The Depiction of Existential Topics in Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard

Abstract

This bachelor thesis examines the depiction of existential topics in the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard. It describes the historical and cultural background of the emergence of existential philosophy and the Theatre of the Absurd, primarily in the first part of the twentieth century. Applying the knowledge from the first chapter, the analysis specifically examines the depiction of identity, meaning, and mortality and briefly compares it with Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett to illustrate the different approaches.