The Complete Dramatic Works (17 page)

VLADIMIR:
It’s the tree.

ESTRAGON:
Yes, but what kind?

VLADIMIR:
I don’t know. A willow.

[
ESTRAGON
draws
VLADIMIR
towards
the
tree.
They
stand
motionless
before
it.
Silence
.]

ESTRAGON:
Why don’t we hang ourselves?

VLADIMIR:
With what?

ESTRAGON:
You haven’t got a bit of rope?

VLADIMIR:
No.

ESTRAGON:
Then we can’t.

[
Silence
.]

VLADIMIR:
Let’s go.

ESTRAGON:
Wait, there’s my belt.

VLADIMIR:
It’s too short.

ESTRAGON:
You could hang on to my legs.

VLADIMIR:
And who’d hang on to mine?

ESTRAGON:
True.

VLADIMIR:
Show all the same, [
ESTRAGON
loosens
the
cord
that
holds
up
his
trousers
which,
much
too
big
for
him,
fall
about
his
ankles.
They
look
at
the
cord
.]
It might do at a pinch. But is it strong enough?

ESTRAGON:
We’ll soon see. Here.

[
They
each
take
an
end
of
the
cord
and
pull.
It
breaks.
They
almost
fall.
]

VLADIMIR:
Not worth a curse.

[
Silence
.]

ESTRAGON:
You say we have to come back tomorrow?

VLADIMIR:
Yes.

ESTRAGON:
Then we can bring a good bit of rope.

VLADIMIR:
Yes.

[
Silence
.]

ESTRAGON:
Didi.

VLADIMIR:
Yes.

ESTRAGON:
I can’t go on like this.

VLADIMIR:
That’s what you think.

ESTRAGON:
If we parted? That might be better for us.

VLADIMIR:
We’ll hang ourselves tomorrow. [
Pause
.]
Unless Godot comes.

ESTRAGON:
And if he comes?

VLADIMIR:
We’ll be saved.

[
VLADIMIR
takes
off
his
hat
(
Lucky’s
),
peers
inside
it,
feels
about
inside
it,
shakes
it,
knocks
on
the
crown,
puts
it
on
again
.]

ESTRAGON:
Well? Shall we go?

VLADIMIR:
Pull on your trousers.

ESTRAGON:
What?

VLADIMIR:
Pull on your trousers.

ESTRAGON:
You want me to pull off my trousers?

VLADIMIR:
Pull on your trousers.

ESTRAGON:
[
Realizing
his
trousers
are
down
.]
True.

[
He
pulls
up
his
trousers.
]

VLADIMIR:
Well? Shall we go?

ESTRAGON:
Yes, let’s go.

[
They
do
not
move
.]

CURTAIN

First performed in Great Britain in French as
Fin
de
partie
on 3 April 1957 at the Royal Court Theatre, London. English translation by the author
first published in 1958 by Faber and Faber Limited.

HAMM

CLOV

NAGG

NELL

CLOV:
[
Fixed
gaze,
tonelessly
.]
Finished, it’s finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished. [
Pause.
]
Grain upon grain, one by one, and one day, suddenly, there’s a heap, a little heap,
the impossible heap. [
Pause
.]
I can’t be punished any more. [
Pause.
]
I’ll go now to my kitchen, ten feet by ten feet by ten feet, and wait for him to
whistle me. [
Pause
.]
Nice dimensions, nice proportions, I’ll lean on the table, and look at the wall,
and wait for him to whistle me. [
He
remains
a
moment
motionless,
then
goes
out.
He
comes
back
immediately,
goes
to
window
right,
takes
up
the
ladder
and
carries
it
out.
Pause,
HAMM
stirs.
He
yawns
under
the
handkerchief.
He
removes
the
handkerchief
from
his
face.
Very
red
face.
Black
glasses
.]

HAMM:
Me – [
he
yawns
]
– to play. [
He
holds
the
handkerchief
spread
out
before
him
.]
Old stancher! [
He
takes
off
his
glasses,
wipes
his
eyes,
his
face,
the
glasses,
puts
them
on
again,
folds
the
handkerchief
and
puts
it
neatly
in
the
breast-pocket
of
his
dressing-gown.
He
clears
his
throat,
joins
the
tips
of
his
fingers
.]
Can there be misery – [
he
yawns
]
– loftier than mine? No doubt. Formerly. But now? [
Pause.
]
My father? [
Pause
.]
My mother? [
Pause
.] My … dog? [
Pause
.]
Oh I am willing to believe they suffer as much as such creatures can suffer. But
does that mean their sufferings equal mine? No doubt. [
Pause
.]
No, all is a – [
he
yawns
]
–
bsolute, [
proudly
]
the bigger a man is the fuller he is. [
Pause.
Gloomily
.]
And the emptier. [
He
sniffs
.]
Clov! [
Pause
.]
No, alone. [
Pause
.]
What dreams! Those forests! [
Pause
.]
Enough, it’s time it ended, in the refuge too. [
Pause
.]
And yet I hesitate, I hesitate to … to end. Yes, there it is, it’s time it ended
and yet I hesitate to – [
he
yawns
]
–
to end. [
Yawns
.]
God, I’m tired, I’d be better off in bed. [
He
whistles.
Enter
CLOV
immediately.
He
halts
beside
the
chair
.]
You pollute the air! [
Pause
.] Get
me ready, I’m going to bed.

CLOV:
I’ve just got you up.

HAMM:
And what of it?

CLOV:
I can’t be getting you up and putting you to bed every five minutes, I have things
to do.

[
Pause
.]

HAMM:
Did you ever see my eyes?

CLOV:
No.

HAMM:
Did you never have the curiosity, while I was sleeping, to take off my glasses and
look at my eyes?

CLOV:
Pulling back the lids? [
Pause.
]
No.

HAMM:
One of these days I’ll show them to you. [
Pause.
]
It seems they’ve gone all white. [
Pause
.]
What time is it?

CLOV:
The same as usual.

HAMM:
[
Gesture
towards
window
right
.]
Have you looked?

CLOV:
Yes.

HAMM:
Well?

CLOV:
Zero.

HAMM:
It’d need to rain.

CLOV:
It won’t rain.

[
Pause
.]

HAMM:
Apart from that, how do you feel?

CLOV:
I don’t complain.

HAMM:
You feel normal?

CLOV:
[
Irritably
.]
I tell you I don’t complain!

HAMM:
I feel a little queer. [
Pause
.] Clov!

CLOV:
Yes.

HAMM:
Have you not had enough?

CLOV:
Yes! [
Pause
.] Of what?

HAMM:
Of this … this … thing.

CLOV:
I always had. [
Pause
.]
Not you?

HAMM:
[
Gloomily
.]
Then there’s no reason for it to change.

CLOV:
It may end. [
Pause
.]
All life long the same questions, the same answers.

HAMM:
Get me ready, [
CLOV
does
not
move
.] Go and get the sheet, [
CLOV
does
not
move
.] Clov!

CLOV:
Yes.

HAMM:
I’ll give you nothing more to eat.

CLOV:
Then we’ll die.

HAMM:
I’ll give you just enough to keep you from dying. You’ll be hungry all the time.

CLOV:
Then we shan’t die. [
Pause
.]
I’ll go and get the sheet.

[
He
goes
towards
the
door
.]

HAMM:
No! [
CLOV
halts
.]
I’ll give you one biscuit per day. [
Pause
.]
One and a half. [
Pause
.]
Why do you stay with me?

CLOV:
Why do you keep me?

HAMM:
There’s no one else.

CLOV:
There’s nowhere else.

[
Pause.
]

HAMM:
You’re leaving me all the same.

CLOV:
I’m trying.

HAMM:
You don’t love me.

CLOV:
No.

HAMM:
You loved me once.

CLOV:
Once!

HAMM:
I’ve made you suffer too much. [
Pause
.]
Haven’t I?

CLOV:
It’s not that.

HAMM:
[
Shocked
.] I haven’t made you suffer too much?

CLOV:
Yes!

HAMM:
[
Relieved
.] Ah you gave me a fright! [
Pause.
Coldly
.] Forgive me. [
Pause.
Louder
.] I said, Forgive me.

CLOV:
I heard you. [
Pause
.]
Have you bled?

HAMM
: Less. [
Pause
.]
Is it not time for my pain-killer?

CLOV:
No.

[
Pause
.]

HAMM:
How are your eyes?

CLOV:
Bad.

HAMM:
How are your legs?

CLOV:
Bad.

HAMM:
But you can move.

CLOV:
Yes.

HAMM:
[
Violently
.]
Then move! [
CLOV
goes
to
back
wall,
leans
against
it
with
his
forehead
and
hands
.] Where are you?

CLOV:
Here.

HAMM:
Come back! [
CLOV
returns
to
his
place
beside
the
chair
.] Where are you?

CLOV:
Here.

HAMM:
Why don’t you kill me?

CLOV:
I don’t know the combination of the larder.

[
Pause
.]

HAMM:
Go and get two bicycle-wheels.

CLOV:
There are no more bicycle-wheels.

HAMM:
What have you done with your bicycle?

CLOV:
I never had a bicycle.

HAMM:
The thing is impossible.

CLOV:
When there were still bicycles I wept to have one. I crawled at your feet. You told
me to get out to hell. Now there are none.

HAMM:
And your rounds? When you inspected my paupers. Always on foot?

CLOV:
Sometimes on horse. [
The
lid
of
one
of
the
bins
lifts
and
the
hands
of
NAGG
appear,
gripping
the
rim.
Then
his
head
emerges.
Nightcap.
Very
white
face,
NAGG
yawns,
then
listens.
]
I’ll leave you, I have things to do.

HAMM:
In your kitchen?

CLOV:
Yes.

HAMM:
Outside of here it’s death. [
Pause.
] All right, be off. [
Exit 
CLOV
.
Pause.
]
We’re getting on.

NAGG:
Me pap!

HAMM:
Accursed progenitor!

NAGG:
Me pap!

HAMM:
The old folks at home! No decency left! Guzzle, guzzle, that’s all they think of.
[
He
whistles.
Enter 
CLOV
.
He
halts
beside
the
chair
.]
Well! I thought you were leaving me.

CLOV:
Oh not just yet, not just yet.

NAGG:
Me pap!

HAMM:
Give him his pap.

CLOV:
There’s no more pap.

HAMM:
[
To
NAGG
.] Do you hear that? There’s no more pap. You’ll never get any more pap.

NAGG:
I want me pap!

HAMM:
Give him a biscuit. [
Exit
CLOV
.] Accursed fornicator! How are your stumps?

NAGG:
Never mind me stumps.

[
Enter
 
CLOV
with
biscuit
.]

CLOV:
I’m back again, with the biscuit.

[
He
gives
the
biscuit
to
 
NAGG
who
fingers
it,
sniffs
it
.]

NAGG:
[
Plaintively
.]
What is it?

CLOV:
Spratt’s medium.

NAGG:
[
As
before.
]
It’s hard! I can’t!

HAMM:
Bottle him!

[
CLOV
pushes
 
NAGG
back
into
the
bin,
closes
the
lid
.]

CLOV:
[
Returning
to
his
place
beside
the
chair
.] If age but knew!

HAMM:
Sit on him!

CLOV:
I can’t sit.

HAMM:
True. And I can’t stand.

CLOV:
So it is.

HAMM:
Every man his speciality. [
Pause
.] No phone calls? [
Pause
.]
Don’t we laugh?

CLOV:
[
After
reflection
.]
I don’t feel like it.

HAMM:
[
After
reflection
.]
Nor I. [
Pause.
]
Clov!

CLOV:
Yes.

HAMM:
Nature has forgotten us.

CLOV:
There’s no more nature.

HAMM:
No more nature! You exaggerate.

CLOV:
In the vicinity.

HAMM:
But we breathe, we change! We lose our hair, our teeth! Our bloom! Our ideals!