Question

Which sentence from this passage explains what the main characters do in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead?

"Tom Stoppard's play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, draws on two previous theatrical works: Shakespeare's Hamlet and Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot."
"As in Beckett's play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern pass the time by impersonating other characters, engaging in word play, and remaining silent for long periods of time."
"These same two characters were also featured in a parody of Hamlet, the short comic play by W. S. Gilbert entitled Rosencrantz and Guildenstern."
"Gilbert's play makes Rosencrantz and Guildenstern into central characters and alters the storyline of Hamlet."

Answer 1

Answer: The sentence that explains what the main characters do in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is the second one: "As in Beckett's play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern pass the time by impersonating other characters, engaging in word play, and remaining silent for long periods of time".

Explanation: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is a tragicomedy written by the British playwright Tom Stoppard. This play includes two characters taken from Hamlet. Moreover, mit also presents elements from another famous play: Beckett's Waiting for Godot. Therefore, the two main characters spend their time imitating other people and playing with words; however, in some cases, they also remain silent for long periods of time. In that way, the sentence that indicates what the central characters do in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is the second one ("As in Beckett's play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern pass the time by impersonating other characters, engaging in word play, and remaining silent for long periods of time"). In contrast, the rest of the sentences do not refer to the character's actions: instead, they refer to the plays from which these characters were taken or to a parody that includes the same characters but differs from Shakespeare's version.

Answer 2

The answer is "As in Beckett's play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern pass the time by impersonating other characters, engaging in wordplay, and remaining silent for long periods of time."
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are cast in the tragedy Hamlet that was written by William Shakespeare.