Chapter 5 Weird Scientific Phenomenon Love and Rhetoric

Weird Science Phenomena Love and Rhetoric (1) (They listen--the faint sound of the mummers' band.) Sir Hamlet, thank you. God be with you, Mr. Soldier. (Down) (Rosencrantz gets up quickly and walks towards Hamlet.) Your Highness Rosencrantz, can we go now? Hamlet, I'm coming, you go first. (Hamlet turns to face backstage. Rosencrantz returns to foreground, Guilderstern looks ahead without turning.) Guilderstern, where is he? Rosencrantz Yes. Guilder Stern what is he doing? ROSENCRANZ (looks back) speaks. Guilderstern talking to himself? Rosencrantz Yes. (Pause. Rosencrantz prepares to leave) He says we can go.It's true, I swear.

GUIL: I want to know where I am.Even if I don't know where I am, I want to know that.If we're gone, there's no way of knowing. What can Rosencrantz fail to know? Guilderstern Will we ever come back. Rosencrantz We don't want to come back. GUIL: That may be true, but do we want to go? Rosencrantz We shall be free. Guilderstein I don't know.Everywhere is the same sky. Rosencrantz We've come this far. (He goes to the exit, Guilderstern follows him) Besides, anything can happen. (They get off.) (lights off) Draw the curtain in the darkness.The soft sound of sea water.A few seconds later, a voice came from the darkness...

Guilderstern, are you there? Where is Rosencrantz? Guilderstern (bitterly) off to a flying start... (pause.) Rosencrantz is that you? Guilderstern is. Rosencrantz How do you know? GUIL (explodes) Oh, for God's sake! Rosencrantz Does that mean we're not done yet? Guilderstern Well, we're here, aren't we? Is it Rosencrantz?I can't see anything. Guilderstern, you can still think, can't you? Rosencrantz I think so. Guilderstein, you can still talk. Rosencrantz What shall I say? Guilderstein had better stop talking.You still feel it, don't you? O Rosencrantz!I still have life in me!

Guilderstern What do you feel? Rosencrantz has one leg.Yes, it feels like my leg. How does Guilderstern feel? Rosencrantz is dead. Guilderstern is dead? Rosencrantz (panic) I can't feel anything! Guilderstern pinch! (immediately he yells) Rosencrantz sorry. Guilderstern is all right, at least figured out. (Long pause: the sound is a little louder, and you can distinguish the sound of the sea. The ribs of the ship, the wind against the sails, the shouts of the sailors, can't be heard clearly, but it must be for all directions and parts Navigation instructions, briefly listed below:)

Full left rudder! Let go! Reef the sails, folks! Is that you, Captain? Hello!is it you? Full left rudder! Take it easy! Hold on leeward! Changed course, folks! (You can also hear the sailors' chant) Let's set the spinnaker! Hoist the topsail, my fellows! (The situation is becoming clearer. There are more such shouts.) Rosencrantz We're on a boat. (pause) It's dark, isn't it? Guilderstern It's not too dark at night. Rosencrantz is right, not black. Guilderstern is too dark for daylight. (pause.) Rosencrantz Oh yes, too dark. Guilderstern Of course, we must be heading north.

①The original text of "of course" here is "ofcourse", but Rosencrantz heard it as "offcourse", which means "off course".The same below - Annotation.Rosencrantz off course? Guilderstern, that is to say, to the land of the extreme daylight. Weird Science Phenomena Love and Rhetoric (2) Rosencrantz of course. (Sounds of some sailors. A lamp is lit in the background - perhaps a Hamley characteristic. The stage lighting is a little uneven - enough to make it clear that Rosencrantz and Guilderstern are seated in the foreground, with the sails behind them Suo and other looming shadows) I think it's starting to get a little brighter.

Guilderstern is not as far as the evening is concerned. Rosencrantz is so far north. GUIL Unless we go off course. ROS (brief pause) Of course. (Brighter light—lights? Moonlight? . . . The audience can see on the deck, among other things, three life-sized barrels, upside down, with their lids spaced apart, in a row. Backstage lighting is still a bit Dark. Rosencrantz and Guilderstern still facing forward) Yes, it is brighter now than before, and it will soon be night. So far north. (sadly) I think we should go to bed. (he yawns and stretches) Guilderstern tired? Rosencrantz No, I guess I'm not used to it.Sleeping all night and seeing nothing all day--those Eskimos must be living quietly.

Where is Guilderstern? Rosencrantz what? GUIL: I thought you -- (giving up) I had lost the ability to doubt.I'm not even sure I can still generate a modicum of mild skepticism. (pause.) Rosencrantz (looks at the floor, pats it) This is a very nice board. Guilderstern is right, I really like boats too.I like the feeling of being on a boat - people are packed in the boat.You don't have to worry about how you're going, or whether you're going at all - there's no question at all, because you're on a boat, aren't you?The boat is a safe place to play hide-and-seek - the players ① stay in their places until the music starts - and I think I'll be on a boat most of my life.

①The original text Players has a pun here, which refers to both the people who play the game and the actors--annotation.Rosencrantz is very wholesome. (Rosencrantz inhales expectantly, exhales sullenly, and Guilderstern stands up, looking to the back of the auditorium.) The Guilderstern were free on board.A while, relatively speaking. How does Rosencrantz feel? Guilderstern was choppy. (Rosencrantz stands with him. They look into the distance, to the back of the auditorium.) Rosencrantz I think I'm going to be sick. GUIL (licking a finger, holding it up tentatively) is the other side, I think. (Rosencrantz goes backstage. Preferably as the upper deck is connected to the foreground lower deck by short steps. Rosencrantz stops by Hamlet's chair in the backstage. Meanwhile, Guilderstern continues his What I did just now—looking at the back of the auditorium) walk freely, talk, and do whatever I want, but we are not free.Our escape is navigated by a fixed star.Our wandering just represents a slight change of angle with it: we may be able to take advantage of the present and waste time at will, running here and there, but after going around a whole circle, we will eventually have to face a different person. The changed facts—namely, that we, Rosencrantz and Guilderstern, are carrying Hamlet to England, burdened with letters from one king to another.

(At this moment, Rosencrantz has returned, tiptoeing, looking serious, clenching his teeth, as if he has some important secret. He goes up to Guilderstern and points furtively behind him--very quietly Say.) Rosencrantz I say - there he is! Guilderstern (no surprise) what is he doing? Rosencrantz sleeps. Guilderstern Isn't that good for him?What's so good about Rosencrantz? Guilderstern, he can sleep. Rosencrantz was really nice to him. Guilderstern has us now in his hands. ①The original text is "Hesgotusnow", which has a double meaning, literally "he has us now", implying "he has us now", "he has us now".Guilderstern inadvertently predicted their fate - Annotation.Rosencrantz he can sleep.

Guilderstern, he's all right. Rosencrantz has us. Guilderstern and we have nothing. [(shouting) I only ask for our due! Rosencrantz For those in distress at sea... Guilderstern made us run like this every day. ] [Drum beat, stop.sit down.long pause] Rosencrantz (looking around after changing position) How is it now? What does Guilderstern mean? Rosencrantz Well, nothing happened. Guilderstern We are on board. Rosencrantz I know. GUIL (angrily) What more do you want? (unhappily) We act on fragmented information -- vaguely remembered instructions, and it's hard to separate those instructions from our instincts. (Rosencrantz puts his hand into his purse, puts his hands behind his back, and stretches out his fists. GUILDESTERN knocks on one of them, and ROSENCRANZ opens it, and there is a coin in it. He gives the coin to Guilderstern. He reaches into his wallet again, puts his hands behind him, then throws out his fists. Guilderstern strikes one. Rosencrantz spreads his fist, another coin in his palm , he gave it to Guilderstern. Repeat. Repeat. Guilderstern was getting more and more nervous. Desperate to lose. Repeat. Repeat. Guilderstern tapped a hand, changed his mind, and Knock the other one. Rosencrantz inadvertently has coins in both fists) You have money in both hands. Weird Science Phenomena Love and Rhetoric (3) Rosencrantz (embarrassed) Yes. Guilderstern every time? Rosencrantz Yes. GUIL (angrily) Why did you do that? Rosencrantz (poorly) I want to make you happy. ] (Drums.) [Guilder Stern How much did he pay you? Rosencrantz who? King Guilderstern.He gave us some money. Rosencrantz How much did he pay you? Guilderstern I asked you first. Rosencrantz I got the same as you. GUIL: He couldn't tell which of us was which. Rosencrantz how much do you get? Guilderstern is just like you. Rosencrantz How do you know? Guilder Stern you just told me - how do you know? Rosencrantz He can't tell which of us is which. Guilder Stern even if he can. Rosencrantz he never could. GUIL: He wasn't even sure if he had confused us.