Marginalization of Minor Characters in Hamlet and Its Modern Corporate Parallels

Marginalization of Minor Characters in Hamlet and Its Modern Corporate Parallels

This blog is given by Dr. Dilip Sir Barad. It talks about how the small characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are treated in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. They are shown as unimportant and used by others, just like how small workers are treated in big companies today. The blog also connects this idea to Tom Stoppard’s play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, where the two characters try to find meaning in their lives but feel powerless, just like many people do in modern work life.for the further information Click here.

Introduction :

        William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most famous tragedies in English literature. It deals with big ideas like revenge, betrayal, power, and human emotions. But apart from the main story, Shakespeare also shows how people without power are treated in society. Two such minor characters are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who are Hamlet’s childhood friends. They are used by King Claudius for his own purpose and later forgotten when they are no longer useful. This shows how powerful people exploit others who are weaker or less important.

       In modern times, a similar thing happens in large companies or organizations. Many employees are treated like tools useful only until their work is needed. When companies change plans or reduce staff, such workers are easily replaced or removed. This idea is beautifully reimagined by playwright Tom Stoppard in his play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, where he explores their confusion, helplessness, and search for meaning. Both Shakespeare and Stoppard help us understand how power works in society and how ordinary people are often pushed to the margins.

1. Marginalization in Hamlet :

        In Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are not evil characters. They are ordinary people caught between powerful figures like King Claudius and Prince Hamlet. The King uses them to spy on Hamlet and to find out the reason behind his strange behavior. They agree to do so because they want to please the King and stay safe in the royal court.

      Hamlet later calls them “sponges that soak up the King’s countenance, his rewards, his authorities.” This means that they absorb the King’s favor and rewards just like a sponge soaks up water, but the King can squeeze them out whenever he wishes. This image perfectly shows how powerful people use the weak  they take what they need from them and then throw them away when their purpose is over.

      Their death at the end of the play also shows their lack of importance. When Hamlet sends them to England with a secret letter that actually orders their own deaths, no one mourns them. They simply disappear from the story. Through this, Shakespeare shows how people at the lower end of the social ladder are often invisible and expendable in a world ruled by power and politics.

2. Modern Parallels to Corporate Power :

            If we look at today’s world, the same kind of power structure exists in big organizations and companies. Workers are often treated like parts of a machine  they are expected to follow orders, meet deadlines, and show loyalty. However, when a company faces financial problems, introduces automation, or shifts production to another country, many workers lose their jobs without warning.

          This is very similar to what happens to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Hamlet. They try to serve the King, but once they are no longer useful, they are easily replaced and forgotten. Modern-day employees also face job insecurity and economic marginalization. They may work hard for years, but they have little control over the decisions made by those at the top. In both cases, people who are powerless suffer the most, while those in control keep their position and authority.

             This comparison helps us understand how systemic marginalization continues even today  only the form has changed. In Shakespeare’s time, it was the monarchy and social class; in today’s world, it is the corporate hierarchy.

3. Existential Questions in Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

         Tom Stoppard’s play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead takes Shakespeare’s minor characters and places them at the center of a new story. However, instead of giving them power, Stoppard shows them as confused and lost. They do not understand why they are in this situation or what their purpose is. They keep questioning their existence, destiny, and death.

        This creates an existential theme  a question about the meaning of human life. They are trapped in a world where everything seems meaningless, and they have no control over what happens to them. This feeling is very similar to how many workers feel in large organizations today. In big corporations, employees often do not have a voice or clear purpose. Decisions are made by higher authorities, and workers are expected to simply follow instructions.

      Stoppard uses Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to show how powerless individuals are in a world that does not care about them. Their struggle to understand their lives mirrors the feeling of helplessness and confusion that people experience in modern capitalist societies. The play becomes a deep reflection on human existence and modern systems of control.

4. Cultural and Economic Power Structures: Comparing Shakespeare and Stoppard :

        Both Shakespeare and Stoppard present different but connected ideas about power and marginalization.

       In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, power is political and social. Kings, princes, and nobles control the lives of common people. The system values loyalty and obedience over individuality. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are victims of this social order.

       In Stoppard’s play, power is more abstract and philosophical. The characters are trapped in an endless system that represents modern bureaucracy and capitalism. Even though they try to understand what is happening, they cannot change their fate.

      Both works criticize systems where people become invisible or unimportant. Stoppard’s existential version speaks directly to the modern world, where job insecurity, corporate control, and lack of meaning are common problems. Together, both authors remind us that power has always created a divide between those who control and those who are controlled  whether in royal courts or corporate offices.

5. Personal Reflection :

      The story of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern makes me think about how people today are treated in workplaces. Many times, workers are valued only for their skills and not for who they are as human beings. Once their job is done, they are replaced, just like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were used by the King. This shows how society still runs on systems of power that ignore individual worth.

      From a Cultural Studies point of view, this teaches us to look deeper into how culture, economics, and politics affect people’s lives. Literature helps us understand that the idea of marginalization is not limited to one period or place. It happens everywhere  in history, in literature, and in real life. When we see these patterns, we become more aware of how power works and how we can question unfair systems.

Conclusion :

       Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead both show how people without power are controlled and forgotten by larger systems. Through the lives and deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, we see how individuals become victims of forces beyond their control. In the past, it was kings and rulers; today, it is corporations and globalization. Both writers remind us that the struggle of the “little people” continues in every age. By understanding this, we can connect literature with real life and see how art reflects the truths of society and human nature.

Reference :

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Edited by Harold Jenkins, Methuen, 1982.

Stoppard, Tom. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Faber and Faber, 1967.

Barad, Dilip. “Thinking Activity: Exploring Marginalization in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead”. ResearchGate, 28 Oct. 2024, www.researchgate.net/publication/385301805_Thinking_Activity_Exploring_Marginalization_in_Shakespeare’s_Hamlet_and_Stoppard’s_Rosencrantz_and_Guildenstern_Are_Dead.