Politics of Parody inStoppard'sRosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

Abstract

Tom Stoppardtakes Rosencrantz and Guildenstern–two so-calledlowly characters from Shakespeare's playHamletandrevivethem to boost the morale of living of theminor characters. Through this restoration, Stoppard wants to emphasize that essence of living does notdiffer from that of the high profile person to that of insignificant characters–thecommon folks. Life after all is life, and carries equal value to allirrespective oftheirstatus and class. However, due to the power of politics, a commonerismerelylimited toperform crazy little things, which does not carry any significant meaning to the so-called resourceful people.In a world marred with political biasness, StoppardinRosencrantz and Guildenstern are Deadattempts to restore the dignity and sentiments of these characters.