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Companionship, Dependency, and Compassion
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Endgame Quotes
CLOV: [fixed gaze, tonelessly] Finished, it’s finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished.
[Pause.]
Grain upon grain, one by one, and one day, suddenly, there’s a heap, a little heap, the impossible heap.
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Clov speaks these words at the very beginning of the play, just after he has looked out both windows, peered inside Nagg and Nell’s trashcans, and taken the sheet off of Hamm, who is still sleeping. It’s interesting that the very first word of a play called Endgame is “finished,” since this invites audiences to consider one of the play’s primary obsessions: namely, finality and the passage of time. Rather than delivering an opening monologue that jumpstarts the events that are assumingly about to take place, Clov speaks as if everything important has already happened and now he is simply Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Si
HAMM: […] Can there be misery—
[he yawns]
—loftier than mine? No doubt. Formerly. But now?
[Pause.]
My father?
[Pause.]
My mother?
[Pause.]
My…dog?
[Pause.]
Oh I am willing to believe they suffer as much as such creatures can suffer. But does that mean their sufferings equal mine? No doubt.
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Hamm says this during his opening monologue, shortly after he wakes up and takes his bloody handkerchief off his face. His interest in misery and suffering is telling, alerting audience members to the fact that he is preoccupied by bleak, dismal thoughts. Of course, it makes sense that he would have suffering on his mind, considering that he has just removed a bloody handkerchief from his face—an indication that he knows what it’s like to undergo physical pain. More importantly, though, Hamm’s consideration of suffering extends to the other people in his life. The fact that he doesn’t already know Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perf
HAMM: […] Enough, it’s time it ended, in the shelter too.
[Pause.]
And yet I hesitate, I hesitate to…to end. Yes, there it is, it’s time it ended and yet I hesitate to—
[he yawns]
—to end.
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Hamm says this to himself in the beginning of the play, echoing Clov’s sentiment that everything is “nearly finished.” Of course, it’s not exactly clear what he wants to “end.” When he says that he himself “hesitate[s] to…to end,” it seems as if he’s referring to his own life, asserting that he wants to die but can’t bring himself to embrace death. This tension—between wanting to go on and wanting to die—will follow Hamm throughout the play, as will the ambiguity surrounding whether or not he’s actually talking about life and death. After all, he could very well be making Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae.
CLOV: Yes!
[Pause.]
Of what?
HAMM: Of this…this…thing.
CLOV: I always had.
[Pause.]
Not you?
HAMM: [gloomily] Then there’s no reason for it to change.
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HAMM: Have you not had enough? In this exchange, Hamm and Clov talk about whether or not they’ve had “enough” of “this thing,” but they never clarify the “thing” to which they’re referring. To make matters more confusing, Beckett never gives audience members a chance to fully interpret what, exactly, Hamm and Clov are talking about, since the entire setting in which Endgame takes place remains abstract and ambiguous. In the absence of context or background information, then, there is nothing to do but focus on Hamm and Clov’s strange interactions. If they are referring to their lives, then it Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima por
HAMM: […] Why do you stay with me?
CLOV: Why do you keep me?
HAMM: There’s no one else.
CLOV: There’s nowhere else.
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In this passage, Hamm asks Clov why he stays with him. This is a fair question, and one that audience members are no doubt eager to hear Clov answer, since it’s not immediately apparent why Clov continues to serve Hamm, especially considering the fact that Hamm is cantankerous and rather cruel. Unfortunately for the audience, though, Clov declines to answer, instead turning the question on Hamm by asking him why he agrees to “keep” him. That they ask each other these questions implies that they both feel as if they’re at the mercy of the other person—Hamm thinks Clov has Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat.
CLOV: […] I’ll leave you, I have things to do.
HAMM: In your kitchen?
CLOV: Yes.
HAMM: What, I’d like to know.
CLOV: I look at the wall.
HAMM: The wall! And what do you see on your wall? Mene, mene? Naked bodies?
CLOV: I see my light dying.
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In this passage, Clov tells Hamm that he has things to do in his kitchen—a claim he makes quite often throughout the play, frequently wanting to remove himself from Hamm’s room because he has other matters to attend to. Of course, this seems highly unlikely, since the characters in Endgame seem to be doing little more than simply waiting for something to happen. Perhaps because of this, Hamm asks Clov what he does when he sits in the kitchen, and when Clov says that he stares at the wall, Hamm wonders what he sees. When he wonders if Clov sees Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earu
HAMM: [anguished] What’s happening, what’s happening?
CLOV: Something is taking its course.
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In this exchange, Hamm desperately asks Clov “what’s happening,” signaling to the audience that even he is unable to track the events of the play (if the play can even be said to have events at all). Although he speaks and interacts with Clov, he doesn’t seem to understand the significance or importance of what’s taking place. In this moment, this lack of understanding upsets him, but Clov’s reaction is quite different. Rather than worrying about whether or not he comprehends the implications of whatever’s taking place—or even whether or not he’s managing to follow along in the first place—Clov Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimu
NELL: Yes, yes, it’s the most comical thing in the world. And we laugh, we laugh, with a will, in the beginning. But it’s always the same thing. Yes, it’s like the funny story we have heard too often, we still find it funny, but we don’t laugh any more.
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Nell says this to Nagg after he laughs at Hamm for saying he feels like there’s a heart in his head. At first, Nell scolds him, saying he shouldn’t laugh at such things. However, she goes on to say that unhappiness is the funniest thing in the world, though she doesn’t think this means people need to actually laugh at misery or sorrow. After all, this kind of agony is like “the funny story we have heard too often.” When Nell says this, she reveals that she’s able to approach suffering with levity and good humor. At the same time, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque
CLOV: […] [He gets down, picks up the telescope, turns it on auditorium.] I see…a multitude…in transports…of joy.
[Pause.]
That’s what I call a magnifier.
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After Hamm tells Clov to look out the window with a telescope, Clov accidentally drops the instrument on the ground. Upon picking it up, he turns it on the audience and says that he sees a “multitude” in “transports” of “joy.” When he says this, he means that the audience members themselves are experiencing the joy of getting swept away by this moving play—an absurd notion, since Endgame is a slow, bleak play that makes it utterly impossible to immerse oneself in what’s happening. After all, not even the characters know what’s happening, let alone the audience members. When Clov Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimu
HAMM: We’re not beginning to…to…meaning something?
CLOV: Mean something! You and I, mean something!
[Brief laugh.]
Ah that’s a good one!
HAMM: I wonder.
[Pause.]
Imagine if a rational being came back to earth, wouldn’t he be liable to get ideas into his head if he observed us long enough.
[Voice of rational being.]
Ah, good, now I see what it is, yes, now I understand what they’re at!
[Clov starts, drops the telescope and begins to scratch his belly with both hands. Normal voice.]
And without going so far as that, we ourselves…
[with emotion]
…we ourselves…at certain moments…
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In this exchange, Hamm suddenly worries that he and Clov are beginning to “mean something.” This suggests that he’s well aware of the fact that the play has, until this point, evaded meaning altogether. Now, though, he wonders what would happen if “a rational being came back to earth” and watched them. Of course, this implies that “rational being[s]” no longer exist, which is an interesting claim in and of itself in terms of how it influences the audience’s understanding of Hamm and Clov’s world. But more importantly, Hamm’s thought experiment isn’t actually all that hypothetical, since there is presumably Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendi
HAMM: I once knew a madman who thought the end of the world had come. He was a painter—and engraver. I had a great fondness for him. I used to go and see him, in the asylum. I’d take him by the hand and drag him to the window. Look! There! All that rising com! And there! Look! The sails of the herring fleet! All that loveliness!
[Pause.]
He’d snatch away his hand and go back into his comer. Appalled. All he had seen was ashes.
[Pause.]
He alone had been spared.
[Pause.]
Forgotten.
[Pause.]
It appears the case is…was not so…so unusual.
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Hamm says this to Clov at one point, explaining that he used to know a “madman” who thought the world had effectively ended. During this time, apparently, Hamm himself was not only mobile and capable of seeing (as evidenced by the fact that he visited the “madman” and pointed out a number of visual wonders beyond the window), but didn’t think that the world had truly come to an end. However, it’s worth noting that the “madman” was unable to see what Hamm saw, and vice versa. Rather than seeing “rising corn” and “loveliness,” the painter saw nothing but cindered Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus
HAMM: […] Use your head, can’t you, use your head, you’re on earth, there’s no cure for that!
[…]
But what in God’s name do you imagine? That the earth will awake in spring? That the rivers and seas will run with fish again? That there’s manna in heaven still for imbeciles like you?
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Hamm repeats these words while telling his story about the man who came to ask him for help years ago on Christmas Eve. After listening to the man explain that he had a sick and dying boy at home, Hamm suddenly erupted in exasperation, finding it ridiculous that the man would ever think that he—Hamm—would be capable of helping him. This, of course, is because Hamm believes that suffering lies at the very heart of existence. According to this viewpoint, nothing would ever save this man from misery, even if Hamm helped him. Going on, Hamm asked him how he Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim ne
NAGG: […] Yes, I hope I’ll live till then, to hear you calling me like when you were a tiny boy, and were frightened, in the dark, and I was your only hope.
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Nagg says this to Hamm after talking about what Hamm was like as a child. He explains that Hamm used to cry out for him in the middle of the night, frightened and alone, though neither Nagg nor Nell ever went to him when he called. In fact, they moved him farther away from their bedroom, wanting to rest undisturbed by his incessant screaming. Now, Nagg says, he hopes he lives to see the day when Hamm once more calls his name like a helpless child. He wants, he says, to hear how much Hamm needs him, yearning to hear Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earu
HAMM: […] Did you never hear an aside before?
[Pause.]
I’m warming up for my last soliloquy.
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Hamm says this to Clov after Clov responds to something that wasn’t directed at him. Frustrated that Clov has heard what he said, Hamm tells him that his words were meant as an “aside,” using a theater term that refers to statements that only the audience—and not the other characters onstage—are supposed to hear. When he says this, then, he draws attention to the fact that they are both in a play, demonstrating that he’s well aware of his role as a character in Endgame. In keeping with this, he also informs Clov that he’s “warming up for his last Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliqui
HAMM: […] Moments for nothing, now as always, time was never and time is over, reckoning closed and story ended.
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These are among the last words that Hamm speaks in Endgame. It is difficult to put them into a broader context, since the things he says surrounding this statement are disparate, abstract, and seemingly unrelated. However, this strange sentence contains a certain impressionistic kind of meaning, as Hamm strings together fragments that address the play’s engagement with time, finality, and progression. When he says, “moments for nothing,” for example, one might argue that he’s referencing the anticlimactic way that time has passed throughout the play. Indeed, the “moments” that have elapsed have truly been “for nothing,” since nothing tangible has Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero
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