Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Fear Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Act.Line). Every time a character talks counts as one line, even if what they say turns into a long monologue.

Quote #4

ROS leaps up and bellow at the audience.
ROS: Fire! … Not a move. They should burn to death in their shoes. (2.70)

As an audience member, why wouldn't one be afraid when a character in a play yells fire? How does fear remain contained within a dramatic context? Does this say something about how much drama can come to affect the way that we think about our daily lives?

Quote #5

ROS: We're overawed, that's our trouble. When it comes to the point we succumb to their personality… (2.227).

What does Ros mean by "overawed?" Is it just a fancy term for being afraid? Why do his nerves fail when he approaches Hamlet? Is his shyness a type of fear – what is he afraid of?

Quote #6

GUIL: You scream and choke and sink to your knees, but it doesn't bring death home to anyone – it doesn't catch them unawares and start the whisper in their skulls that says – "One day you are going to die." (2.338)

What is the point of being afraid of death? Does Guil just want company in his fear?