The Complete Dramatic Works (25 page)

CLOV:
[
Dismayed.
]
Looks like a small boy!

HAMM:
[
Sarcastic
]
A small … boy!

CLOV:
I’ll go and see. [
He
gets
down,
drops
the
telescope,
goes
towards
door,
turns.
]
I’ll take the gaff.

[
He
looks
for
the
gaff,
sees
it,
picks
it
up,
hastens
towards
door.
]

HAMM:
No!

[
CLOV
halts.
]

CLOV:
No? A potential procreator?

HAMM:
If he exists he’ll die there or he’ll come here. And if he doesn’t …

[
Pause.
]

CLOV:
You don’t believe me? You think I’m inventing?

[
Pause.
]

HAMM:
It’s the end, Clov, we’ve come to the end. I don’t need you any more.

[
Pause.
]

CLOV:
Lucky for you.

[
He
goes
towards
door.
]

HAMM:
Leave me the gaff.

[
CLOV
gives
him
the
gaff,
goes
towards
door,
halts,
looks
at
alarm-clock,
takes
it
down,
looks
round
for
a
better
place
to
put
it,
goes
to
bins,
puts
it
on
lid
of
 
NAGG
’
s
bin.
Pause.
]

CLOV:
I’ll leave you.

[
He
goes
towards
door.
]

HAMM:
Before you go … [
CLOV
halts
near
door
]
… say something.

CLOV:
There is nothing to say.

HAMM:
A few words … to ponder … in my heart.

CLOV:
Your heart!

HAMM:
Yes. [
Pause.
Forcibly.
]
Yes! [
Pause.
]
With the rest, in the end, the shadows, the murmurs, all the trouble, to end up with.
[
Pause.
] Clov … He never spoke to me. Then, in the end, before he went, without my having
asked him, he spoke to me. He said …

CLOV:
[
Despairingly.
]
Ah …!

HAMM:
Something … from your heart.

CLOV:
My heart!

HAMM:
A few words … from your heart.

[
Pause.
]

CLOV:
[
Fixed
gaze,
tonelessly,
towards
auditorium.
]
They said to me, That’s love, yes yes, not a doubt, now you see how –

HAMM:
Articulate!

CLOV:
[
As
before.
]
How easy it is. They said to me, That’s
friendship, yes yes, no question, you’ve found it. They said to me, Here’s the place,
stop, raise your head and look at all that beauty. That order! They said to me, Come
now, you’re not a brute beast, think upon these things and you’ll see how all becomes
clear. And simple! They said to me, What skilled attention they get, all these dying
of their wounds.

HAMM:
Enough!

CLOV:
[
As
before.
]
I say to myself – sometimes, Clov, you must learn to suffer better than that if you
want them to weary of punishing you – one day. I say to myself – sometimes, Clov,
you must be there better than that if you want them to let you go – one day. But I
feel too old, and too far, to form new habits. Good, it’ll never end, I’ll never go.
[
Pause.
]
Then one day, suddenly, it ends, it changes, I don’t understand, it dies, or it’s
me, I don’t understand that either. I ask the words that remain – sleeping, waking,
morning, evening. They have nothing to say. [
Pause.
]
I open the door of the cell and go. I am so bowed I only see my feet, if I open my
eyes, and between my legs a little trail of black dust. I say to myself that the earth
is extinguished, though I never saw it lit. [
Pause.
]
It’s easy going. [
Pause.
] When I fall I’ll weep for happiness.

[
Pause.
He
goes
towards
door.
]

HAMM:
Clov! [
CLOV
halts,
without
turning.
]
Nothing. [
CLOV
moves
on.
]
Clov!

[
CLOV
halts,
without
turning.
]

CLOV:
This is what we call making an exit.

HAMM:
I’m obliged to you, Clov. For your services.

CLOV:
[
Turning,
sharply.
]
Ah pardon, it’s I am obliged to you.

HAMM:
It’s we are obliged to each other. [
Pause,
 
CLOV
goes
towards
door.
]
One thing more, [
CLOV
halts.
]
A last favour. [
Exit
 
CLOV
.] Cover me with the sheet. [
Long
pause.
]
No? Good. [
Pause.
]
Me to play. [
Pause.
Wearily.
] Old endgame lost of old, play and lose and have done with losing. [
Pause.
More
animated.
]
Let me see. [
Pause.
]
Ah yes! [
He
tries
to
move
the
chair,
using
the
gaff
as
before.
Enter
 
CLOV
,
dressed
for
the
road.
Panama
hat,
tweed
coat,
raincoat
over
his
arm,
umbrella,
bag.
He
halts
by
the
door  
and
stands
there,
impassive
and
motionless,
his
eyes
fixed
on
 
HAMM
,
till
the
end.
 
HAMM
gives
up.
]
Good. [
Pause.
] Discard. [
He
throws
away
the
gaff,
makes
to
throw
away
the
dog,
thinks
better
of
it.
]
Take it easy. [
Pause.
]
And now? [
Pause.
]
Raise hat. [
He
raises
his
toque.
]
Peace to our … arses. [
Pause.
]
And put on again. [
He
puts
on
his
toque.
]
Deuce. [
Pause.
He
takes
off
his
glasses.
]
Wipe. [
He
takes
out
his
handkerchief
and,
without
unfolding
it,
wipes
his
glasses.
]
And put on again. [
He
puts
on
his
glasses,
puts
back
the
handkerchief
in
his
pocket.
]
We’re coming. A few more squirms like that and I’ll call. [
Pause.
]
A little poetry. [
Pause.
]
You prayed – [
Pause.
He
corrects
himself.
]
You CRIED for night; it comes – [
Pause.
He
corrects
himself.
] It FALLS: now cry in darkness. [
He
repeats,
chanting.
] You cried for night; it falls: now cry in darkness. [
Pause.
] Nicely put, that. [
Pause.
]
And now? [
Pause.
]
Moments for nothing, now as always, time was never and time is over, reckoning closed
and story ended. [
Pause.
Narrative
tone.
] If he could have his child with him … [
Pause.
]
It was the moment I was waiting for. [
Pause.
]
You don’t want to abandon him? You want him to bloom while you are withering? Be
there to solace your last million last moments? [
Pause.
]
He doesn’t realize, all he knows is hunger, and cold, and death to crown it all.
But you! You ought to know what the earth is like, nowadays. Oh, I put him before
his responsibilities! [
Pause.
Normal
tone.
]
Well, there we are, there I am, that’s enough. [
He
raises
the
whistle
to
his
lips,
hesitates,
drops
it.
Pause.
]
Yes, truly! [
He
whistles.
Pause.
Louder.
Pause.
]
Good. [
Pause.
] Father! [
Pause.
Louder.
]
Father! [
Pause.
]
Good. [
Pause.
] We’re coming. [
Pause.
]
And to end up with? [
Pause.
] Discard. [
He
throws
away
the
dog.
He
tears
the
whistle
from
his
neck.
]
With my compliments. [
He
throws
whistle
towards
auditorium.
Pause.
He
sniffs.
Soft.
] Clov! [
Long
pause.
]
No? Good. [
He
takes
out
the
handkerchief
.] Since that’s the way we’re playing it … [
he
unfolds
handkerchief
] … let’s play it that way … [
he
unfolds
] … and speak no more about it … [
he
finishes
unfolding
]
… speak no more. [
He
holds
the
handkerchief
spread
out
before
him.
]
Old stanched [
Pause.
]
You … remain. [
Pause.
He
covers
his
face
with
handkerchief,
lowers
his
arms
to
armrests,
remains
motionless.
]

[
Brief
tableau.
]

CURTAIN

First performed in New York on 17 September 1961 at the Cherry Lane Theatre. First
published in 1961 by Grove Press Inc., New York. First published in Great Britain
in 1963 by Faber and Faber Limited.

WINNIE
a woman of about fifty

WILLIE
a man of about sixty

WINNIE:
[
Gazing
at
zenith.
]
Another heavenly day. [
Pause.
Head
back
level,
eyes
front,
pause.
She
clasps
hands
to
breast,
closes
eyes.
Lips
move
in
inaudible
prayer,
say
ten
seconds.
Lips
still.
Hands
remain
clasped.
Low.
]
For Jesus Christ sake Amen. [
Eyes
open,
hands
unclasp,
return
to
mound.
Pause.
She
clasps
hands
to
breast
again,
closes
eyes,
lips
move
again
in
inaudible
addendum,
say
five
seconds.
Low.
]
World without end Amen. [
Eyes
open,
hands
unclasp,
return
to
mound.
Pause.
]
Begin, Winnie. [
Pause.
]
Begin your day, Winnie. [
Pause.
She
turns
to
bag,
rummages
in
it
without
moving
it
from
its
place,
brings 
out
toothbrush,
rummages
again,
brings
out
flat
tube
of
toothpaste,
turns
back
front,
unscrews
cap
of
tube,
lays
cap
on
ground,
squeezes
with
difficulty
small
blob
of
paste
on
brush,
holds
tube
in
one
hand
and
brushes
teeth
with
other.
She
turns
modestly
aside
and
back
to
her
right
to
spit
out
behind
mound.
In
this
position
her
eyes
rest
on
 
WILLIE
.
She
spits
out.
She
cranes
a
little
farther
back
and
down.
Loud.
]
Hoo-oo! [
Pause.
Louder.
] Hoo-oo! [
Pause.
Tender
smile
as
she
turns
back
front,
lays
down
brush.
]
Poor Willie – [
examines
tube,
smile
off
]
– running out – [
looks
for
cap
]
–
ah well – [
finds
cap
]
– can’t be helped – [
screws
on
cap
]
– just one of those old things – [
lays
down
tube
]
– another of those old things – [
turns
towards
bag
]
–
just can’t be cured – [
rummages
in
bag
]
– cannot be cured – [
brings
out
small
mirror,
turns
back
front
]
– ah yes – [
inspects
teeth
in
mirror
]
– poor dear Willie – [
testing
upper
front
teeth
with
thumb,
indistinctly
]
–
good Lord! – [
pulling
back
upper
lip
to
inspect
gums,
do.
]
–
good God! – [
pulling
back
corner
of
mouth,
mouth
open,
do.
]
– ah well – [
other
corner,
do.
]
–
no worse – [
abandons
inspection,
normal
speech
]
–
no better, no worse – [
lays
down
mirror
] – no change – [
wipes
fingers
on
grass
]
– no pain – [
looks
for
toothbrush
]
– hardly any – [
takes
up
toothbrush
]
– great thing that – [
examines
handle
of
brush
]
– nothing like it – [
examines
handle,
reads
]
– pure … what? – [
pause
]
–
what? – [
lays
down
brush
]
– ah yes – [
turns
towards
bag
]
–
poor Willie – [
rummages
in
bag
]
–
no zest – [
rummages
]
– for anything – [
brings
out
spectacles
in
case
]
– no interest – [
turns
back
front
]
– in life – [
takes
spectacles
from
case
]
– poor dear Willie – [
lays
down
case
]
– sleep for ever – [
opens
spectacles
]
–
marvellous gift – [
puts
on
spectacles
]
–
nothing to touch it – [
looks
for
toothbrush
]
– in my opinion – [
takes
up
toothbrush
]
– always said so – [
examines
handle
of
brush
]
– wish I had it – [
examines
handle,
reads
]
– genuine … pure … what? – [
lays
down
brush
]
–
blind next – [
takes
off
spectacles
]
– ah well – [
lays
down
spectacles
]
– seen enough – [
feels
in
bodice
for
handkerchief
]
– I suppose – [
takes
out
folde
d
handkerchief]
– by now – [
shakes
out
handkerchief
]
 
– what are those wonderful lines – [
wipes
one
eye
]
– woe woe is me – [
wipes
the
other
]
–
to see what I see – [
looks
for
spectacles
]
– ah yes – [
takes
up
spectacles
]
–
wouldn’t miss it – [
starts
polishing
spectacles,
breathing
on
lenses
]
– or would I? – [
polishes
]
– holy light – [
polishes
]
 
–
bob up out of dark – [
polishes
]
– blaze of hellish light. [
Stops
polishing,
raises
face
to
sky,
pause,
head
back
level,
resumes
polishing,
stops
polishing,
cranes
back
to
her
right
and
down.
]
Hoo-oo! [
Pause.
Tender
smile
as
she
turns
back
front
and
resumes
polishing.
Smile
off.
]
Marvellous gift – [
stops
polishing,
lays
down
spectacles
]
– wish I had it – [
folds
handkerchief
]
– ah well – [
puts
handkerchief
back
in
bodice
]
–
can’t complain – [
looks
for
spectacles
]
 
– no no – [
takes
up
spectacles
]
– mustn’t complain – [
holds
up
spectacles,
looks
through
lens
]
–
so much to be thankful for – [
looks
through
other
lens
]
–
no pain – [
puts
on
spectacles
]
– hardly any – [
looks
for
toothbrush
]
 
– wonderful thing that – [
takes
up
toothbrush
]
 
– nothing like it – [
examines
handle
of
brush
]
 
–
slight headache sometimes – [
examines
handle,
reads
]
 
– guaranteed … genuine … pure … what? – [
looks
closer
]
 
– genuine pure … – [
takes
handkerchief
from
bodice
]
 
– ah yes – [
shakes
out
handkerchief
]
– occasional mild migraine – [
starts
wiping
handle
of
brush
]
–
it comes – [
wipes
]
 
– then goes – [
wiping
mechanically
]
–
ah yes – [
wiping
]
 
– many mercies – [
wiping
]
– great mercies – [
stops
wiping,
fixed
lost
gaze,
brokenly
]
– prayers perhaps not for naught – [
pause,
do.
]
–
first thing – [
pause,
do.
]
– last thing – [
head
down,
resumes
wiping,
stops
wiping,
head
up,
calmed,
wipes
eyes,
folds
handkerchief,
puts
it
back
in
bodice,
examines
handle
of
brush,
reads
]
 
– fully guaranteed … genuine pure … – [
looks
closer
]
 
– genuine pure … [
Takes
off
spectacles,
lays
them
and
brush
down,
gazes
before
her.
]
Old things. [
Pause.
]
Old eyes. [
Long
pause.
] On, Winnie. [
She
casts
about
her,
sees
parasol,
considers
it
at
length,
takes
it
up
and
develops
from
sheath
a
handle
of
surprising
length.
Holding
butt
of
parasol
in
right
hand
she
cranes
back
and
down
to
her
right
to
hang
over
 
WILLIE
.]
Hoo-oo! [
Pause.
]
Willie! [
Pause.
]
Wonderful gift. [
She
strikes
down
at
him
with
beak
of
parasol.
]
Wish I had it.
[She
strikes
again.
The
parasol
slips
from
her
grasp
and
falls
behind
mound.
It
is
immediately
restored
to
her
by
WILLIE
’
s
invisible
hand.
]
Thank you, dear. [
She
transfers
parasol
to
left
hand,
turns
back
front
and
examines
right
palm.
] Damp. [
Returns
parasol
to
right
hand,
examines
left
palm.
]
Ah well, no worse. [
Head
up,
cheerfully.
]
No better, no worse, no change. [
Pause.
Do.
]
No pain. [
Cranes
back
to
look
down
at
 
WILLIE
,
holding
parasol
by
butt
as
before.
]
Don’t go off on me again now dear will you please, I may need you. [
Pause.
] No hurry, no hurry, just don’t curl up on me again. [
Turns
back
front,
lays
down
parasol,
examines
palms
together,
wipes
them
on
grass.
]
Perhaps a shade off colour just the same. [
Turns
to
bag,
rummages
in
it,
brings
out
revolver,
holds
it
up,
kisses
it
rapidly,
puts
it
back,
rummages,
brings
out
almost
empty
bottle
of
red
medicine,
turns
back
front,
looks
for
spectacles,
puts
them
on,
reads
label.
]
Loss of spirits … lack of keenness … want of appetite … infants … children … adults
… six level … tablespoonfuls daily – [
head
up,
smile
]
– the old style! – [
smile
off,
head
down,
reads
]
–
daily … before and after … meals … instantaneous … [
looks
closer