Shelter

The shelter is an unnamed refuge, ostensibly the last haven for humankind on Earth. It stands as a paradoxical structure, offering both protection and imprisonment to its inhabitants as they linger in the twilight of their existence. This dim sanctuary is starkly portrayed with two small curtained windows high on the back wall, through which glimpses of the outside world—a bleak, ashen gray sea, sky, and sun—can barely be detected. These sparse views symbolize the decline of time and the imminent extinction of life itself.

Within the shelter resides Hamm, the blind master of the house. His immobility confines him to a chair on castors, and his survival depends on a daily regimen of stimulants, painkillers, and care from his servant, Clov. This morbid routine punctuates the cyclical nature of their existence, highlighting the shelter's role as both a sanctuary and a crypt. Clov attends to Hamm's every need, ensuring his master is fed and “put to bed” each evening, reinforcing the master-servant dynamic between them. Meanwhile, Hamm's parents, Nagg and Nell, are reduced to legless remnants, contained in ash cans at the stage's forefront—a stark metaphor for Hamm's view of them as "accursed progenitors" and mere "garbage." Their confinement further emphasizes the shelter's grim reality as they periodically emerge to converse or seek sustenance.

Outside World

The world beyond the shelter, though fading, seems to hold more allure than the stifling interior, which is a psychological purgatory with scant provisions. The outside, while dying, represents a freedom the characters inside cannot attain. Hamm, a master both sadistic and childlike, revels in the anguish he inflicts upon those dependent on him, embodying a twisted father figure. Despite this, the possibility of escape lingers. Clov, who serves Hamm yet harbors his own desires for independence, finds himself psychologically tethered to his master, even as he prepares to leave. As the play draws to a close, Clov stands at the threshold, suitcase in hand, poised to make his departure. This moment captures the tension between the desire for liberation and the gravitational pull of entrenched relationships and obligations.

Nuclear Capability

While Beckett does not specify the time and place for the characters and events in Endgame, the play's solitary set can be interpreted as a bomb shelter following a nuclear explosion that has likely decimated much, if not all, life outside. This was a significant fear during the time Beckett wrote and staged the play in 1957. Although this fear persists today, in 1957, it was at its peak, and the possibility of such an event seemed dangerously imminent.

The Cold War

The late 1950s and 1960s were overshadowed by the Cold War, a fierce competition between the United States and its allies against the Soviet Union. Post-World War II, Europe was split into two spheres of influence: a capitalist west and a socialist east. This rivalry quickly expanded globally, perpetually threatening to escalate into a full-scale nuclear conflict. The struggle turned violent in 1950 when North Korea, backed by communists, invaded South Korea, sparking the Korean War, which concluded with the nation divided.

The Eisenhower Doctrine

Announced by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower on January 5, 1957, the Eisenhower Doctrine promised military and economic aid to any Middle Eastern country needing assistance against communist aggression. This doctrine marked another intensification of the Cold War, aimed at curbing the Soviet Union's growing influence in the Middle East and their increased support for Arab states.

The Absurdists

Among the French writers known as the absurdists, Arthur Adamov, Eugène Ionesco, Jean Genet, and Samuel Beckett were the most prominent....

In the realm of the absurd, Samuel Beckett's Endgame stands as a profound testament to the playwright's unique style and technique. Beckett's work challenges traditional theatre norms, inviting audiences to grapple with the blurred lines between reality and performance. Through a combination of visual performance, introspective dialogue, and intricate stage directions, Endgame offers a vivid exploration of human existence.

Words and Stage Directions

Beckett's Endgame is renowned for its self-referential dialogue and the emphasis on the performative nature of theatre. The characters often break the fourth wall, as Hamm muses, "All kinds of fantasies! That I’m being watched!" This line reminds the audience of their role within the play’s structure, highlighting their participation in the characters' existential journey. The use of physical elements—like Hamm’s armchair and the ashbins in which Nagg and Nell reside—creates a vivid, tangible world that contrasts with the starkness of the dialogue. These stage directions are not mere instructions but crucial components that establish a dynamic relationship between characters and the physical world.

Beckett's dialogue is a master class in minimalism and abstraction. His language is deliberately fragmented, with words often contradicting one another or left incomplete, reflecting the characters' inner turmoil and search for meaning. The play opens with Clov's line: "Finished, it’s finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished." This repetition underscores an ongoing obsession with endings, setting the tone for the existential musings that follow. As the characters engage with their empty surroundings, their language mirrors a delicate dance between comprehension and ambiguity.

Beckett’s Minor Plot

The secondary storyline of Endgame involves Hamm's parents, Nagg and Nell, offering a poignant glimpse into Beckett's unconventional narrative structure. Unlike traditional plays with a clear arc, Endgame features a subtle, almost stagnant plot where nothing seems to change. Nagg and Nell's history hints at a romantic past, but now they are reduced to living in ashbins, neglected by their son. Their conversations frequently return to memories of youth, serving as a bittersweet reminder of their lost vitality and the inevitability of decline. By the play’s conclusion, both characters have passed away, having experienced little satisfaction, their story a reflection on the futility of clinging to bygone days.

Theater of the Absurd

Beckett's Endgame is a seminal work within the theater of the absurd, a genre that emerged in the 1950s. Following his groundbreaking play Waiting for Godot, Beckett continued to explore themes of existential despair and the absurdity of human experience with Endgame. This genre is characterized by its departure from conventional storytelling, focusing instead on the irrational nature of life and the human struggle for meaning in a seemingly indifferent universe. Through its disjointed dialogue and bleak setting, Endgame embodies the essence of absurdist theater, pushing audiences to confront the discomfort of uncertainty and the limitations of language.

In weaving together these elements, Beckett crafts a play that is as intellectually stimulating as it is profoundly moving. Endgame challenges its audience to reflect on the performative aspects of life itself, where every action and word becomes a part of a larger, often inexplicable narrative. Beckett's innovative approach to storytelling and dialogue continues to resonate, offering a timeless exploration of the human condition.

1950s: The United States and the Soviet Union have conflicting loyalties and support in the Middle East. The fear of nuclear war intensifies.

Today: The United States and England are involved in a war with Iraq. The United States combats terrorism globally. North Korea has nuclear weapons, making the threat of nuclear war feel very real once more.

1950s: Russian scientists launch Sputnik, marking the start of the space race with the United States.

Today: Since the 1990s, Russian cosmonauts have collaborated with American astronauts on the Mir space station. The United States and Russia continue to work together on space exploration and research.

1950s: Eugene O’Neill posthumously receives the Pulitzer Prize in Drama for Long Day’s Journey into Night.

Today: Suzan-Lori Parks wins the Pulitzer Prize in Drama for Topdog/Underdog.

1950s: Albert Camus is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature ‘‘for his significant literary production that, with clear-sighted earnestness, illuminates the issues of human conscience in our times.’’

Today: Imre Kertész from Hungary wins the Nobel Prize in Literature ‘‘for writing that upholds the fragile experience of the individual against the barbaric arbitrariness of history.’’

Released by Ambrose Video on DVD in 2002, the Beckett on Film DVD set marks the first-ever cinematic presentation of all nineteen plays by Samuel Beckett. The renowned Beckett on Film project unites some of the most prominent directors and actors working today. The directors involved include Atom Egoyan, Damien Hirst, Neil Jordan, Conor McPherson, Damien O’Donnell, David Mamet, Anthony Minghella, Karel Reisz, and Patricia Rozema.

The project also features exceptional acting talent, such as Michael Gambon, the late Sir John Gielgud, John Hurt, Jeremy Irons, Julianne Moore, Harold Pinter, Alan Rickman, and Kristin Scott-Thomas. Several films from the Beckett on Film project have been showcased at international film festivals in cities like New York, Toronto, and Venice.

Sources

Aristotle, "VI," in Aristotle’s Poetics, translated by S. H. Butcher, Hill and Wang, 1989, p. 61.

Bernard, Marc, Review of Endgame, in Nouvelles littéraires, May 5, 1957.

Clarke, P. H., "Translator’s Foreword," in Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge, by Y. Averbakh, Pergamon Press, 1966, p. vii.

Cronin, Anthony, "Chapter Twenty-Nine," in Samuel Beckett: The Last Modernist, HarperCollins, 1997, pp. 459–60.

Gussow, Mel, "The Stage: Chaikin Directs Beckett’s Endgame," in the New York Times, January 14, 1980.

Tynan, Kenneth, Review of Endgame, in the Observer, April 7, 1957.

Worsley, T. C., Review of Endgame, in the Listener, November 4, 1957.

Further Reading

Abbott, H. Porter, The Fiction of Samuel Beckett: Form and Effect, University of California Press, 1973. This book includes chapters on Beckett’s early short fiction and explores the connection between his stories and novels.

Bair, Deidre, Samuel Beckett: A Biography, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978. This comprehensive biography of the elusive Samuel Beckett is extensive in scope but understandably imperfect.

Ben-Zvi, Linda, Samuel Beckett, Twayne Publishers, 1986. Due to the vast range of Beckett’s writings, this study offers a concise analysis of each of his works.

Bloom, Harold, ed., Samuel Beckett’s "Endgame," Modern Critical Interpretations series, Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. Bloom compiles what many regard as the eight finest critical interpretations of the play.

Coe, Richard, Samuel Beckett, Grove Press, 1964. Coe’s examination of Beckett centers on his philosophical influences.

Cohn, Ruby, Back to Beckett, Princeton University Press, 1973. Cohn offers an in-depth analysis of Beckett’s fiction and plays.

Zurbrugg, Nicholas, "Ill Seen Ill Said and the Sense of an Ending," in Beckett’s Later Fiction and Drama: Texts for Company, edited by James Acheson and Kateryna Arthur, Macmillan Press, 1987. Zurbrugg argues that Ill Seen Ill Said is less a narrative and more a poetic representation of the rituals through which the living and the dead in Beckett’s fiction perpetually, but ineffectively, seek a conclusive "sense of an ending."