An insight into the religious allegory and symbolism contained in Tom Stoppard's work
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, by Tom Stoppard, is a vivid work that addresses humanity's need to believe in or follow a higher cause. It begs the question: Are we lost without a God?
The answer would be yes, if it were that 'a God' could be construed to mean any type of higher ideology as well as some sort of supreme being. Without something to devote ourselves to, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern demonstrate that we are lost and wandering, much like they, the protagonists of this play, are.
The story begins with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern flipping coins. No matter how many times they flip it, it always lands on the same side. They sit on a bench somewhere at some time of day in astonishment, just trying to fathom how this could truly be the case. This coin they are flipping represents the belief in a higher purpose. It is unclear whether or not there is an alternative side to this coin or not; much as there is no clarifying whether or not there is an alternative to the existence of a higher power. They try to reason that it is chance that the coin lands on the same side one hundred percent of the time, but even chance dictates that this could not be the case. One insists to the other that there are indeed two separate sides and that the coin is not weighted, so this puts them at a bit of an intellectual loss. The two fellows try to fathom what kind of forces could be making this phenomena occur, while at the same time it is becoming blatant to the reader that this scene is utterly pointless. This unexplainable event whispers the possibility of a force beyond their understanding; beyond our understanding, and it is not until the Tragedians (who represent the voice of a god, or the intimations of a higher purpose) happen upon the scene that the play takes a more meaningful turn.
The role of the Tragedians is relatively important to understanding the predicament of our main characters. They are seen and watched, but their words fall on deaf ears, so to speak. Their display is witnessed but seldom taken seriously, and the true meaning of what they say is lost on the people watching (there is an exception in Act III, but the actual "Murder of Gonzago" is not portrayed in Stoppard's play). This is related to the 'voice of God' in that what they are saying has an impeccable relevance to the situations of the onlookers, but they are dismissed as simple actors, whose words are meaningless. However, the topic of individuals being open to the influence of higher purposes is not a point of this discourse, so we continue on with the journey of the twins.
Eventually, (with the aid of the Tragedians, of course) the clueless pair stumble upon the twisted world of Hamlet. They are caught completely unawares of the true events going on that are the topic of Shakespeare‘s play. This represents the ambiguity people in general experience when they are confronted with religion, be it of varied definitions. There's no knowing exactly what happened in the beginning of time or, for that matter, even in the time of Jesus or Muhammad. There is no knowing the real validity of the sacred texts, and there is no knowing concrete answers to questions of faith. Nevertheless, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are sent on a mission to take Hamlet to a place far away. They are not fully aware of what their task means (and indeed this does fit the archetype of The Task quite well) and it is the display of their faith in their Jesus figure, Hamlet, that they carry out this task unquestioningly.
They do not question this task, for the task itself inspires a deep faith in them, and it gives them a purpose. The significance of this newfound purpose is that they were never previously told what to do, and thus their lives before the task seemed erratic and meaningless.
The irony of this newly found purpose is that once they are alone on the boat on their way to England, they begin to questions their mission. They ask each other where they are going, why they are going, and what they will do when they get there. They find each other at a loss for answers. The questions they ask all refer allegorically to rather Christian questions such as: Is there a heaven? How will I get there? What is beyond the Pearly Gates? They ask each other then why they believe in Hamlet (Jesus) and their simple answer is the root of Christianity: because they had grown up with it. Hamlet had supposedly known them since they were adolescents; because the bible says so, because God knew who we were before we were born.
There is no proof of a childhood with Hamlet, much as there is no proof of the validity of the Bible, or the Koran, or any such text or prophet. Their unquestioning faith begins to waver because there is no proof. Suddenly, some pirates come in their unwitting absence of faith and steal Hamlet from the ship. Naturally, they now forget where they are going. They wander aimlessly, once again.
When we lose our faith in a higher purpose, we begin to lose our reasons for doing the things we do. Be it a god or ideals, when their presence in our life is either no longer felt or is ignored, our efforts are utterly aimless. There are always two sides to a coin, but it is not only luck that determines the outcome of the toss. A certain accountability for the results lies in the factors of faith, and the presence of a belief. This is an implicit theme of Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.
The Outline Summary of the Hamlet
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