Question

Read the excerpt from Act II of Hamlet.

Hamlet: My excellent good friends! How dost thou, Guildenstern? Ah, Rosencrantz! Good lads, how do ye both?

Rosencrantz: As the indifferent children of the earth.

In this excerpt, Rosencrantz compares himself and Guildenstern to indifferent children. Which statement best describes the effect of this simile?

It emphasizes that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Hamlet’s good friends.
It shows that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are innocent characters.
It reveals that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have been friends since childhood.
It uses a strong image to show that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are sneaky.

Answer 1

It shows that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are innocent (naive) characters — calling themselves "indifferent children of the earth" casts them as simple, unaffected, and not deeply involved.