A Preluding Interlude

 I am presently re-reading Shakespeare’s “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.” This is one of my favorite plays. Another favorite is Tom Stoppard’s stroke of genius, “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.” This comedic gem is built around the observation that these two men (Gildenstern and Rosencrantz) have few and small appearances in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, yet contribute an important part to the story. Stoppard brings a question to our attention: what were these two men doing the whole time they were not on stage?

One proficiency of Hamlet is his ability to ask questions as he wrestles with his problems. Stoppard’s play has Rosencrantz and Gildenstern wander into an empty tennis court where they volley at a game of “Questions.” What begins as boredom-bashing fun, suddenly turns deeply philosophical. Of course they walk off with no answers, but most notably, they are unable to tell which one of them is Rosenzrantz and which is Gildenstern! They don’t know who they are! Hilarity in the context of tragedy, where the two just wait for their fate.