Question

read an excerpt from an analysis of act iii of hamlet. rosencrantz and guildenstern follow orders without question throughout the play. in this scene, claudius tells them his life is in danger from hamlet, and they must take hamlet away. they agree immediately. shakespeare uses the characters of rosencrantz and guildenstern to develop which theme? \bigcirc acting with respect is its own reward. \bigcirc things are not always what they seem. \bigcirc love of country should always come first. \bigcirc success comes from working together.

Explanation:

To determine the theme developed by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, we analyze their actions. They follow Claudius' orders without questioning, even though Claudius' claim about Hamlet being a threat might not be entirely truthful (or at least, the situation is more complex than it appears on the surface).

• Option A: Their actions are about obedience, not respect as a reward, so this is incorrect.
• Option B: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern act on Claudius' word without investigating, showing that appearances (Claudius' claim of danger) might not reflect the true situation (Hamlet's motives, Claudius' true intentions), so this fits.
• Option C: There's no indication of "love of country" in their actions; they're following a king's order, not a patriotic duty.
• Option D: Their action is blind obedience, not collaborative success - they just agree, not work together in a way that builds success.

Answer:

B. Things are not always what they seem.