Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Gertrude) refer to them frequently by the wrong names. Because of the play's similarity to "Waiting for Godot", Rosencrantz is sometimes compared to Estragon (one of the tramps who wait for Godot), and who shares his dim perception of reality, while Guildenstern parallels Vladimir, who shares his analytical perception. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy "Hamlet". They are childhood friends of Hamlet, summoned by King Claudius to distract the prince from his apparent madness and if possible to ascertain the cause of it. The characters were revived in W. S. Gilbert's satire, "Rosencrantz and
John S. Beckett conducted it. (). The group performed in England during the sixties and seventies and made many recordings, which are still available. In addition to being a keyboard player, John Beckett played the recorder and viol. He also composed much avant-garde music for the experimental dramas aired by the BBC's Third Programme. For his cousin, Samuel Beckett, he composed music for two of his works, his mime "Act Without Words" and his radio play "Words and Music". By 1961 John Beckett was involved in a serious car accident in Ireland, in which he broke his two arms, a hip and an