Endgame notes

Some reflections on the work we have done over the last couple of days, have just written them in note form as it will be easier to reflect back on when devising.

Important themes -

Circular existence

• Cylindrical nature of human existence
• Play ends as it begins, with no suggestion that anything will change tomorrow
• Characters diologue and actions suggest a perpetual loop in which the characters must play out the same mundane routines each day.
• Repetition of language and actions, point  to the ritualistic aspects of simply 'being' or existing.
• Routine and expectation

Light and Dark/Good and Evil

• Follows the literacy trait of light and dark as a symbol of life and death.
• Grey abysmal setting
• Cloves blindness but insistence he can feel light (or life) on his face - wants to be near the widow and feel the breeze on his skin.
• Depression

Regeneration

• "potential pro-creator" is the way in which hamm describes the subject in his story towards the end of the play.
• characters that are mentioned but not introduced to the action of the play, such as the characters in the various stories that are told
• Youth (characters in stories) are a symbol of regeneration 
• Hamm and Ham (Noah's ark myth) Hamm was also a youth once, going back to the idea of cylindrical existence.

Use of language

• repetition
• dark humour 
• tragic comedy
• "nothing is funnier than unhappiness" reminds me of the German word 'Schuendenfrude' which loosely translates as happiness at the misfortune of others
• Humour will always exist in human nature, sometimes the most mundane subjects can bring about the most comedy - a good example of this would be stand up which often deals with mundane aspects of human nature in a satirical and humorous way.

Hamm

• Controlling of others but has no control over his own existence and is dependant on other for life - needs to be moved to the window by Clov to feel the light on his face.
• Bitter
• Manipulative of others and the situation he finds himself in
• Bossy towards Clov
• petty/bickers with other characters throughout - irritable 
• Compulsive behaviour displayed
• contradicts himself and is scared of the cylindrical nature of life.
• powerless over his own life and existence

Clov

• Erratic in movement
• submissive relationship with Hamm - maybe has been worn down by situation?
• Cannot leave, stuck in a ritual in which he cannot break
• less highly strung than Hamm
• unsure of self
• Compassionate
• eager to please the other characters 
• Follower
• Child like mannerisms
• lonely

Nell

• resigned to the routine that is her life - calls the daily attempt at a kiss a "Farce"
• She is the reason that nagg stays around
• as with Nag is detached from all contact with other characters.
• nag and nells relationship is the only example of healthy love within the piece.
• depression?
• caring, mother like character
• helpless and lonely
• un-trusting?

Nag

• Genuinely loves his wife - only healthy example of love in play.
• Romantic
• family orientated
• stuck in a cycle
• reminiscent 
• tells the same story throughout - repetition
• emerges to cry and attempt to kiss his wife
• pathetic/hopeless existence