Author's Note: inspired by, obviously, Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' but also by Tom Stoppard's 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' and the film adaptation with the remarkable performances by both Tim Roth and Gary Oldman. Just a random train of thought I had one evening listening to 'Hair' (it makes sense if you consider the title, know Hamlet well, and also know 'Hair.') and considering homoeroticism in Shakespeare's work. The center-alligned text is a verse from 'Greensleeves.' Have fun.
"…the rest is silence" – Hamlet, V.I.
If you intend thus to disdain,
It does the more enrapture me
And even so I still remain,
A lover in captivity
The messengers come in pairs. While they take the same route, at the same time, the intention is that an assassin will assume only one man is the messenger and should he be killed by said assassin the other will carry on to deliver the message. They dress in appropriate attire, one as messenger, the other as servant. They alternate for each mission. This is how Guildenstern and Bartholomew leave us, with Guildenstern as the servant. And this is why it is now Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. That was many years ago, but Guildenstern has not forgotten.
Every time he speaks with Rosencrantz he is short, and every time Rosencrantz voices an opinion or has an idea, Guildenstern is unsupportive, no matter how valid the opinion or good the idea. For the simple reason that he does not want to encourage Rosencrantz for fear that he may get attached, but he knows he will anyway. He knows because Guildenstern is self-aware and he knows the effect he has on others.
Guildenstern is handsome and his eyes and mouth are intelligent. His hands are strong and his fingers are deft, they run through his thick hair and over his smart mouth in tired exasperation at nearly everything Rosencrantz says or does. But if he were being completely honest, he is neither tired nor exasperated with anything Rosencrantz says or does.
Guildenstern is completely besotted with Rosencrantz. He has always been and he assumes he always will be. There is only one reason why this frightens him: Bartholomew had loved Guildenstern, and when Bartholomew died, it nearly destroyed him. And he had only sort of liked him. Imagine what it would do to Rosencrantz, who so clearly adored Guildenstern. The thought distressed Guildenstern. He himself was too enamoured with sweet Rosencrantz to cause him pain, or at least any lasting pain. His abrupt replies and quick temper would only inflict mere scratches on the man, and Guildenstern would simply have to endure the pain he was causing.
Rosencrantz, for his part, was by no means oblivious to Guildenstern's distance and curt attitude. In fact, he was aware of much more than Guildenstern wanted to give him credit for. He was even aware of Guildenstern's affection, indeed Rosencrantz would call it love. He knew it because he harboured the same affection. Indeed Rosencrantz would call it love. He loved Guildenstern, as Guildenstern loved Rosencrantz.
Guildenstern would not profess his love for fear of it being reciprocated, and for fear of, consequently, causing his love pain. Rosencrantz would not profess his love, for fear of losing his heart. They had like minds, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern did. And with their like minds, they had like hearts, and like fears. It went without saying that eventually they would confess their love, but of course it would never be out loud. Whatever they had to say that was worth saying was worth saying without words.
Rosencrantz has disciplined hands. They have short, clean fingernails, and they do precisely what Rosencrantz asks them to do. They never fidget nervously because it does not occur to Rosencrantz to be nervous. And they are never clumsy and without purpose because although Rosencrantz is slightly unbalanced, he is never clumsy and without purpose. He is calm, self-contained, and aware. His hands and fingers act accordingly.
When Guildenstern is around his hands become a flurry of activity. Because Guildenstern causes a flurry of activity in Rosencrantz. He makes paper planes or flips coins, or he simply laces his fingers together as his thoughts begin to interweave and he rests his head upon them, attempting to put a damper on their actions, as he is dampening his thoughts. And he listens with a mixture of sympathy and curiosity to Guildenstern's scorn, and contempt, and dismissals. He knows he should be hurt by these things, but he is not. He understands.
Guildenstern hurts Rosencrantz because he loves him.
Rosencrantz allows Guildenstern to think he's hurting him because he loves him.
All else matters not but love. Love which screams without saying a word and is felt without being touched.
The rest is silence…