Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, long time school fellows of Hamlet. Hamlet’s friends who would stand by him through thick and thin, or loyal subjects of a treacherous king that would turn on Hamlet at the drop of a hat. They are asked to the castle by the king and queen to find out what is troubling Hamlet. They are used by Claudius. And they bring Hamlet to his death.
In the final scenes with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern the king has them set off for England with Hamlet. Supposedly to get him away from Denmark after the killing of Polonius, but in actuality they are bringing him along with orders for his execution. This is the final proof that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are devoted to the king and do not care about Hamlet. However, all turns out o.k. when Hamlet switches the letter with one he forged telling England to execute Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He can do this with a clear conscience because he believes that they are guilty by association with Claudius.
Were Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Hamlet’s friends, or were they merely pawns in Claudius’ web of deceit? If they were truly Hamlet’s friends and they wanted to help him they would have been honest from the beginning. However, perhaps they were just loyal subjects to the king and they did not know what they were doing was wrong. The truth is that Shakespeare is not very clear on the details of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and we can never be entirely sure of what they were thinking.
The Essay on Hamlet Rosencrantz And Guildenstern 2
... But the King (Claudius) suspects that Hamlet has become a danger to him, and gets two friends of the Prince, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to ... who was spying behind a curtain. Claudius banishes Hamlet to England, along with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. They don t know that the ... spy on him. As time passed Hamlet starts to look ...
