Cultural Studies and Hamlet

Hello Everyone,😊

This blog post is in response to a thinking activity assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad Sir, where we are going to analyze the marginalization of two characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, from Shakespeare's Hamlet through the lens of Cultural Studies.

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Introduction:

Hamlet is one of Shakespeare's most famous plays and tells the story of Prince Hamlet, who is troubled by his father's mysterious death and his mother’s quick marriage to his uncle, Claudius. When Hamlet learns that Claudius killed his father to take the throne, he sets out on a complicated journey of revenge. This leads him to question life, death, and what it means to be human. The play explores deep emotions like betrayal, doubt, and anger, making it relatable even today.

In the play, we also see a clear class conflict between the elite, represented by kings Hamlet and Claudius, and the lower-class servants like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet and Claudius, both in positions of power, manipulate Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, using them as pawns in their own schemes, which highlights the power imbalance and the marginalisation of those with less authority. Now, let’s examine this dynamic through the lens of Cultural Studies.

1. Marginalization in Hamlet:

Describe how Rosencrantz and Guildenstern represent marginal figures in Hamlet. How does Hamlet’s reference to Rosencrantz as a “sponge” reflect their expendability in the power dynamics of the play?

Answer:

In Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are marginal figures characters who have little power and are easily overlooked. Once friends of Hamlet, they are summoned by King Claudius, who views them as tools to spy on Hamlet and report back. Claudius knows they’ll obey without question, which makes them easy to control and ultimately expendable. They act not out of true loyalty, but rather because they are simply following orders, showing how little independence they have within the story.

This idea of expendability is emphasized by Hamlet’s famous “sponge” metaphor. In Act 4, Scene 2, he calls Rosencrantz “a sponge that soaks up the King’s countenance, his rewards, his authorities.” By saying this, Hamlet suggests that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern absorb the King’s favors temporarily, only to be “wrung out” and discarded once their purpose is fulfilled. This metaphor illustrates how they are valued only for their utility to Claudius and will be cast aside without hesitation.

The concept of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as marginalized characters is explored in even greater depth in Tom Stoppard’s play, "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead". Stoppard imagines the story from their perspective, highlighting their confusion, powerlessness, and inability to escape their fate. By presenting them as bewildered and trapped in events beyond their understanding, Stoppard reinforces their lack of agency and emphasizes the limited control they have over their lives.

So we can say that through these characters Shakespeare reveals the ruthlessness of royal politics in Hamlet, where individuals with little power are manipulated and sacrificed for the ambitions of the powerful. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s deaths receive barely a mention, underscoring how disposable they are within the larger schemes of the court. Their story serves as a reminder of how loyalty and friendship are often disregarded in the pursuit of power.

2. Modern Parallels to Corporate Power

The passage compares Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to modern workers impacted by corporate downsizing and globalisation. Reflect on this parallel: How does their fate in Hamlet mirror the displacement experienced by workers when multinational companies relocate or Downsize?

Answer:

In Hamlet, the way Rosencrantz and Guildenstern end up is a lot like how modern workers are treated, especially with things like corporate downsizing and globalization. Both groups are used as tools to serve someone else’s goals, and when they’re no longer useful, they get discarded. In the play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are called to Elsinore and given roles that seem important, but when they no longer serve King Claudius’ interests, he gets rid of them without caring about what happens to them. This is exactly how modern workers are often treated in companies. They are hired for their skills or usefulness, but once the company doesn’t need them, they are let go or moved elsewhere with no regard for their lives or futures.

This idea shows how workers, like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are often at the mercy of forces they can’t control. In Hamlet, it’s Claudius’s power  and in today’s world, it’s the economic forces of globalization and corporate decisions. Workers are often vulnerable to sudden changes like being fired or having their jobs outsourced. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are discarded by Claudius, it’s like how modern workers feel when companies relocate jobs abroad or restructure just to increase profits. In both cases the people involved aren’t seen as valuable individuals; they’re just resources to be used and discarded when no longer needed.

For example, in The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, the main character Changez realizes that in the corporate world, you’re only valued if you’re helping the company make money. Once he becomes disillusioned with the corporate culture, he feels like he’s just another expendable employee. 

  This is similar to what happens in the South Korean TV show Misaeng (2014), where employees are treated as replaceable parts in the company. They’re expected to work non-stop and don’t get much appreciation or consideration for their personal lives. Both stories highlight how people in the corporate world are often treated as tools to be used up and thrown away when the company doesn’t need them anymore. This mirrors how Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are manipulated and then discarded by Claudius when their usefulness is over.

In both Hamlet and today’s corporate world, those in lower positions like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern or modern workers are at the mercy of people in power. The focus is on profit and control, not on the value of individuals. When workers are discarded, it’s clear that the system values power and profit more than human worth or loyalty. In the end, both groups suffer because of this, showing how people in weaker positions are treated poorly just to maintain the status quo of power and profit.

3. Existential Questions in Stoppard’s Re-interpretation

In Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Stoppard deepens their marginalisation by questioning their existence and purpose. Why might Stoppard emphasise their search for meaning in a world indifferent to them? How does this mirror the feeling of powerlessness in today’s corporate environments?

Answer:

In Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Tom Stoppard emphasizes the marginalization of the characters by exploring their search for meaning and purpose in a world that seems indifferent to them. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are caught in a story where they are secondary characters, unable to influence the events around them. This mirrors how many people feel in today’s corporate world, where employees often feel like their lives and struggles are ignored by those in power.

In Hamlet, the character of Hamlet shows little concern for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, saying “they were not near my conscience,” highlighting how people in power overlook those on the margins. This lack of concern is similar to how employees in large companies are often seen as interchangeable parts, with little regard for their well-being or personal struggles. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern die in Hamlet, there is no reaction from the court, emphasizing their insignificance to those in control. This reflects the way employees can feel unnoticed or unimportant in a corporate setting.

 

  Stoppard deepens their marginalization by showing their confusion and sense of helplessness as they struggle to find meaning in a world that doesn’t seem to care about them. Similarly, many workers today feel powerless in large organizations where decisions are made without considering the impact on individual employees. Whether it’s layoffs or company mergers, workers often have little say in the decisions that affect their lives, leading them to question their purpose and worth.

We can say that by focusing on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s search for meaning, Stoppard highlights the universal human struggle to find purpose in a world that feels indifferent. This reflects the feelings of powerlessness and frustration many employees experience in today’s corporate environments, where they often feel trapped in systems that prioritize profits over people. Stoppard’s play encourages us to reflect on our own search for meaning in a world that may not always value us.

4. Cultural and Economic Power Structures:

Compare Shakespeare’s treatment of power in Hamlet to Stoppard’sreimagining. How does each work critique systems that marginalise“little people”? How might Stoppard’s existential take resonate withcontemporary issues of job insecurity and corporate control?

Answer:

   In Hamlet, Shakespeare shows how power works in the Danish court, where people with less authority, like Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Ophelia, are used and discarded by those in charge. King Claudius, for example, treats others like tools to keep his power. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are brought to Elsinore under the false pretense of friendship, but they’re disposable—only valuable when they serve the king's needs. Shakespeare uses this to criticize how power structures treat people as less important, focusing on control rather than the well-being of individuals.

Stoppard takes this idea further in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, where he gives these two minor characters from Hamlet a chance to express their confusion and struggle with feeling useless. Stoppard’s play explores how they don’t have control over their own fate, and they don’t even understand the meaning of their existence. This makes the criticism of power structures broader, focusing not just on politics, but on how people can feel lost and powerless in a world that doesn’t care about them.

Stoppard’s play also connects to modern issues, especially job insecurity and corporate control. Just like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, many workers today feel stuck in a system where they are just a small part of a bigger machine. Their jobs are about what they can produce, and they’re often treated like disposable resources, vulnerable to layoffs or sudden changes without any say in the matter. Stoppard’s characters feel controlled by forces beyond their understanding, which mirrors how many people today feel about their jobs in a corporate world.

As we can see that both Shakespeare and Stoppard show how systems of power treat the "little people" as expendable, whether it's in a royal court or a corporate office. Shakespeare focuses on hierarchical power, while Stoppard’s existential perspective ties this to modern concerns, showing how people today can feel just as powerless and controlled. Through both plays, we see a reminder of how important it is to value people for more than just what they can contribute to larger systems.

5. Personal Reflection:

How does the marginalisation of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Hamlet relate to the modern experience of being seen as a dispensable “asset”? Reflect on how these parallels shape your understanding of Cultural Studies and power dynamics.

Answer:

In Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s marginalisation shows how people can be seen as disposable “assets.” In the play, they are used by Claudius to spy on Hamlet, and their value only comes from how useful they are to him. Once they no longer serve a purpose, they are sent to their deaths, which highlights how people without power can easily be discarded after they’ve done their job.

This idea is very similar to how employees are treated in the modern world. In many businesses, workers are seen as resources that can be used for productivity, but once they’re no longer needed, they’re let go. It doesn’t matter how long they’ve worked or how much they’ve contributed. Like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, they are viewed as interchangeable and disposable.

This comparison helps me understand Cultural Studies better, especially in terms of how power dynamics work. Cultural Studies looks at how people in power, whether in a royal court or a corporate setting, can exploit and marginalise others. It shows how people can lose their agency and be reduced to mere tools in a larger system. The fate of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is a good example of how power structures objectify people and make them feel like their value is only based on what they can do for those in charge. This idea of being treated as disposable is still relevant today in the way we see power and inequality in society.

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