These two are an amazing pair.

One of the very, very best commentaries I've ever read on the themes of Hamlet is Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Wonderful play, which I've been lucky enough to see three times, and a marvelous movie--one of the best films Gary Oldman's ever done, IMHO.

They appear out of nowhere and fade out to nowhere. I've always sort of imagined them as puppets with Claudius acting as puppeteer--very "Being John Malcovich" (if you know what I mean). They're sort of like Ophelia, in that they've been told the equivalent of "'stand here; read this' and we'll see what happens next."

Hamlet has known them all his life, but they were "sent for" -- from where? If Hamlet's always known them, wouldn't they live where he grew up?

Hamlet has some very witty exchanges with them, and it is not all one-sided. They are apparently bright lads.

So why is it that they cannot figure out anything whatever about what's going on? If a childhood friend of yours was acting so strangely that his uncle sent for you, wouldn't it occur to you that the reason was his mother had married his uncle within a few weeks of his father's death?

Why does it never occur to them to turn back to Elsinore after Hamlet has left the ship? Are they afraid of Claudius being angry that they lost him? I sure think I'd have either turned back or read the letter.