Even the idea of these two men being able to help Hamlet in any way is ridiculous--and yet they have no choice but to try, because of their positions in life and at court. Claudius--who .
hardly knows Hamlet, let alone Rosencrantz and Guildenstern-- calls them, so they must come. Thus, fate itself may be thought of as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's primary antagonist. .
At the very beginning of the play, they try together to remember why they are travelling to the castle. Finally, they realize that the King has sent for them. That summons resonates in their minds at an almost subconscious level: they did not decide to come--they were sent for, and so came, without giving it any thought. It is that simple for them. Fate pulls them along, kicking and screaming, and they must decide how to respond to this unwanted force that is working in their lives. Guildenstern is angry about it. He has a strong sense of right and wrong, and he believes that since the court disrupted their lives, it has the responsibility to help them complete their mission so they can go home again. He deeply resents being dropped into the middle of chaos. How, he wonders, can he help Hamlet if he doesn't know what is really happening at court, or what he is really supposed to accomplish? However, he is so completely in the dark that he does not even know who to question. .
He talks about "they" and "them"--mysterious, unknown figures that, he assumes, have all the answers but just aren't giving them up. Rosencrantz starts out much more at ease with the direction of his fate. He isn't so disturbed about the seeming absurdity and randomness of his life. Unlike Guildenstern, he doesn't look for signs--he accepts things as they come. However, as time passes, he becomes more unnerved. He too, demands explanations, and his way of trying to force them is to create a false sense of control. .
He keeps a hawk-like watch over the castle's inhabitants (who almost universally ignore him) and tries to organize himself by establishing the direction of the wind.
