Throughout the play Hamlet, there are many symbols, characters, themes, and motifs that play very important roles. In the context of characters, those who have the most impact are more often the main characters than the less significant ones. However, in the case of a pair of characters, it is quite the opposite. The use of the characters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Hamlet is not just for comic relief. They are a representation of the betrayal and dishonesty that runs deep in the play. From their very first appearances in the play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern leave a memorable imprint on readers' minds. They are rather vague characters, with seemingly little personality and relatively little distinction between them. They are also “very isolated and selfish characters” (Friendship-Introduction). They finish each other's sentences and even when Gertrude and Claudius speak to them, they are mentioned almost as one person (Ham. 2. 2. 35-36). The reason is that they are not meant to represent an actual character, or in this case, a set of characters. They are seen as a symbol, a metaphor for the betrayal and dishonesty that occurs throughout the play. We see this instantly, as we discover in their very first appearance that their sole purpose in coming to Denmark was to spy on their friend (Ham 2.2.10-18). Although Hamlet initially sees them as old friends, the reader is able to see them as distant and false beings, depicted together to make it seem like they are an idea rather than individual characters or simply the comic relief of the room. showing the embodiment of betrayal and dishonesty within Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, is when Hamlet accuses ...... middle of paper ...... betrayal and dishonesty that are pervasive in the piece. Not only do they simply embody this concept, but they also serve to conclude the events of the play, being the end of what began the beginning. Works Cited “Friendship – Introduction”. Shakespearean criticism. Ed. Janet Witalec. Flight. 83. Gale Cengage, 2004. eNotes.com. 2006. March 20, 2011 http://www.enotes.com/shakespearean-criticism/friendshipShakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square-Pocket, 1992. Print. Tiffany, Grace. “Hamlet, Reconciliation and the Just State.” Renaissance: Essays on Values ​​in Literature 58.2 (2005): 111+. General OneFile. Internet. March 20, 2011. http://find.galegroup.com/gps/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=IPS&docId=A143160470&source=gale&userGroupName=lom_kentdl&version=1.0