Act 1, p. 1-20 Summary

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are two Elizabethans who are passing the time in a non-descript location. The two are well dressed in the custom of the time with hats, walking sticks, and cloaks, and they each carry a large leather moneybag. Strangely, the bag carried by Guildenstern is nearly empty, while the one carried by Rosencrantz is nearly full.

The two of them pass the time by playing a sort of gambling game. Guildenstern takes a coin from his bag and spins it. When it falls, Rosencrantz looks at it, declares that it has landed "heads" and puts the coin into his own moneybag. The two repeat the process again and again with the same result. The men have playing this game for some time, with the result that Guildenstern has lost most of his money to Rosencrantz. Each time...