The Important Message in the Play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoddard

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What makes a movie or a play important? The messages of course; no text will ever go without messages intertwined within the story line. Tom Stoppard is a master of this technique which is shown throughout his play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. This is a play about two gentlemen who are from William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. Stoppard writes this play expecting readers to know the play Hamlet extremely well; some parts of the play are even performed within Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. However, this is a play about two dead men walking; readers who know the play Hamlet know that these two men are going to die at the end of the play. This is a play where everything is a metaphor, a message, or a theme, some of which reference back to Hamlet, others refer to other things throughout history. There are specific messages that arise throughout Tom Stoppard’s play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, which includes the use of language, the question of identity, and lastly the uncertainties of life and death.
Initially, the use of language is an important message in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Language is something we use all the time. We talk, text, and write words to give or receive information. However, words have different meanings and representations. For example, when someone speaks English, they are speaking English words that are understandable to only people who speak English, yet if you spoke English words to someone who only spoke Spanish or Korean, they would not understand what the words are supposed to mean. In Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, words are fumbled and played with. For clarification, the word “what” is used many times, but is played with and represents different meanings. T...

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...t ever stops is when we die. Yet, according to the play, is it worth staying on the boat?
Many messages are revealed throughout Tom Stoppard’s play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead including the use of language, the question of identity, and the uncertainties of life or death. The use of language throughout the play is remarkable and basic words have many different meanings or representations. Also, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, or Guildenstern and Rosencrantz are always getting confused showing that no one knows who they are and it makes them question their identity. Lastly, both life and death both hold many uncertainties and we can never be sure of anything. We don’t know if the life we are living is real or if it is just a dream and we don’t know what happens after death. Yet, these are just a few messages from a play that contains thousands of metaphors.

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