Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Friendship Essay

In many stories and plays, friendships are formed and are represented. Friendships in these types of media come from wealth, power, or similar interests. In Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Hamlet and his close friend Horatio, as well as Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have friendships that transcend through time. Hamlet and Horatio present a very secure and stable relationship, which presented the things required in life, such as loyalty, trust, and common interests. Hamlet and his absent friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern present a relationship which a burden and unhelpful to Hamlet and presented what one does not from a friendship. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern had the potential to be better friends to Hamlet, should they wanted

Hamlet and his school friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern had a dishonest and insincere friendship. Hamlet and the pair we’re not really friends. Hamlet was very surprised Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were at Elsinore. While Hamlet could have had a positive long-distance relationship with the pair, he did not appear happily surprised by their visit, but wary. Following Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arriving, Hamlet was wary, cautious, and did not trust them. Hamlet greeted the two with, “what make you at Elsinore?” (2. 2. l. 270), to which Rosencrantz responded, “To visit you my lord; no other occasion.” (2. 2. l. 271). Hamlet, already cautious, "Were you not sent for? Is it your own/ inclining? Is it a free visitation?" (2. 2. l. 274-275). Hamlet did not trust Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's intentions. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern had personal connections with Hamlet. Following Hamlet greeting them, he asks them how they are doing, and Rosencrantz responds, "As indifferent children of the earth." (2. 2. l. 226), and Guildenstern responds, "Happy, in that we are not over happy;" (2. 2. l. 227) This personal connection highlights their connections to each other in their relationship. Humour was also a personal connection which exists in the friendship of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and Hamlet. "Then you live about her waist or in the middle of/ her favours" (2.

They could have been much better to him. They utterly mistreated their friendship with Hamlet. "As to extend your time with us a while/ For the supply and profit of our hope,/ Your visitation shall receive such thanks" (2. 2. l. 23-25) Queen Gertrude says to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, telling them that they will be compensated for their services to spy on Hamlet. Instead of betraying their friend, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern could have rejected the job to spy on Hamlet. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern also deceived Hamlet and pretended they were good to him. "What's the news?" Hamlet asked Rosencrantz, to which he responded, "None, my lord; but that the world's grown honest". Rosencrantz and Guildenstern deceived Hamlet, and if they had refrained from doing that they would have been much better friends to him. Furthermore, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were tasked with taking Hamlet to England, where he would be killed. While the pair likely did not know that Hamlet's potential death was coming, they still actively went against Hamlet's goals. If Rosencrantz and Guildenstern wanted to be the best friends they could be, they would need to stop actively fighting against Hamlets cause. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern lacked respect for their friendship with Hamlet. The duo could have respected their friendship with Hamlet by doing what was right, and not disregarding the just things that exist in a relationship.