cimorene

the play is of course by tom stoppard.

in the movie, gary oldman was rosencrantz, and tim roth was guildenstern. this icon is a cap. picture them. it's more, um, nice to look at that way.

playing at questions:
guil: why should it matter?
ros: what does it matter why?
guil (teasing gently): doesn't it MATTER why it matters?
ros (rounding on him): what's the matter with you? `
(pause)
guil: it doesn't matter.

***

rosencrantz isn't clear on the concept.
guil (sharply): rosencrantz!
ros (jumps) what!
guil: there! how was that?
ros: clever!
guil: natural?
ros: instinctive.
guil: got it in your h ead?
ros: i take my hat off to you.
guil: shake hands.
(they do.)
ros: now i'll try you--guil--!
guil: --not yet--catch me unawares.
ros: right.
(they separate. pause.) aside toguil: ready?
guil (explodes): don't be stupid.
ros: sorry. (pause.)
guil (snaps): guildenstern!
ros (jumps): what? (he is immediately crestfallen, guil is disgusted.)
guil: consistency is all i ask!
ros (quietly): immortality is all i seek... .

***

question and answer:
guil: glean what afflicts him.
ros: me?
guil: him.
ros: how?
guil: question and answer. old ways are the best.
ros: he's afflicted.
guil: you question, i'll answer.
ros: he's not himself, you know.
guil: i'm him, you see.
(beat)
ros: who am i then?
guil: you're yourself.
ros: and he's you?
guil: not a bit of it.
ros: are you afflicted?
guil: that's the idea. are you ready?
ros: let's go back a bit.
guil: i'm afflicted.
ros: i see.
guil: glean what afflicts me.
ros: right.
guil: question and answer.
ros: how should i begin?
guil: address me.
ros: my dear guildenstern!
guil (quietly): you've forgotten, haven't you?
ros: my dear rosencrantz!
guil (great control): i don't think you quite understand. what we are attempting is a hypothesis in which i answer for him, while you ask me questions.
ros: ah! ready?
guil: you know what to do?
ros: what?
guil: are you stupid?
ros: pardon?
guil: are you deaf?
ros: did you speak?
guil (admonishing): not now--
ros: statement.
guil (shouts): not now! (pause) if i had any doubts, or rather hopes, they are dispelled. w hat could we possibly have in common except our situation? (they separate and sit.) perhaps he'll come back this way.
ros: should we go?
guil: why? (pause)
ros (starts up. snaps fingers): oh! you mean--you pretend to be HIM, and I ask you questions!
guil (dry): very good.
ros: you had me confused.
guil: i could see i had.
ros: how should i begin?
guil: address me.
(they stand and face each other, posing)
ros: my honoured lord!
guil: my dear rosencrantz! (pause)
ros: am i pretending to be you then?
guil: certainly not. if you like. shall we continue?
ros: question and answer.
guil: right.
ros: right. my honoured lord!
guil: my dear fellow!
ros: how are you?
guil: afflicted!
ros: really? in what way?
guil: transformed.
ros: inside or out?
guil: both.
ros: i see. (pause.) not much new there.
guil: go into details. DELVE. probe the background, establish the situation.
ros: so--so your uncle is the king of denmark?!
guil: and my father before him.
ros: his father before him?
guil: no, my father before him.
ros: but surely--
guil: you might well ask.
ros: let me get it straight. your father was king. you were his only son. your father dies. you are of age. your uncle becomes king.
guil: yes.
ros: unorthodox.
guil: undid me.
ros: undeniable. where were you?
guil: in germany.
ros: usurpation, then.
guil: he slipped in.
ros: which reminds me.
guil: well, it would.
ros: i don't want to be personal.
guil: it's common knowledge.
ros: your mother's marriage.
guil: he slipped in. (beat.)
ros (lugubriously): his body was still warm.
guil: so was hers.
ros: extraordinary.
guil: indecent.
ros: hasty.
guil: suspicious.
ros: it makes you think.
guil: don't think i haven't thought it.
ros: and with her husband's brother.
guil: they were close.
ros: she went to him--
guil: --too close--
ros: --for comfort.
guil: it looks bad.
ros: it adds up.
guil: incest to adultery.
ros: would you go so far?
guil: never.
ros: to sum up: your father, whom you love, dies, you are his heir, you come back to find that hardly was the corpse cold before his young brother popped onto his throne and into his sheets, thereby offending both legal and natural practice. now why exactly are you behaving in this extraordinary manner?
guil: i can't imagine! (pause.) but all that is well known, common property. yet he sent for us. and we did come.