Tom Stoppard creates an off-stage life for the characters in the poplar Shakespearean play, Hamlet. He provided dramatic and comic effect through the story of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two childhood companions of Hamlet. In the setting of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, two different worlds exist. There is the stage world of Hamlet, in which all the characters are involved in the story of the play, and the offstage world of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The strange, empty world of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern provides little information to these characters and forces them to believe that nothing is happening in their lives. They realize that they only exist in this story to provide their services to the needs of the story unfolding around them. They barely participate in this story, because the other characters are completely unaware of the existence of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The characters in Hamlet seem to exist only in the play and have no other reason to believe that their world may not be real. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern finally appear in the play, they are uncomfortable and do not spend enough time on stage to gather enough information to understand this alternate life. None of the other characters care about the duo and seem uninterested in their lives once they leave the scene. However, they pique the interest of The Player. It illustrates the ability to be able to move easily between the two worlds. He is the leader of the Tragedians and shows a sense of understanding towards Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The Player seems to be the only character who can easily transition between the two worlds and who understands middle of paper......but the play, even if death is determined, this life achievement is enough to n no matter who. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do not realize this throughout the play and they become upset to know that it paints them as insignificant. Through the Player, Stoppard creates a character capable of appreciating the uselessness of the absurd world he lives in and discovering its meaning by creating it for himself. The Player's habit of blurring the lines between theater and reality by claiming that he does not distinguish between the two is an assertion that both require the same thing to understand: suspension of disbelief. (2.81)Works CitedShakespeare, William. Literature “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark”: an introduction to reading and writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print