An Exploration of Freedom in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Written as a postmodern piece rather than a conventional play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (RGaD) is able to explore its philosophical themes on a much deeper level. The very structure of the play becomes – in of itself – a philosophical question to be pondered and allows Stoppard to present ideas of fate, ignorance and physical limitations in a new and thought-provoking light. The unique form of the play combines with Stoppard’s philosophical musings to present an idea of freedom as something which is elusive and, perhaps, unattainable.
The most obvious form of freedom explored within the play is that of physical freedom. For all of their remembered existence, Ros and Guil have been trapped on one path: they “were sent for” (p.9) by King Claudius in order to discern the cause “of Hamlet’s transformation”(p.27), and from that point on their “momentum... [had]... taken over” (p. 112). For the two characters, then, going in another direction is not only impossible, but inconceivable as they do not recall anything different.
This physical inability to choose another path was not only defined by their own motion and momentum, but by mysterious uncontrollable events such as their sudden teleportation from the road with the players to the court. Action and movement in the play seems to happen without Ros or Guil’s will, and whenever they try to wilfully go somewhere or do something, they “[get] up but [have] nowhere to go]”. This is represented through the image of the boat in the final act of the play. While on the boat Ros and Guil “... can move... change direction, rattle about, but [their] movement is contained within a larger one that carries [them] along... inexorably...” (p.114) to their eventual end.
The futility of Ros and Guil’s attempts to use their limited physical freedom is further explored through the notion of cyclical movement and unchanging environments. No matter where Ros or Guil try to go or dream of going, they are trapped by the
The most obvious form of freedom explored within the play is that of physical freedom. For all of their remembered existence, Ros and Guil have been trapped on one path: they “were sent for” (p.9) by King Claudius in order to discern the cause “of Hamlet’s transformation”(p.27), and from that point on their “momentum... [had]... taken over” (p. 112). For the two characters, then, going in another direction is not only impossible, but inconceivable as they do not recall anything different.
This physical inability to choose another path was not only defined by their own motion and momentum, but by mysterious uncontrollable events such as their sudden teleportation from the road with the players to the court. Action and movement in the play seems to happen without Ros or Guil’s will, and whenever they try to wilfully go somewhere or do something, they “[get] up but [have] nowhere to go]”. This is represented through the image of the boat in the final act of the play. While on the boat Ros and Guil “... can move... change direction, rattle about, but [their] movement is contained within a larger one that carries [them] along... inexorably...” (p.114) to their eventual end.
The futility of Ros and Guil’s attempts to use their limited physical freedom is further explored through the notion of cyclical movement and unchanging environments. No matter where Ros or Guil try to go or dream of going, they are trapped by the