Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

For some reason, Hamlet really reminds me of Harry Potter. I think it’s just because some of the characters from Harry Potter movies play characters in Hamlet. What really struck me was that the same actor played Peter Pettigrew and Rosencrantz. Peter was Harry’s father, James’, friend throughout Hogwarts. Once they were all adults, and Voldemort was hunting for James and Lily Potter, Peter switched sides. He betrayed them. Peter told Voldemort where the Potters were hidden in order to save himself; it was for personal gain. Similarly, Rosencrantz is betraying Hamlet. Rosencrantz is spying on Hamlet for Claudius and Gertrude. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Hamlet’s friends; he should be able to trust them. The queen even says “And sure I am two men there is not living/ To whom he more adheres” (2;2;20). Essentially, the queen is saying that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are close friends of Hamlets. I wonder if this is really even true—were they good friends? Hamlet told Horatio about the ghost and even had Horatio help watch Claudius during the play. However, there isn’t any evidence that Hamlet told Rosencrantz and Guildenstern this same information. Did he not trust them?

Once Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are assigned to spy on him, Hamlet catches on to them rather quickly. Hamlet knew that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were trying to play him like a pipe, even calling them out for it from time to time. Hamlet clearly seemed to be the smarter one out of them. Hamlet even accuses Rosencrantz of being a sponge. Why? Well, a sponge would “soak up the king’s countenances, his rewards, his authorities…” just like Rosencrantz did, making him a sponge (4;2;15). Hamlet calls Rosencrantz out for being a sycophant. Of course, this made me wonder if they were trying to gain favor or if they just did as they were told all the time.

The King seems to use Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He tells them to spy. He makes them take Hamlet to England. Does he tell them that Hamlet will die if he reaches England? I don’t think so. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, between their jokes about strumpets and blind obedience, don’t seem to be very smart. Hamlet knew what they were doing right away. He would have figured out if they were trying to kill him. Plus, if that were the case, if they were actually smart enough to help plan or execute a murder, they wouldn’t leave the note laying around. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were the pawns, meant to be used in the chess game between Claudius and Hamlet. After all, despite being friends, he is the one who sends them to their deaths in the end. He had told his mother they would be the cause of their own deaths. They fell on their own sword.

Overall, while I don’t strongly love or hate Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, I think their betrayal was low, and only proved they were never Hamlet’s true friends. Plus, they weren’t smart enough to be his enemies and know about the plan to have Hamlet killed. They were simply there to be used.