"QUOTES"

Hi J

            Absurd plays can seem like a total nonsense. However, they always hide something behind all their strangeness. Endgame is no exception. Lot of people complain that it is totally weird. Still, it contains lot of (hopefully meaningful) symbols. Here are few quotes that might help you to understand it more.     

 

“Finished, it's finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished”

 By Clov

            This is the first line that is said in the play. What a paradox the play start with word finished. The name Endgame already hinds that something is going to end. What Clov mean by that? As you may already know (from previous blog articles) Clov plans to go and leave Hamm.

“Then there's no reason for it to change.”

By Hamm

            Ham is the master of the room (the place where the whole play happens). As I mentioned earlier, one of the theme of Endgame and absurd plays in general is cycle. It might refers to everyday living that Hamm and others have to live together. Another theme can be “scare of the DEATH.” Our characters live in a weir room and the world outside seems post apocalyptic. The characters are actually waiting for dead and Hamm by saying “no reason for it to change” meant “I still don’t want to die.”

“Why this farce, day after day?”

By Nell

            Nell is the only women in the whole play. She is wife of Nagg and Nagg really loves her. She said this quote after they failed to kiss each other. The line can mean more than being in miserable life. Actually, it point out, that Nell start to question. She as a only female character was able to think of something that complex. In other words “isn’t this ridiculous?” She also as the only character died in the play. This could be her reward after all, she as the only one realized that their life is Absurd. 

“Don't say that.”(When Nell hind that everything is useless)

“Do you remember?”

“Do you want to go in?”

By Nagg

            These quotes are all said by Nagg to Nell. These line are examples of how madly in love is Nagg with Nell. He is only character, that shows true emotions. The other characters are not showing much emotion including Hamm when his mother died. He also cry when he found out that Nell died. It is really sad because Nell and Nagg cannot touch each other, even though they live next to each other.

“Old endgame lost of old, play and lose and have done with losing.”

By Hamm

            The word endgame (also name of the play) is term in chess that is use when the game is almost finished and only few figures remain. This quote summarize it all, in this case end that is near and which lead to losing. The characters in the play are in “destroyed world” and are probably only one who remains and

their own end is coming.  

Review and Critic (What other think)

Hi J

"Samuel Beckett ... obviously knew Endgame was a stupendously boring play and took precautions to keep his audience awake. This Beckettian nightmare makes Waiting for Godot look positively mainstream and giddy”

Quentin Letts in the Daily Mail 

            This very personal and negative criticism was written by Quentin Richard Stephen Letts who is British journalist and theatre critic. Was the play that horrible? Does he really hate Beckett and his works so much? Was he addressing to the play itself or just a performance?

                I am not critic.  Still I would like to defend and support this play (make it more positive ^.^). First of all, Quentin seems to “hate” Beckett’s works in general. He refers to them as Beckettian nightmares and mentioned Beckett’s other work (Waiting for Godot) as something bad and from his tone Endgame is probably even worst. I cannot say that Mr. Letts is wrong. After all, he is the real critic and it is just HIS opinion and if he does not like Beckett, just leave him hating it.

                Absurd plays are weird, that is true but there is reason for it. Just the word ABSURD says that the plays are nothing easy to understand. Not all of us can get it for first time or second or third or ever. The plays are usually difficult to be understand due to the style of it language. The basic concept is to point out that there is lack of communication among the people (as you remember). Another fact is that Absurd plays have no historical context to the plot or any specific information about the characters. That makes everything more difficult and confusing.

                Endgame is no exemption. The play is strange; we do not really know anything specific about the character (at the beginning) and the language that is use is very nonsensical from times. The reason for that is to force the audience to make the rest of the story up and make their own way to understand it.

                In conclusion, the theatre of the absurd is making us (the audience) think about the play. Some people will like it and some people will not. I am not the one who decides for other whether the play is awesome or bad as hell. You are the one who work it out. Hate it or love it…      

        

Protagonists VS Antagonists

Hello J

            Who are the baddies (antagonist) and goodies (protagonist) in the play Endgame? First of all, are there any good or bad/evil characters? Endgame is not ordinary (common, classical, usual) play. It is Theatre of the absurd so we cannot expect anything obvious as in Shakespeare’s plays.

            From my point of view, there are no good or bad characters. They are just characters which individually react toward each others. As you already know (if you have read my blog since beginning) there are only 4 character, Hamm, Clov, Nagg and Nell. I wouldn’t say that they are evil or nice; they are just people that somehow have to mutually be together. Don’t forget that all of them depend on each other. Hamm feeds Clov, Nagg and Nell and Clov have to take care of blind Hamm and legless Nagg and Nell.

            The relationship between Hamm and Clov is really odd. Hamm rules to everyone especially to Clov. Clov is sometimes treated as slave and he actually few times thread that he will leave. Hamm is the one that always order other to do everything but I don’t think that he is evil or bad. I would say that he is just careless.

            The relationship between Hamm and his parents is also “comical/ tragic.” Hamm is so careless; that he was not emotionally touch when his mother Nell dies (yes she dies in the play), actually no one was really touch by this event, only Nagg (father of Hamm and husband of Nell). Nagg is only one who shows feelings, he cries when Nell die. However, he “got in shape” after some time. From this, I can presume that Nagg and Nell really love each other.

            Why the characters are emotion less? I have a theory, as I previously wrote on blog, the characters might be waiting for the dead or trying to avoid it, they knew that the dead is near, that’s why no showing of feelings. (Except of Nagg, after all he really love his wife Nell)

            What is the thing that is against our four characters? The Antagonist doesn’t need to be only character. Can it be the room, that they are trap in or the outside world where is “Nothing”? The characters does not leave the room or go outside, the only one who said he will is Clov.

Again, don’t forget that this is absurd play. It is forcing us to think about it. Everyone probably have their own interpretation and this is mine.

Motif of the play

Hello J

            Samuel Beckett (13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) is the author of absurd play Endgame (as I wrote earlier). He is Irish poet, playwright and novelist who lived in France and is master in writing absurd plays. Most of his works are Tragicomic and contain lot of black and gallows humor.

            What is his reason of writing the play Endgame? We already know that the play is about hopeless human nature. His plays are Absurd and also contain existentialist theme which focused on “worth of living.” Still, what is all behind it?

            Let’s start with the name of the play. Endgame refers to term in chess which is use when the end of the game is near. Surprisingly, Beckett was big fan of chess and he was also dedicated player. The play also starts with line “It’s finished.” That supposedly refers to last part of a chess game when everything is going to finish soon. Beckett uses the chess motive in his play.

            Another evidence of the chess motive is Hamm and Clov acting and their movement on stage. Hamm acts as the king. He is the master, he is most powerful but he is most vulnerable and cannot move much (he is blind and cannot stand) as figure of the king which is the most crucial but also vulnerable one. Hamm also fears of death and he must stay alive because he is important for the play/game.

            Clov probably refers to the knight (the one with horse figure which moves in L-shape). Clov is only one that can move better than anyone else and he must ride and protect Hamm. Nagg and Nell are probably pawns (minions); they could only appear only if King (Hamm) allows it.

            Endgame symbolizes chess. The characters are the figures and the room, in which they are whole play, is the chess board. The term endgame refers to the end, to the death which is metaphor of “hopeless human nature” (mostly used in Beckett’s works) that always comes. All the characters are trying not to die (like the chess figures that must stay as long on the chess board as they can), even though the end is near. After all everybody must die and every game must be finished.