great works ii – 2850 jta 12:25-2:05: love letters from the world

Chaya, Simona, Krystal

The play “Endgame” by Samual Beckett is often seen as an expression of Absurdism however some may see it as an expression of Nihilism. Clov and Hamm seems to be absurdist’s, which creates a stage for lengthy dialogue of questions which have no concrete answers, ultimately leaving both Clov and Hamm confused about life. When the play begins and Clove says, “Finished, it’s finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished…I’ll lean on the table, and look at the wall, and wait for him to whistle me” (767). From this quote we can see that Clove wanted to leave the “endgame” of his life, but he hesitates to do so. Death is near, but Clove can’t seem to leave as we see he keeps telling Hamm that he is leaving but then he returns. There are many unanswered questions which they both seem to express with one another, yet they always come to conclusions that there is no meaning to life, because everything is “gray” or “dead” as we keep seeing those words repeated in the play. Thus, they must be absurdist’s, because if they were nihilists, they would agree that nothing needs to be questioned, because everything just is and for no reason.

Taking a little different turn to what was said about absurdism above; there is a sense that Endgame explores the idea if people really have a purpose in life or if life is just filled with nothing. Throughout the play, the characters keep asking themselves why they are doing what they are doing, and if it is actually worth it. At one point Hamm, goes on a long tangent about a person who is sitting at home and comes to a conclusion saying, “Infinite emptiness will be all around you, all the resurrected all of all the ages wouldn’t fill it…” (779). This quote stood out, as it gave the idea of emptiness in the life of one. It came out of a long tangent that described someone sitting on a chair and debating if they should get up and eat, which resulted in them actually not getting up and just sleeping there. Making us question, if that is all there is to life and if that is all there is to life than is there a purpose to our lives.

You both make notes of how they feel like their lives have no purpose, hence why they describe everything to be “gray” or “dead.” I would definitely agree with both statements, but I will also say that this play is nihilistic. It is because their thought process encourages them to think things do not have purpose. The title itself refers to the ending of a game of chess. Endgame is when the opponent already knows they have lost, but they persist through the game, simply for the sake of finishing the game.  There is one key line that Hamm says that describes the title, “Old endgame, lost of old, play and lose and have done with losing” (1.799).  Here he is saying that he knows there is an end, he will play, but he knows it ends up with death. I argue that they are nihilists because they think that life has no purpose and they do not try to find meaning. The idea of meaninglessness is almost paradoxical.  They think there is no reason to life, it just is, and that they know death will face them, so therefore there is no reason for them to change anything. They don’t want to change anything because they believe it is out of their control.