R&g.

An analysis of the play in its own right:

1. How are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern characterized? (Who is the dominant character; what is their body language, do they introduce each other/themselves; what kind of language do they use?)

- "My name is Guildenstern, and this is Rosencrantz."

- Rosencrantz (p. 22)

- Communication/Connection - the characters in R&G have difficulty communicating and connecting in a meaningful way. Many people today are anxious about communicating and connecting with others in an intimate way.

- Some of the conversations in the play indicate the author's belief that language places a limit on what people can express. The characters must confine their feelings within the boundaries of words. Stoppard mocks language in sequences where the characters fail to express what they are thinking because words cannot exactly capture their thoughts. Instead, they appear ridiculous.

Rosencrantz:

- Rosencrantz spends a great deal of the play confused by both what is happening around him and Guildenstern's reactions to their situation, but he rarely engages in the overt despair that is characteristic of Guildenstern. Rosencrantz is pragmatic and seeks simple and efficient solutions to the pair's problems rather than philosophical explanations of them, a trait that leads Guildenstern to believe that his friend is complacent and unwilling or unable to think seriously and deeply.

- Rosencrantz reveals himself to be more complicated than Guildenstern believes, however, and his apparently straightforward attitude of pragmatism and breezy bewilderment peels back to reveal deeper feelings, both positive and negative.

- Rosencrantz