If I had to choose a favorite play from the 20th century, "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead" would have to be it. I have probably read the play more than 15 times and it never ceases to amuse me. It is witty enough that it can be enjoyed when read the first time through, but complex enough that there is always a new aspect of the play to be discovered.

"Rosencrantz & Guildenstern…" focuses on two minor characters from "Hamlet" who are summoned by the King and Queen to discover the cause of Hamlet's lunacy. The play shifts between scenes written by Stoppard and excerpts of Shakespeare. The idea for "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" stems from a commonly used interpretation of the "Hamlet", in which the royal family, and sometimes even Hamlet, can't keep the two characters apart. Rosencrantz is constantly being called Guildenstern and vice-versa. Stoppard takes this idea one step further, so that even Rosencrantz and Guildenstern can tell themselves apart. They are, in fact, so shallow that they are unable to remember events that happened earlier in the day. It is in this aspect that one can pick up on the play's strong ties to Beckett's "Waiting for Godot."

"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern…" is witty, intelligent, full of wonderful philosophy, rhetoric and most importantly humor. After reading it, one will never be able to watch a production of Hamlet the same way. That being said; some people will find this play a difficult read. I enjoyed the play the first time I read it through, but I also missed a lot of the humor. Most people I know love this play, but I have a couple members of my family who tried to read it on my recommendation and couldn't get past the first scene. Finally, having read, seen, or at least knowing the plot of "Hamlet" will help your enjoyment of the play that much more.

Take a chance on this play. If you're familiar with any of Stoppard's other works, and you enjoy them, chances are you'll like "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead". And lastly, don't read this play just once; it gets better with each read through. The more you understand and pick up on all the little jokes and references, the more there is to enjoy.


Recommended: Yes