The Main Dorms common room, Monday afternoong
Guildenstern was reading a history book. Rosencrantz was looking thoughtful as he put together a perpetual motion machine made out of soda cans, christmas lights, and a hamburger roll.
"Did you ever think of yourself as actually dead, lying in a box with a lid on it?" he asked.
"No."
"Nor do I, really. It's silly to be depressed by it. I mean, one thinks of it like being alive in a box. One keeps forgetting to take into account the fact that one is dead, which should make all the difference, shouldn't it? I mean, you'd never *know* you were in a box, would you? It would be just like you were asleep in a box. Not that I'd like to sleep in a box, mind you. Not without any air. You'd wake up dead for a start, and then where would you be? In a box. That's the bit I don't like, frankly. That's why I don't think of it. Because you'd be helpless, wouldn't you? Stuffed in a box like that. I mean, you'd be in there forever, even taking into account the fact that you're dead. It isn't a pleasant thought. Especially if you're dead, really. Ask yourself, if I asked you straight off, "I'm going to stuff you in this box. Now, would you rather be alive or dead?" naturally, you'd prefer to be alive. Life in a box is better than no life at all, I expect. You'd have a chance, at least. You could lie there thinking, 'Well, at least I'm not dead. In a minute somebody is going to bang on the lid, and tell me to come out.'" He nodded and banged on the table. "'Hey you! What's your name? Come out of there!'"
Guildenstern flipped the page of his book and read a few more paragraphs while Rosencrantz watched him, looking hopeful. Finally, Guildenstern looked up. "I think I'm going to kill you."
[ooc: open! Dialogue taken from the movie (as per IMDb.com)]
"Did you ever think of yourself as actually dead, lying in a box with a lid on it?" he asked.
"No."
"Nor do I, really. It's silly to be depressed by it. I mean, one thinks of it like being alive in a box. One keeps forgetting to take into account the fact that one is dead, which should make all the difference, shouldn't it? I mean, you'd never *know* you were in a box, would you? It would be just like you were asleep in a box. Not that I'd like to sleep in a box, mind you. Not without any air. You'd wake up dead for a start, and then where would you be? In a box. That's the bit I don't like, frankly. That's why I don't think of it. Because you'd be helpless, wouldn't you? Stuffed in a box like that. I mean, you'd be in there forever, even taking into account the fact that you're dead. It isn't a pleasant thought. Especially if you're dead, really. Ask yourself, if I asked you straight off, "I'm going to stuff you in this box. Now, would you rather be alive or dead?" naturally, you'd prefer to be alive. Life in a box is better than no life at all, I expect. You'd have a chance, at least. You could lie there thinking, 'Well, at least I'm not dead. In a minute somebody is going to bang on the lid, and tell me to come out.'" He nodded and banged on the table. "'Hey you! What's your name? Come out of there!'"
Guildenstern flipped the page of his book and read a few more paragraphs while Rosencrantz watched him, looking hopeful. Finally, Guildenstern looked up. "I think I'm going to kill you."
[ooc: open! Dialogue taken from the movie (as per IMDb.com)]