Endgame Part I

Endgame violates many of our expectations of what a play should be and what features it should have; consequently, it probably seems confusing or boring on the first read. We’ve read numerous more straightforward plays this semester; indeed, many, if not most, of our expectations about what a play should be (or even what a narrative should be) come from the design of plays like Oedipus or A Doll’s House. So, I want you to think back to those plays and compare them to Endgame. What features do those plays have that Endgame doesn’t? Conversely, which of our expectations for a play does Beckett actually fulfill? Why do you think he made these choices? What might he be saying about the nature of theatre or the relationship between theatre and life?

After you finish working on that question, work with your group to identify at least three passages in the play that you think might be of particular importance. Look back over these passages closely with your group, looking for the types of patterns that we have been talking about for the past few classes. Why do you think these passages stand out as being important? Why are they there? How do the ideas presented in these individual passages relate to the wider themes and issues explored in the play?