Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Hamlet’s schoolmates from Wittenberg Uni- versity. Their main role, as prompted by Claudius and Gertrude, is to find out why Hamlet has gone mad. They are somewhat enigmatic throughout the play, and it seems as though Hamlet himself cannot differentiate them. He always addresses them as a pair, and they essentially play the same role. While they are trying to figure out what is wrong with Hamlet, they continuously question him. This is a parody of a Socratic dialogue, whereby a ‘question and answer’ method is employed to discuss moral and philosophical problems. However, Hamlet does not always cooperate with them in this respect. Ultimately, their commissioning to spy on Hamlet ultimately leads to their death. Hamlet discovers their betrayal and orders for their execution in England instead of his.
