after the play waht does hamlet,rosencrantz and guildenstern argue about?

-- (anesthia@yahoo.com), January 20, 2000

Answers

Hamlet is tired of their lying and trying to probe him both mentally and emotionally, not out of genuine concern but for the King's and Queen's devises (who employ them to do this thinly veiled work). Hamlet says, "why do you go about to recover the wind of me as if you would drive me into a toil?" To Hamlet playing a recorder should be "as easy as lying" for them. And later, "Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play upon me." Also, does he yet know that his 'friends' are to escort him to England and, as he later finds, to his death?

-- gkandia (gkandia@prodigy.net), January 22, 2000.

if you would pay attention to the text you would notice the players scene and how he says that rosencrantz would play upon him as if he were a pipe. i found that reading the play and then watching is the best way to interpret any misunderstandings-read on fellow hamlet lover

-- melissa h (mkisshall@aol.com), August 06, 2000.

The argument is great isn't it? As usual, Hamlet is taking the p*** out of R & G without giving them any real information about himself or his plans, which they want so much so that they can keep in with Claudius. But finally he loses patience, and lets them know he knows and doesn't like that they keep trying to find out about him, to "pluck out the heart of [his] mystery". He points out that they seem to think it should be as easy as playing a recorder - easier because G won't attempt that but will attempt to "play" Hamlet - but that it isn't easy, and that they can't "play upon" him, only annoy him (fret, punning on the frets of stringed instruments).

Yes, he does know about England, and that he's not being sent there for his own good. See III.iv.186-194 and IV.iii.46-50 (cherubs were understood to be sort of second-degree angels, and thought to see all and have heavenly knowledge).

-- catherine england (catherine_england@hotmail.com), December 05, 2001.