CS - Hamlet

Exploring Marginalization in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

This blog is written as part of an academic task assigned by Prof. Dilip Barad, focusing on Cultural Studies. It examines how marginalized characters can be compared to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern within the context of Hamlet. For more details about the task, readers can refer to the teacher’s blog.

Marginalization in Hamlet :

In Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern serve as peripheral characters whose main purpose is to fulfill King Claudius’s commands rather than exercise any true autonomy. They lack a sense of individuality and personal will, functioning merely as extensions of royal authority. Acting as Claudius’s agents, they are assigned to observe Hamlet and report on his actions, positioning them at the margins of the play’s core power struggle. They belong fully to neither side—neither sincerely loyal to Hamlet nor completely trusted by Claudius—and are ultimately manipulated by both for their own purposes.

Hamlet’s portrayal of Rosencrantz as a “sponge” vividly expresses their submissive and dependent nature. Like sponges, they absorb the king’s words and orders without question, only to be squeezed dry and discarded once they are no longer useful. This image highlights how powerless individuals are exploited and then abandoned by those in positions of control. In the end, when they are sent to England carrying the sealed orders for Hamlet’s execution, they unknowingly deliver their own death warrant. Their tragic end symbolizes the fragility and expendability of people who serve merely as pawns within greater systems of power.

Modern Parallels: Corporate Exploitation

In today’s corporate world, a similar pattern of exploitation persists. Many employees face long working hours, low pay, and poor treatment, often seen as replaceable rather than respected contributors. Corporate structures driven by profit frequently ignore worker welfare, even disregarding basic labor protections.

The position of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern mirrors that of modern employees. Just as Claudius uses and discards them, corporations often value workers only for their immediate productivity. When companies downsize, automate, or relocate, even loyal employees lose their jobs overnight. In both situations, human beings are treated as disposable resources—valued not for who they are but for what they can provide. This reflects a wider system that prioritizes profit and ambition over humanity and ethical responsibility.

Existential Questions in Stoppard’s Reinterpretation

In Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Tom Stoppard reimagines Shakespeare’s minor characters to explore existential uncertainty and the search for meaning. Ros and Guil wander through a world they do not understand, unaware of the larger plot surrounding them. Their endless questioning and confusion emphasize the absurdity of existence in a world governed by forces beyond individual control.

As critic Murray J. Levith points out, their names—derived from Dutch-German origins meaning “garland of roses” and “golden star”—sound trivial and decorative, underscoring their lack of identity. Anna K. Nardo further notes that Stoppard blurs the boundary between art and reality by allowing them to exist both within Hamlet and outside it, as self-aware yet powerless figures. They occasionally attempt to call for the next scene or interact with the audience, but these efforts only highlight their inability to shape their destiny.

Unlike Hamlet, who ultimately attains awareness through decisive action, Ros and Guil remain passive and bewildered. Their failure to assert agency reflects Stoppard’s criticism of individuals who drift through life without direction. Their struggle mirrors that of modern people who feel powerless within vast systems—be they political, social, or economic—that value conformity over individuality.

This sense of futility closely resembles the experience of workers in today’s profit-driven world. Employees often feel insignificant, subjected to corporate hierarchies that treat them as mere tools. Decisions about layoffs or restructuring are made without considering personal impact, leaving many feeling purposeless and insecure. Through Ros and Guil’s tragic bewilderment, Stoppard thus critiques the modern condition of alienation and dehumanization in bureaucratic and capitalist structures.

Cultural and Economic Power Structures

Shakespeare exposes the corruption of power in Hamlet by showing how those without influence—such as Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Ophelia—are manipulated and ultimately destroyed by those who hold authority. King Claudius uses others to maintain control, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are no exception. Once they lose their usefulness, they are swiftly discarded. Hamlet’s “sponge” metaphor vividly illustrates how they absorb the king’s will only to be thrown away when drained of purpose. Shakespeare’s commentary is clear: systems that privilege authority inevitably exploit the powerless.

Stoppard extends this critique by examining how these characters search for meaning in a world that denies them significance. His play deals with themes of fate, choice, and identity, revealing how ordinary people struggle against impersonal systems that render them invisible. By making them central characters in a narrative they cannot control, Stoppard underscores the absurdity of human existence and the futility of seeking autonomy in predetermined structures.

This portrayal resonates strongly with contemporary realities of job insecurity and economic control. Modern workers often find themselves trapped in roles where they have little say, functioning like replaceable parts within massive organizations. Whether in politics or in the workplace, both Shakespeare and Stoppard reveal a shared truth: hierarchical systems devalue individual humanity, reducing people to instruments serving larger agendas.

Personal Reflection

In Hamlet, King Claudius manipulates Rosencrantz and Guildenstern for his own political purposes and abandons them once they lose their worth—leading to their demise. This dynamic mirrors the treatment of workers in modern corporations. Employees may devote years of effort and loyalty, yet are dismissed once they cease to be profitable or efficient.

When workers are young and productive, they are celebrated as valuable assets; however, as their energy or relevance declines, they are swiftly replaced. This reflects the utilitarian mindset dominating the modern economy, where human worth is measured solely by performance and output. Both Shakespeare’s and Stoppard’s works expose this harsh truth: systems of power—whether monarchical or corporate—exploit individuals for personal gain, reducing human life to a tool for maintaining control and achieving profit.

References 

Beckman, Jeff. “Eye-opening Statistics on Job Displacement Due to Automation (2023 Data).” Techreport, 28 May 2024, techreport.com/statistics/business-workplace/job-displacement-due-to-automation.

Kumar, Sanjeev. “HAMLET AND ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD - a TEXTUAL STUDY.” International Journal of Novel Research and Development, by IJNRD, vol. 8, no. 1, Jan. 2023, pp. b573–75. www.ijnrd.org/papers/IJNRD2301171.pdf. 

Thinking Activity: Exploring Marginalization in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Research Gate, Oct. 2024, www.researchgate.net/publication/385301805_Thinking_Activity_Exploring_Marginalization_in_Shakespeare's_Hamlet_and_Stoppard's_Rosencrantz_and_Guildenstern_Are_Dead. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.