Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Lesson Plan

Why do people confuse Rosencrantz with Guildenstern and vice versa?

In Hamlet, the two don't really have distinct characters — they exist as a pair, to achieve a specific dramatic task. That they have particular traits and inner lives in Stoppard's re-imagining doesn't have much bearing on the role they play in Hamlet. When Hamlet's characters constantly confuse them, it's an indication of their worth and meaning to those around them. That they mix themselves up is an indication that they draw their worth and meaning from their role in others' dramas. Ask students if they are confused by the two characters and have trouble remembering which is which.

Guildenstern...