Ros and Guil are shown to have a fluid identity, "Rosen.. Guil..". Ros and Guil even mix up their own names sometimes during the play, highlighting that they are interchangeable. It is also evident that they are a double act, and shows their dependence on one another if they confuse themselves up and the same people. Stoppard uses Ros and Guil as 'every man' figures, meaning ordinary people. Ros and Guil mixing up their names is important as it suggests that ordinary people are all interchangeable. Stoppard may be suggesting that humans individually are insignificant in the world. This links into futility of human existence as it suggests that ordinary people will never be recognised, we can't make a difference, and that humans are all the same as all of our fates are the same.
Ros and Guil are not aware they are in a play, and are inactive in their lives, "Somebody might come in. It's what we're counting on after all." Ros and Guil cannot do anything unless someone else enters. They are not aware they are in a play and are only active with others present. The words 'counting on' highlights their dependence on other people. They depend on other people to gain identity as they have none of their own. If there is no other people there is no progression and they are inactive. this links into the idea that their fate is predetermined, and everything is planned out as they can only do certain things when certain people enter. Ros and Guil are stuck to a routine that they cannot escape from as every move they make has already been predetermined and planned. This highlights their lack of control and can link into the futility of the world as it can suggest humans are all dependent on others for a purposeful existence. It can also highlight humans lack of control over their lives as they can only act as how fate has planned us to do, we cannot make a move that hasn't already been predetermined. This shows that humans cannot escape our fate because it is already determined.
The coins that Ros and Guil are often seen flipping is a symbol for fate and chance. In the play when Ros uses the coin to try to cheer up Guil, by secretly holding coins in both hands represents fate, "Ros opens his hand to find a coin/Repeat/..Guil is getting tense. Desperate to lose." The fact that Ros was holding both coins in his hand all along represents how fate controls everything. No matter what Guil chose, it would always be the same. This is like their lives as no matter what decision they make, it is already predetermined, it will always end the same. In this case, no matter what they do, they will die in the end. This links to the futility of the world as it highlights the lack of control that humans have, and shows we cannot escape fate, we will die in the end despite any decisions we make. The word 'repeat' suggests that this is a routine and it is cyclical, humans are born and then they die. The words 'tense' and 'desperate' suggest that Guil is worried about these implications, and gives the audience an impression that maybe he has begun to realise he is in a play, or realise his fate and that he cannot escape from it. This can also suggest that if he loses then he could believe it is all chance, or believe he has some hope on escaping his fate. When Guil discovers Ros had coins in both hands, he questions this, "What is the point of that?" The audience can interpret this as him questioning fate, questioning why he has no control, or why he can't come to any conclusions. It can also be interpreted as what is the point of life if our fate is already written? And what is our purpose in life? This links in to Existentialism , and how after World war II people lost faith and began to question why humans were really here and what our purpose is in life if we are born and then we die.
Stoppard uses the boat that Ros and Guil are on to England to reflect the experience of living in a universe that is beyond our control, "I'm very fond of boats myself. They're very- contained." For Guil, the boat represents something like the perfect relationship between fate and free will . Guil feels safe and content on this boat. Guil is suggesting here that on boats you can be carefree and let yourself be controlled. We as the audience knows that the boat is leading them to their deaths, so as this boat had a fixed destination, Ros and Guil can move around the deck of the boat, so they can move around the stage during the course of the play's duration. The word 'contained' meaning restricted can show that he is being trapped and controlled on this boat, perhaps representing how his life is, as he is in a play and he has no control over his actions. The boat has a direction and a destination, so there is some larger purpose at work that's bigger than Ros and Guil, but at the same time, they're free to move around the deck, so to speak. Here, Guil says he is 'very fond of boats' suggesting that he likes being restricted, he doesn't mind letting himself go and letting his life be controlled by a higher being, as he wouldn't have to make any decisions for himself, or even think for himself, someone is doing this for him. The boat is causing Guil to drift from his concentration as they don't question how or why they are on a boat, they just let themselves drift and be controlled. This could link it to the futility of the world as it seems as if Guil is giving up on trying to ask the right questions and find answers, but he is letting himself be controlled which will end badly.
Stoppard suggests it is dangerous for humans to allow themselves to be controlled by chance or lose control of their lives as it will always end badly, "The boat...induce a loosening of the concentration. We must not lose control." Guil's feelings about the boat significantly changes as he begins to realise that the boat is one of the things that is making him lose his concentration and control over his life and thoughts. He is beginning to realise he is in a play, and their fate, and does not want to lose control and just be led to the end of their lives, but find answers and live for themselves. The audience notices as he begins to realise these things, his thoughts and speech become more coherent and he understands a lot more. This suggests that if people concentrate and take control in their lives, they will get farther and get closer to a solution. This quote can also be seen as ironic. 'We must not lose control' can be seen as ironic as they don't have control over their lives, no matter what they do, their fates are already written, and even if they do understand what's going on around them, they cannot run away from their fate. This links into the futility of life as no matter what we do we will end the same.
At the end of the play, there is no explanation of Ros and Guil's deaths, "They disappear". The play does not show or explain their deaths, they simply cease to exist, the audience only hears about it after. This can suggest their deaths weren't important enough to show, highlighting them as insignificant. This links to the futility of human existence as it suggests that people aren't important in this vast world. After the World War II when people lost faith in religion, they feared what came after death, or if there was anything at all. Stoppard highlights these fears, leaving questions unanswered about where we go after death and what is the purpose of life.
Stoppard examines the futility of human existence through the themes of inactivity, lack of control, incomprehensibility of the world, and lack of identity. Stoppard highlights Ros and Guil's lack of control showing that humans have no control over their lives as everything is predetermined by fate, and he highlights human existence as meaningless as we have no purpose.
