TRANSFORMING HUMAN NATURE
TRANSFORMING TEXTS PRESENTS NEW METHODS FOR EXAMINING
HUMAN NATURE
by Sleuth
Everything old is new again. When applied to literary texts such as
William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark the modern
playwright Tom Stoppard has transformed ideas of human nature and applied
it to the contemporary world of the 1960s in Rosancrantz and Guildenstern are
Dead. Transformation involves the appropriation of issues, ideas, even
characters from literary texts giving them a modern perspective, to present
values and changes in society.
“To be or not to be,” the beginning of the famous soliloquy spoken by Hamlet
is reflective of the play’s exploration of human nature. In this soliloquy, Hamlet is
externalising his internal procrastination. In the play as a whole Shakespeare is
examining character and the consequence of a fatal flaw of personality. This gave
insight into the mind of the character and leads the responder to be able to relate to
Hamlet’s self-loathing and his social obligations. The use of Elizabethan formal
verse and rhyming lines contributes to the confessional and emotional speeches of
Hamlet. From the Elizabethan’s perspective and relative political stability during
that era, Hamlet has a role to restore order to the Danish court and reinstate the social
hierarchy dictated in the ‘Great Chain of Being’. As a result, Hamlet is not only
seen as a noble Prince who is to ensure the stability and harmony of the society, but
also a heroic figure whom one admires. R & G depicts a very different social order,
where the protagonists Rosancrantz and Guildenstern symbolise the majority of
ordinary people in society. Their behaviours and thoughts represent the mindset and
feelings shared among many in the 1960s. Religion and social hierarchy such as,
‘The Great Chain of Being’ had become irrelevant with people who receive
increasingly more knowledge and information about the world around them. The
focus has shifted from the formality of the royal court to everyday matters which
affects each of us. It wasn’t Stoppard’s intention to present nobles wrestling with
their internal conflict, but rather the ‘Everyman’ dealing with issues such as identity
and control of their own lives. Stoppard employs colloquial language to reflect his
ideas to appeal to the ordinary man.
Death is relevant for all people as it is an inevitable part of existence.
It is therefore human nature to think of death and to attempt to define it. Death is
explored in Hamlet and R & G each with their respective contextual influences of it.
Hamlet explores the idea with death in his struggle to bring Claudius and his mother
into justice for the crime they committed. Hamlet examines the advantages and
disadvantages of living rather than committing suicide to escape from the incestuous
world he sees. Yet, he is prevented from the suicide by the fear of sufferings and
torment, especially when the ghost of his dead father tells of the horrors of purgatory.
This mirrors Elizabethan social thinking on the issue of death, which was strongly
influenced by the religious notions and teachings of the church. That is, people shall
follow the teaching of the church in order to obtain an after-life in heaven. This is
also a reason for Hamlet’s procrastination of killing Claudius because he thinks
Claudius has confessed his sins and purified his soul, thus if he dies will go to
heaven, “Now I’ll do it pat, now a is a-praying, / And now I’ll do’t / And so ’a goes
to heaven; / And so am I revenge’d. / That would be scann’d.”
Stoppard transforms death into something unknown, like an uncharted ocean
which causes fear, anxiety and uncertainty in Rosancrantz and Guildenstern. In the
text, the metaphor of life inside a box is used to provide an image of death. “Life in
a box is better than no life at all I’d expect. You’d have a chance at least” said Ros.
This imagery follows the existentialist views adopted by Stoppard. The concept of
’Life in a box’ as being a metaphor for death is also closely associated with life in the
trenches from World War 1 & 2 which Stoppard was greatly influenced by. The
concern about death is and will always be an issue affecting human nature.
Fate - Control over it or not? “Probability is a factor which operates
within natural forces” says Guil showing that human nature needs to feel that it
has choices, to win or to lose. It was an uncertain world in the 1960s where the
Cold War threatened destruction; Stoppard reflects the anxieties of the time and
presents his play as a metaphor for the way our lives are determined by fate, “It is
written,” the Player tells Ros and Guil. Individuals cannot have a real say in their
existences. Ros and Guil feel as if they are insecure, uncertain of their future, they
are not actual players like the Tragedians who have to follow cues and directions.
The coin-tossing game, while reflective of Stoppard’s influence by the theatre of the
Absurd, also reflects their lack of free will. Guil states, “We’ve been caught up” and
by the end of Act 2 they are both desperate to have some say in their fate, “Even if I
don’t know where I am, I like to know that.”
In Hamlet, Hamlet tries to seize control over fate. As a prince he believes he
has a choice over his final destiny and whether to avenge his father’s death or not.
This is partly revealed by Hamlet’s decision to accept a duel with Laertes when he
thinks he has control over any outside factors. This reflects the emerging trend of
thought during the Renaissance that human kind shall challenge the established
authority and gain control over one’s entity. Hamlet eventually succumbs to the
acceptance of fate, “Divinity which shapes our ends.”
Who Am I? We all have asked this question at time or other, it is
human nature to do so. Both Ros and Guil attempt to find a purpose in life beyond
mere existence, “Immortality is all I seek,” says Ros. Their greatest reality is when
they are playing, their source of identity is, after all, Hamlet. Their lack of
information to know themselves, because they are minor character, presents the
natural need of humans to explore their own identity. Ros and Guil are caught up in
the play, blending in with the world of make believe through Elizabethan dress and
speech when they are ‘in character’ in the Danish court. They try to hold onto
themselves, but without a memory a person is empty, non-existent, has no past,
unable to understand the present or direct his future. They want to be valued, “They
don’t care. We count for nothing”, but when they are recognised by the King and
Queen their identities are confused. Stoppard’s exploration of the idea of identity
reflects the existentialist ideas of the day.
Hamlet’s identity in Hamlet was largely determined by the Elizabethan belief
in ‘The Great Chain of Being’. As a would be Prince, he was a heroic figure to be
admired and to ensure the stability and harmony of society. But he was a tragic
prince as Shakespeare presented his conflict between his allegiance to Christianity
and his duty to avenge his father’s death. His dilemma represents the very real
dilemma faced by very real people as to how we live our lives.
Play/Life Metaphor. Stoppard’s transformation presents timeless and
universal issues about human nature. Both plays raise questions we want and
consider: are our lives limited as well? Do we have a choice? Who or what are we
anyway?