Stoppard's play is a retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet from the point of view of the tertiary characters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. These characters take the main stage here and Stoppard fills in what happens to the two when they are "off-stage" in Hamlet. This is definitely a tragicomic play, with the two leads, who seem to be buffoons in Shakespeare's original, coming off as victims of a deranged monarchy in which everybody is more unstable than the last.
The dialogue is snappy, and this play reads best after a viewing or reading of Hamlet in order to fully appreciate all the references, locations, and plot points. Even without that reading though, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is a comedic and beautiful play that should be read by even casual fans of Shakespeare.
Check out this book at the Sacramento Public Library
--GS
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