Rosencrantz & Salerio & Guildenstern & Solanio
Never was there such a greater pair than that of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern or Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. I know, there’s four names in the title, but let’s be honest they all function in the same manner. Well, sort of. R&G specifically come from Hamlet, and Sal&Sol are from The Merchant of Venice. They’re this neat little package of silliness. Comedic effect? Check. Nearly indistinguishable from one another? Check. Reporters of news? Check. What more could you ask for, right?
Sal&Sol are somewhat confused characters that try their best to be interesting. Are they completely likable? No, not really. But neither is any one else in this play. They’re just standing or sitting around and providing random commentary on anything that’s happening. The opening scene displays this perfectly. Antonio doesn’t know why he’s sad but look who’s here to save the day! It’s Sal&Sol with their theories on Antonio’s sadness. All of which are based on things that would make these two sad. So what are these theories? A real mix of serious possibility and perhaps a dash of sarcasm. 1) He’s worried about his merchant ships. All right. 2) He’s worried about them crashing and may be upset when he sees stones which may remind him of “dangerous rocks” that break ship sides (I.i.30-34). Similar but still okay. 3) He’s in love. Reasonable I suppose. And my personal favorite: 4) He’s sad because his not happy. Then they leave when Antonio’s “better” and “worthier” friends show up (I.i.57-61). But what do they do after that? Who knows.
Let’s move to one other scene before we move on here. Act two, scene eight. Sal&Sol have “decided” to show up and tell us [really each other] what has happened lately. Bassanio and Gratiano left for Portia’s on a ship, Jessica and Lorenzo are missing and may have escaped on a gondola of all things, and news about a crashed ship which might be Antonio’s. There’s even a whole section of news on Shylock’s panic over his missing daughter and ducats [that’s money]. But can we trust their story seeing as how they aren’t very reliable to begin with? Both like Shylock as much as the next person. They don’t and therefore cannot be trusted with accuracy. All through the Shylock part of the story they make fun of him and his situation. This provides the audience with the framework of how the characters at large view Shylock as a person. But Sal&Sol’s dialogue is the most interesting part of their respective characters.
Pretty much all of their lines seem like there’s only one person talking. Or maybe they just know each other so well that the line that follows is a continuation of the other’s thoughts. This isn’t unlike R&G at all, save of course that R&G are funnier by far. While Sal&Sol are just sort of around, R&G have an adventure thrown into the mix. For those not familiar, R&G are set up by Claudius (Hamlet’s uncle, now married to his [Hamlet’s] mother, and also king) to spy on Hamlet and then are sat up on a ship with Hamlet on their way to England with a note from Claudius signing off on Hamlet’s death when they get there. Hamlet manages to figure this out and makes a letter calling for their death because they’re already on their way to England while he makes an escape from the ship. At least they have something to do. That’s interesting.
It’s interesting enough that a playwright by the name of Tom Stoppard decided to write a play titled “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.” It’s meta-theatric in its form which explores the lives of these two relatively minor characters both when they are and are not on stage in the Shakespeare text. It’s a great read, and I definitely recommend it. They get into some deep conversations which is surprising given their comedic natures. The play only works because it has characters to work with and develop. The same could not be said for Sal&Sol.
I will admit that I’d like to see what they did between leaving Antonio and reporting all the random bits of news. Maybe there’s something interesting about these characters. It’s more likely that there isn’t anything worth mentioning at all. Sal&Sol, just like all of the other characters save Shylock, have large issues with Jewish people. The court scene of Merchant (IV.i), though these two aren’t in that scene, demonstrates the people’s disgust with Jewish people and willingness to force people, namely Shylock, to convert to Christianity. So maybe Sal&Sol only make fun of Shylock’s religion, person, and situation. That’s harmless, right? No. No, it’s not. And that doesn’t let them off the hook either. In any regard, they are still part of the problem with their society at large. And that shouldn’t be celebrated.
Sal&Sol are somewhat confused characters that try their best to be interesting. Are they completely likable? No, not really. But neither is any one else in this play. They’re just standing or sitting around and providing random commentary on anything that’s happening. The opening scene displays this perfectly. Antonio doesn’t know why he’s sad but look who’s here to save the day! It’s Sal&Sol with their theories on Antonio’s sadness. All of which are based on things that would make these two sad. So what are these theories? A real mix of serious possibility and perhaps a dash of sarcasm. 1) He’s worried about his merchant ships. All right. 2) He’s worried about them crashing and may be upset when he sees stones which may remind him of “dangerous rocks” that break ship sides (I.i.30-34). Similar but still okay. 3) He’s in love. Reasonable I suppose. And my personal favorite: 4) He’s sad because his not happy. Then they leave when Antonio’s “better” and “worthier” friends show up (I.i.57-61). But what do they do after that? Who knows.
Let’s move to one other scene before we move on here. Act two, scene eight. Sal&Sol have “decided” to show up and tell us [really each other] what has happened lately. Bassanio and Gratiano left for Portia’s on a ship, Jessica and Lorenzo are missing and may have escaped on a gondola of all things, and news about a crashed ship which might be Antonio’s. There’s even a whole section of news on Shylock’s panic over his missing daughter and ducats [that’s money]. But can we trust their story seeing as how they aren’t very reliable to begin with? Both like Shylock as much as the next person. They don’t and therefore cannot be trusted with accuracy. All through the Shylock part of the story they make fun of him and his situation. This provides the audience with the framework of how the characters at large view Shylock as a person. But Sal&Sol’s dialogue is the most interesting part of their respective characters.
Pretty much all of their lines seem like there’s only one person talking. Or maybe they just know each other so well that the line that follows is a continuation of the other’s thoughts. This isn’t unlike R&G at all, save of course that R&G are funnier by far. While Sal&Sol are just sort of around, R&G have an adventure thrown into the mix. For those not familiar, R&G are set up by Claudius (Hamlet’s uncle, now married to his [Hamlet’s] mother, and also king) to spy on Hamlet and then are sat up on a ship with Hamlet on their way to England with a note from Claudius signing off on Hamlet’s death when they get there. Hamlet manages to figure this out and makes a letter calling for their death because they’re already on their way to England while he makes an escape from the ship. At least they have something to do. That’s interesting.
It’s interesting enough that a playwright by the name of Tom Stoppard decided to write a play titled “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.” It’s meta-theatric in its form which explores the lives of these two relatively minor characters both when they are and are not on stage in the Shakespeare text. It’s a great read, and I definitely recommend it. They get into some deep conversations which is surprising given their comedic natures. The play only works because it has characters to work with and develop. The same could not be said for Sal&Sol.
I will admit that I’d like to see what they did between leaving Antonio and reporting all the random bits of news. Maybe there’s something interesting about these characters. It’s more likely that there isn’t anything worth mentioning at all. Sal&Sol, just like all of the other characters save Shylock, have large issues with Jewish people. The court scene of Merchant (IV.i), though these two aren’t in that scene, demonstrates the people’s disgust with Jewish people and willingness to force people, namely Shylock, to convert to Christianity. So maybe Sal&Sol only make fun of Shylock’s religion, person, and situation. That’s harmless, right? No. No, it’s not. And that doesn’t let them off the hook either. In any regard, they are still part of the problem with their society at large. And that shouldn’t be celebrated.
Shakespeare,
William. Hamlet. Edited by Ann Thompson and Neil Taylor, Bloomsbury
Arden Shakespeare, 2016.
Shakespeare,
William. “The Merchant of Venice.” The Norton Shakespeare: Comedies.
Edited by Stephen Greenblatt et al., W.W. Norton & Company, 2016, pp. 467-521.
Stoppard, Tom. Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern are Dead. Grove Press, 1967.
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