The theme of suffering comes to mind when I think about The Endgame. Each character in one way or another seems to show some suffering. They all in one room with nothing else left in their lives. For example, Clove throughout the story seemed to Ham’s servant in which he wasn’t. Another point would be how each character is just living in this room and basically just living for no reason. The Endgame can be compared to many different things but when watching the video “Breath” it reminded of me of someone suffering or someone who is loosing their breathe. I feel that this video is showing what the characters are feeling in the inside and that they may not show. For example, Ham’s parents are living in trash cans and are not able to do anything. All of these characters are stuck in this one room suffocating, which reminds me of the video. Also, the setting of both are very similar in the way that it is very dark, cold and dull.
Theme of Suffering – Francesca Furca
May 3, 2017 Written by f.furca | 6 Comments
Categories: Uncategorized
6 responses so far ↓
k.stojanovic // May 3rd 2017 at 11:22 pm
Francesca I agree with how you see the theme of suffering emerging from the endgame and the video Breath. I like how you said “Clove throughout the story seemed to Ham’s servant in which he wasn’t”, I also thought while reading The Endgame that Clove was Ham’s servant. I also agree with how you said “the video “Breath” it reminded of me of someone suffering or someone who is loosing their breath”, while I was watching the video I thought of someone in pain, unhappy and in a dirty environment. I see why you related this observation to The Endgame, because the characters also appeared to be in pain, unhappy and surrounded in a dirty environment.
j.morreale // May 3rd 2017 at 11:32 pm
The theme you selected is a great theme to compare the play and the video. Suffering is a good way to explain the characters in “Endgame” as well as the person in the video “Breath.” The sound that the person in the videos making sounds like they are struggling to breath or cannot breath at all. Hamm and Clove are both also suffering since as stated, Clove is a servant to Hamm. Hamm is suffering since he has nothing to live for and is looking at death and just living out his days until he dies. He also seems to be physically suffering since he constantly asks for his painkiller.
m.khan10 // May 4th 2017 at 1:14 pm
I agree with you that the theme of suffering is definitely something that comes to mind while reading Endgame and watching “Breath”. I like your description of the film “Breath”. I immediately thought of someone in pain/suffering as well. I also like your comparison of Ham’s parents with “Breath”. It is an interesting connection that I hadn’t thought about.
j.yatcha // May 4th 2017 at 2:30 pm
I find it interesting that you see suffering. T0 me suffering means that one is starving or is being beaten. This is not the case in these works. To me I see emptiness and lack of meaning and purpose. In many ways this can be even more troublesome than suffering. This emptiness does not have an end, there is no hope. On the other hand, if one is suffering such pain can come to an end.
t.lewkowicz // May 4th 2017 at 10:25 pm
I liked that you chose the theme of suffering to describe “Breathe” and Endgame. I found that the video represented the kind of suffering both Hamm and Clov were feeling on the inside, and maybe not fully expressing. The characters bickered and questioned each other frequently, yet “Breathe” represents the screaming and suffering on the inside that both of these characters were actually feeling. “Breathe” displays a room with what looks like belongings knocked over and is lacking human existence. But you hear the heavy breathing and gasps for air showing you that even with an empty life you still can feel suffering and pain inside.
j.han6 // May 4th 2017 at 11:39 pm
I also watched the video “Breath” and wrote about it and I totally agree with Francesca. I felt that someone is lonely and is suffering. I like when Francesca said “Another point would be how each character is just living in this room and basically just living for no reason”. In the Endgame, I think Hamm is living for no reason, while Clov is leaving Hamm for a reason after finding a hope from the outside world through the window. So, I believe that Hamm is only living for no reason and suffering like the deep breath from the video “Breath”. I guess that the deep breath in the video “Breath” maybe Hamm’s last breath.
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