Endgame Notes

• first, the most obvious space- the room. (clausterphobic, sterile, empty, barren, bare) • room is the literal representation of the other spaces in the play numerous other spaces: space of the ashcans in which Nell and Nagg are too far apart, space outside the room (as seen thru the window), windows can only be reached by ladder, hell, chessboard space (checkmate when Clov leaves) characteristic of all these spaces to focus on- emptiness E: spaces of emptiness that must be filled (w/meaning, order, center, dialogue, illusion, memory) emptiness: hollowness. Nagg wanting to be scratched in the hollow, hamm’s fascination w/the hollow bricks. Hamm has a sore instead his breast where is heart is supposed to be. heart is center of an individual organize order around a center: Hamm fastidiously insists on being in center [read center] “zero, zero”: coordinates for the origin of graph. but arbitrary Clov clean-freak: impose order on the space, but it’s pointless cleaning. Clov: “If I don’t kill that rat he’ll die.” D: space of silence and time, fill w/dialogue space of time much like space of emptiness, must be filled Clov: “I have things to do.” Hamm: “What, I’d like to know.” Clov: “I look at the wall.” boredom, waiting to die, fill w/trivial game, meaningless rituals (Nell and Nagg trying to kiss each other, checking the windows) fill w/useless dialogue, no spontaneous or natural dialogue, that’s why “pause” is used so often [read forced dialogue] P: psychological space another way to look at the dialogue, as thought. often during dialogue, can’t tell the people apart. sound like someone talking to himself. psych space, skull. as aspects of personality, Hamm and Clov constantly at war w/each other yet interdependent. interdependence and symmetry of each character suggests they should be fit together as one entity or individual (Clov walks/sees, Hamm feeds, one can’t exist w/out the other) M: memory Nell (elegiac): Ah yesterday! Nagg and Nell’s memories of happiness. Hamm’s chronicle- creative construction of memory. [read memory creation] how do you see memory being constructed here? • space of memory = space of illusion in which meaning exists = space of dialogue in which dialogue’s function is to create meaning • contrast to madman’s representation (remembering) of the world [read the madman] natural vs. forced. Hamm daydreams about nature, but only his parents vegetation-like. no natural order, meaning, or beauty. Clov: “I love order. It’s my dream” dream=illusion. people just continue living in the illusory belief that there is a meaning, a G-d, a life beyond death, just like Hamm keeps going in the false belief that there is pain-killer • looking thru the window, as the madman did, and again “sees” life. see boy (life) thru window. subtely optimistic sign of hope/life, or false illusion again? why Hamm/Clov so obsessed with extinguishing life/hope (the boy, flea, rat)? are they trying to be the painter? role of art?