Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead "How has the composer of the contemporary text used the earlier text to say something new?"

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, written in the 1960s by playwright Tom Stoppard, is a transforation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Stoppard effectively relocates Shakespeare's play to the 1960s by reassessing and revaluating the themes and characters of Hamlet and considering core values and attitudes of the 1960s- a time significantly different to that of Shakespeare. He relies on the audience's already established knowledge of Hamlet and transforms a revenge tragedy into an Absurd drama, which shifts …

…transforms them to make a judgement on society. By shifting the focus of his play to common man, he is able to convey values that are relevant to the 1960s. He develops characters that allow audiences to gain a new perspective on Shakespeare's play and acquire a more informed perception of themselves. Stoppard makes a statement about 1960s society's lack of direction and pleads viewers to take an active role in improving their own situation.