Rosencrantz and Guildentstern are two characters that are courtiers and they assist the King of Denmark in his plots against Hamlet. The Two characters are so similar in many ways they should be considered as a unit.King Claudius and the Queen asked Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to come to Denmark and spy on Hamlet. The King and Queen welcomed the two once they arrived. Even though Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have never expressed their friendship for Hamlet or speak sympathetically about him to each other, they still are willing to do what the King and Queen ask of them. The King and Queen said, “if they do what they are told they will be rewarded.” One of the jobs that the king had them do was to spy on Hamlet and find out why he was acting so mad or insane. When Hamlet saw Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he was very glad to see them and remembers how much of excellent good friends they are. Before Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were able to ask why Hamlet was acting mad, Hamlet said, “Were you not sent for? Is it your own inclining? Is it a free visitation? Come, deal justly with me: come, come, nay, speak.” Rosencrantz and Guilderstern's response was,”When Hamlet found out that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were working for the King, Hamlet quickly ended his friendship with them and referred to them as just two schoolfellows. His distrust of them leads to his discovery of the documents ordering his execution in England and his plot to send the courtiers to this fate instead. In Act 5 scene 2 Line 376 says, King Claudius made Rosencrantz and Guildenstern deliver a letter to England. The letter said that the King of England will kill Hamlet because he had lost a war. Hamlet replaces the letter that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are carrying to England with a forgery of his own making, sending these two men to their deaths. He does this without giving it a second thought and never suffers from any guilt or re...
