Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

by

Tom Stoppard

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Rosencrantz & Guildenstern makes teaching easy.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Symbols

The Coin

First featured in the uncanny coin toss between Rosencrantz and Guildenstern at play's start, coins appear throughout the play and symbolize the forces of mortality that control human life and render human free will meaningless… read analysis of The Coin

The Boat

The boat symbolizes the trajectory of human life and the fundamentally limited and futile nature of human action. As a boat's passengers are able to move at will within the contained space of the vessel… read analysis of The Boat