Exploring Marginalization in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
This blog is a response to a task given by Prof. Dilip Barad, exploring Cultural Studies. It delves into how marginalized characters are comparable to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, viewed through the framework of Hamlet. For further exploration regarding task, visit Teacher's blog.
Marginalization in Hamlet :
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Hamlet function as marginal figures who exist mainly to carry out King Claudius’s wishes rather than act with any real independence. They lack individuality and agency, serving merely as instruments of authority. Acting as Claudius’s puppets, they are instructed to spy on Hamlet and report his behavior, placing them on the edges of the play’s central power conflicts. They do not truly belong to either side—neither loyal to Hamlet nor fully trusted by Claudius—but are manipulated by both for their own ends.
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Hamlet’s description of Rosencrantz as a “sponge” captures their subservient nature perfectly. Like sponges, they absorb the king’s commands unquestioningly, only to be squeezed dry and discarded when they have served their purpose. This metaphor exposes how powerless individuals are exploited and then abandoned by those in authority. Ultimately, when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are sent to England with orders to ensure Hamlet’s death, they become victims of the very system they served—meeting their own deaths instead. Their fate underscores the vulnerability and expendability of those who exist merely as pawns in the larger political game.
Modern Parallels to Corporate Power :
In the modern corporate environment, employees are frequently overworked, underpaid, and treated as replaceable rather than respected contributors. Many organizations disregard government regulations like minimum wage laws, and with the rise of privatization, profit has become the central focus. As a result, employee welfare is often neglected.
The situation of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in *Hamlet* mirrors that of today’s workers. Just as Claudius uses and then abandons them once they lose their usefulness, corporations today often value workers only for their immediate productivity. When businesses restructure, downsize, or shift operations, dedicated employees can suddenly lose their jobs, regardless of their commitment or performance. In both scenarios, human beings are viewed as disposable assets—valued only when they contribute to someone else’s ambitions, whether those belong to a king or a corporation. Ultimately, the modern economic system prioritizes profit over people, placing financial gain above human dignity and security.
In "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead", people utilize one another quite a deal, and the fact that the main characters, "Ros and Guil", never seem to be in control of their circumstances may be attributable to their naive inability to know how to do so. In many ways, manipulation is like directing a play in that it involves having the power to influence how things turn out. To influence the audience's thoughts and feelings, a play is investigated as a form of audience manipulation.
Existential Questions in Stoppard’s Reinterpretation :
In *Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead*, Tom Stoppard explores the characters’ desperate search for meaning to highlight their existential marginalization in an uncaring world. Their confusion, constant questioning, and lack of understanding of the larger plot expose the absurdity of being reduced to mere instruments within forces they cannot influence or comprehend.
As Murray J. Levith notes, the very names “Rosencrantz” and “Guildenstern”—derived from Dutch-German roots meaning “garland of roses” and “golden star”—carry a singsong quality that diminishes their individuality. Anna K. Nardo further observes that Stoppard places these figures in a paradoxical position: they exist both inside Shakespeare’s *Hamlet* as characters and outside it as self-aware agents. Within this blurred boundary between reality and performance, Ros and Guil become aware of their artificial existence. They sometimes call for the next scene or attempt to engage with the audience, but their efforts are futile, reinforcing their helplessness and lack of control over destiny.
Unlike Hamlet, who ultimately embraces action and self-awareness, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern remain passive and bewildered, unable to define their own meaning. Their inability to act reflects Stoppard’s critique of those who drift through life without asserting agency within their constraints. Their confusion and constant search for direction—met with indifference—underscore the fragility of individuals trapped within vast, impersonal systems.
This theme mirrors the condition of workers in modern corporations. Many employees today feel insignificant within profit-driven organizations that treat them as disposable components of a larger machine. Decisions like mass layoffs or outsourcing are made without regard for individual welfare, leaving workers feeling powerless and uncertain of their purpose.
Stoppard’s portrayal of Ros and Guil’s futile quest for meaning can therefore be interpreted as a broader social commentary. Whether in the political manipulations of 'Hamlet' or the economic hierarchies of the modern workplace, individuals are often subordinated to systems that value goals and profit over human significance.
Cultural and Economic Power Structures :
Shakespeare critiques the power structures in Hamlet by showing how people with no real power, like Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Ophelia, are used, discarded, and destroyed by those who are in charge. Characters like King Claudius use others to keep their power, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are no different—they’re brought in to do the king’s bidding but are quickly thrown away once they’re no longer useful. Hamlet even compares them to a "sponge," showing how they have no value beyond being used by the king. Shakespeare’s message is clear: systems of power that put authority first will always exploit and discard the “little people.”
In Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Stoppard takes this idea further by focusing on the characters’ struggle to find meaning in a world that treats them as insignificant. The play explores themes of fate, free will, and self-awareness, showing how ordinary people are trapped by larger forces that leave them confused and powerless. Stoppard highlights the absurdity of their situation by making them the main characters in a story where they don’t have control—much like how “little people” in society don’t have much control over their lives.
Stoppard’s take is really relatable to today’s issues, like job insecurity and corporate control. Modern workers often feel stuck, much like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in a story that’s already been written for them. They are treated like replaceable parts in a company, valued only for what they can produce, and vulnerable to being fired or relocated without warning. Both Shakespeare and Stoppard show how systems of power—whether political or corporate—treat ordinary people like they don’t matter, leaving them at the mercy of decisions made by those in charge.
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