.
How do Rosencracrantz and Guildenstern analyze Hamlet's malady?
They don't. They try to get him to say that what is troubling him is that he wants to be the king, but he doesn't follow through in the way that they hope. In act 2 scene 2 Rosencrantz responds to Hamlet's statement that Denmark is a prison tohim by saying "Why, then, your ambition makes it one." and when Hamlet ends his reply by saying "were it not that I have bad dreams", Guildenstern follows up by saying "Which dreams indeed are ambition . . ." Possibly Hamlet catches on from this clumsy attempt that Ros and Guil are spies, which he accuses them of soon after. In any event, in their report to the King and Queen at the beginning of 3,1 they cannot point to any reason for Hamlet's behaviour. Rosencrantz says "He does confess he feels himself distracted, but from what cause he will be no means speak." They tactfully do not tell Claudius that Hamlet sussed them out as spies.
Do the actors playing rosencrantz and guildenstern switch part way through Hamlet?
Not usually. While the text does suggest that it is difficult to keep in mind which is which and that Claudius actually mixes them up (and is corrected by Gertrude), they are not normally played as actually interchangeable. Rosencrantz is often played by a smaller darker actor and Guildenstern by a taller fairer one, but this is not supported or contradicted by the text. One might switch actors as you suggest but it is difficult to know what dramatic affect one might hope to achieve thereby.
