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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Alfred's response when Guildenstern suggests they could set a dramatic precedent?

2. Who enters after Hamlet and Ophelia exit the stage?

3. What does the player tell Guildenstern they are more about?

4. What does Guildenstern say will eventually turn the game around?

5. How is it obvious that the two men have been playing the gambling game for a long time?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the dialogue that shows the confusion of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern at this point.

2. Why is Guildenstern so repulsed by the Player's immoral suggestions for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

3. What rather unusual encounter do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern then have in the undisclosed location?

4. Why are Guildenstern and Rosencrantz on this road and what has Guildenstern been expecting?

5. How does the subject of fear affect both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

6. What is the Player's misconception about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

7. Trying to make sense of their situation, to what does Guildenstern think back?

8. How does Guildenstern test the oddity of the coin game?

9. Guildenstern asks Rosencrantz if he appears to be contradicting himself. What is Rosencrantz's odd reply?

10. What things are troubling Rosencrantz as he and Guildenstern are once again left alone on the stage?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a paper on the importance of dialogue in a play. Describe how the dialogue in Stoppard's play sounds real as opposed to being contrived. What does an audience get from the dialogueue? How is dialog in a play like telling a story?

Essay Topic 2

Write a paper on how effectively you think Stoppard's use of Shakespeare's play works in ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD. Do you think it is necessary to see the Shakespearean play before reading or viewing Stoppard's play? How well do you think Stoppard's use of two otherwise minor characters as the leads works.

Essay Topic 3

Write a critique of Stoppard's play. Detail what you think are its strong points and where you think it might have been improved. At the end of your critique, rate it from one to five stars as a recommendation for someone else to read or see.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 787 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample