"There's a divinity that shapes our ends," is a theme that echoes through most of the Shakespearean play Hamlet and the new contemporary piece of work by Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. Free will, as a concept, is discussed very existentially in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead since the whole play takes place in the midst of Hamlet itself, and thus Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are unable to actually break free of the destiny assigned to them by Shakespeare. Hamlet, himself a character in a play, enjoys a more free range of choices and decisions with which to shape his destiny, and these choices pre-dermine the path of other characters in the play.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, themselves actors, are able to discuss their options, and possible scenarios which they could take, but since they are bound by what Shakespeare wrote and pre-dermined for them, they have to follow that exact path.
Ros: How very intriguing! I fee like a spectator-an appalling business. The only thing that makes it bearable is the irrational belief that somebody interesting will come in a minute. (pg. 40).
While discussing passerby's, Rosencrantz hits upon the very same dilemma that overhangs them throughout the whole play. They are nothing more then spectators to the fact that their existence is passing them by without any input from them, and the only relief to this dilemma would be for someone interesting to come and redirect them. This someone could perhaps be the divine entity or Hamlet.
Guil: What a fine persecution-to be kept intrigued without ever quite being enlightened. (pg. 40).
In Hamlet they enjoy a much more liberal sense of free will, while at the same time still being confined to the story brought to the by the choices that Hamlet makes. They are always given meaning by someone else, either through their friendship with Hamlet, or through the good will of the king, who gives them a task to complete, thus giving them direction and highlighting them.
Wacko is in Act four, scene two when he is talking to Rosencratz and Guildenstern about the murder of Polonius and where he put the body. Rosencratz and Guildenstern, not being to two brightest colours in the crayon box, take Hamlets advice and chase him around trying to catch him. Hamlet then tells Claudius to nose at the dead body if he wants to make sure he is dead. ...