ESTRAGON:
Noranywhereelse.
VLADIMIR:
AhGogo,don'tgoonlikethat.Tomorrow
everythingwill
bebetter.
ESTRAGON:
Howdoyoumakethatout?
VLADIMIR:
Didyounothearwhatthechildsaid?
ESTRAGON:
No.
VLADIMIR:
HesaidthatGodotwassuretocome
tomorrow.(Pause.)
Whatdoyousaytothat?
ESTRAGON:
Thenallwehavetodoistowaiton
here.
VLADIMIR:
Areyoumad?Wemusttakecover.(He
takesEstragonby
thearm.)Comeon.
HedrawsEstragonafterhim.Estragon
yields,then
resists.Theyhalt.
ESTRAGON:
(lookingatthetree).Pitywehaven't
gotabitofrope.
VLADIMIR:
Comeon.It'scold.
HedrawsEstragonafterhim.Asbefore.
ESTRAGON:
Remindmetobringabitofrope
tomorrow.
VLADIMIR:
Yes.Comeon.
Hedrawshimafterhim.Asbefore.
ESTRAGON:
Howlonghavewebeentogetherallthe
timenow?
VLADIMIR:
Idon'tknow.Fiftyyearsmaybe.
ESTRAGON:
DoyourememberthedayIthrewmyself
intotheRhone?
VLADIMIR:
Weweregrapeharvesting.
ESTRAGON:
Youfishedmeout.
VLADIMIR:
That'salldeadandburied.
ESTRAGON:
Myclothesdriedinthesun.
VLADIMIR:
There'snogoodharkingbackonthat.
Comeon.
Hedrawshimafterhim.Asbefore.
ESTRAGON:
Wait!
VLADIMIR:
I'mcold!
ESTRAGON:
Wait!(HemovesawayfromVladimir.)I
sometimes
wonderifwewouldn'thavebeenbetter
offalone,each
oneforhimself.(Hecrossesthestage
andsitsdownon
themound.)Weweren'tmadeforthesame
road.
VLADIMIR:
(withoutanger).It'snotcertain.
ESTRAGON:
No,nothingiscertain.
Vladimirslowlycrossesthestageand
sitsdownbeside
Estragon.
VLADIMIR:
Wecanstillpart,ifyouthinkitwould
bebetter.
ESTRAGON:
It'snotworthwhilenow.
Silence.
VLADIMIR:
No,it'snotworthwhilenow.
Silence.
ESTRAGON:
Well,shallwego?
VLADIMIR:
Yes,let'sgo.
Theydonotmove.
Curtain.
Estragon
Vladimir
Lucky
Pozzo
aboy
*ACTII*
Nextday.Sametime.
Sameplace.
Estragon'sbootsfrontcenter,heels
together,toes
splayed.Lucky'shatatsameplace.
Thetreehasfourorfiveleaves.
EnterVladimiragitatedly.Hehaltsand
lookslongatthetree,
thensuddenlybeginstomovefeverishly
aboutthestage.He
haltsbeforetheboots,picksoneup,
examinesit,sniffsit,
manifestsdisgust,putsitback
carefully.Comesandgoes.
Haltsextremerightandgazesinto
distanceoff,shadinghis
eyeswithhishand.Comesandgoes.
Haltsextremeleft,as
before.Comesandgoes.Haltssuddenly
andbeginstosing
loudly.
VLADIMIR:
Adogcamein—
Havingbeguntoohighhestops,
clearshisthroat,
resumes:
Adogcameinthekitchen
Andstoleacrustofbread.
Thencookupwithaladle
Andbeathimtillhewasdead.
Thenallthedogscamerunning
Anddugthedogatomb—
Hestops,broods,resumes:
Thenallthedogscamerunning
Anddugthedogatomb
Andwroteuponthetombstone
Fortheeyesofdogstocome:
Adogcameinthekitchen
Andstoleacrustofbread.
Thencookupwithaladle
Andbeathimtillhewasdead.
Thenallthedogscamerunning
Anddugthedogatomb—
Hestops,broods,resumes:
Thenallthedogscamerunning
Anddugthedogatomb—
Hestops,broods.Softly.
Anddugthedogatomb...
Heremainsamomentsilentand
motionless,thenbegins
tomovefeverishlyaboutthestage.
Hehaltsbeforethe
tree,comesandgoes,beforethe
boots,comesand
goes,haltsextremeright,gazes
intodistance,extreme
left,gazesintodistance.Enter
Estragonright,
barefoot,headbowed.Heslowly
crossesthestage.
Vladimirturnsandseeshim.
VLADIMIR:
Youagain!(Estragonhaltsbutdoes
notraisehishead.
Vladimirgoestowardshim.)Comehere
tillIembraceyou.
ESTRAGON:
Don'ttouchme!
Vladimirholdsback,pained.
VLADIMIR:
Doyouwantmetogoaway?(Pause.)
Gogo!(Pause.
Vladimirobserveshimattentively.)Did
theybeatyou?
(Pause.)Gogo!(Estragonremainssilent,
headbowed.)
Wheredidyouspendthenight?
ESTRAGON:
Don'ttouchme!Don'tquestionme!
Don'tspeaktome!
Staywithme!
VLADIMIR:
DidIeverleaveyou?
ESTRAGON:
Youletmego.
VLADIMIR:
Lookatme.(Estragondoesnot
raisehishead.
Violently.)Willyoulookatme!
Estragonraiseshishead.Theylook
longateachother,
thensuddenlyembrace,clappingeach
otherontheback.
Endoftheembrace.Estragon,nolonger
supported,almost
falls.
ESTRAGON:
Whataday!
VLADIMIR:
Whobeatyou?Tellme.
ESTRAGON:
Anotherdaydonewith.
VLADIMIR:
Notyet.
ESTRAGON:
Formeit'soveranddonewith,no
matterwhathappens.
(Silence.)Iheardyousinging.
VLADIMIR:
That'sright,Iremember.
ESTRAGON:
Thatfinishedme.Isaidtomyself,
He'sallalone,hethinks
I'mgoneforever,andhesings.
VLADIMIR:
Oneisnotmasterofone'smoods.
AlldayI'vefeltin
greatform.(Pause.)Ididn'tgetupin
thenight,notonce!
ESTRAGON:
(sadly).Yousee,youpissbetter
whenI'mnotthere.
VLADIMIR:
Imissedyou...andatthesame
timeIwashappy.Isn't
thatastrangething?
ESTRAGON:
(shocked).Happy?
VLADIMIR:
Perhapsit'snotquitetheright
word.
ESTRAGON:
Andnow?
VLADIMIR:
Now?...(Joyous.)Thereyouare
again...
(Indifferent.)Thereweareagain...
(Gloomy.)ThereIam
again.
ESTRAGON:
Yousee,youfeelworsewhenI'm
withyou.Ifeelbetter
alonetoo.
VLADIMIR:
(vexed).Thenwhydoyoualways
comecrawlingback?
ESTRAGON:
Idon'tknow.
VLADIMIR:
No,butIdo.It'sbecauseyou
don'tknowhowtodefend
yourself.Iwouldn'thaveletthembeat
you.
ESTRAGON:
Youcouldn'thavestoppedthem.
VLADIMIR:
Whynot?
ESTRAGON:
Therewastenofthem.
VLADIMIR:
No,Imeanbeforetheybeatyou.I
wouldhavestopped
youfromdoingwhateveritwasyouwere
doing.
ESTRAGON:
Iwasn'tdoinganything.
VLADIMIR:
Thenwhydidtheybeatyou?
ESTRAGON:
Idon'tknow.
VLADIMIR:
Ahno,Gogo,thetruthisthereare
thingsthatescapeyou
thatdon'tescapeme,youmustfeelit
yourself.
ESTRAGON:
ItellyouIwasn'tdoinganything.
VLADIMIR:
Perhapsyouweren't.Butit'sthe
wayofdoingitthat
counts,thewayofdoingit,ifyouwant
togoonliving.
ESTRAGON:
Iwasn'tdoinganything.
VLADIMIR:
Youmustbehappytoo,deepdown,
ifyouonlyknewit.
ESTRAGON:
Happyaboutwhat?
VLADIMIR:
Tobebackwithmeagain.
ESTRAGON:
Wouldyousayso?
VLADIMIR:
Sayyouare,evenifit'snottrue.
ESTRAGON:
WhatamItosay?
VLADIMIR:
Say,Iamhappy.
ESTRAGON:
Iamhappy.
VLADIMIR:
SoamI.
ESTRAGON:
SoamI.
VLADIMIR:
Wearehappy.
ESTRAGON:
Wearehappy.(Silence.)Whatdowe
donow,nowthat
wearehappy?
VLADIMIR:
WaitforGodot.(Estragongroans.
Silence.)Thingshave
changedheresinceyesterday.
ESTRAGON:
Andifhedoesn'tcome?
VLADIMIR:
(afteramomentofbewilderment).
We'llseewhenthe
timecomes.(Pause.)Iwassayingthat
thingshavechangedhere
sinceyesterday.
ESTRAGON:
Everythingoozes.
VLADIMIR:
Lookatthetree.
ESTRAGON:
It'sneverthesamepusfromone
secondtothenext.
VLADIMIR:
Thetree,lookatthetree.
Estragonlooksatthetree.
ESTRAGON:
Wasisnotthereyesterday?
VLADIMIR:
Yesofcourseitwasthere.Doyou
notremember?We
nearlyhangedourselvesfromit.Butyou
wouldn't.Doyounot
remember?
ESTRAGON:
Youdreamtit.
VLADIMIR:
Isispossibleyou'veforgotten
already?
ESTRAGON:
That'sthewayIam.EitherI
forgetimmediatelyorInever
forget.
VLADIMIR:
AndPozzoandLucky,haveyou
forgottenthemtoo?
ESTRAGON:
PozzoandLucky?
VLADIMIR:
He'sforgotteneverything!
ESTRAGON:
Irememberalunaticwhokickedthe
shinsoffme.Then
heplayedthefool.
VLADIMIR:
ThatwasLucky.
ESTRAGON:
Irememberthat.Butwhenwasit?
VLADIMIR:
Andhiskeeper,doyounotremember
him?
ESTRAGON:
Hegavemeabone.
VLADIMIR:
ThatwasPozzo.
ESTRAGON:
Andallthatwasyesterday,you
say?
VLADIMIR:
Yesofcourseitwasyesterday.
ESTRAGON:
Andherewherewearenow?
VLADIMIR:
Whereelsedoyouthink?Doyounot
recognizethe
place?
ESTRAGON:
(suddenlyfurious).Recognize!What
isthereto
recognize?AllmylousylifeI've
crawledaboutinthemud!And
youtalktomeaboutscenery!(Looking
wildlyabouthim.)
Lookatthismuckheap!I'venever
stirredfromit!
VLADIMIR:
Calmyourself,calmyourself.
ESTRAGON:
Youandyourlandscapes!Tellme
abouttheworms!
VLADIMIR:
Allthesame,youcan'ttellme
thatthis(gesture)bears
anyresemblanceto...(hehesitates)
...totheMaconcountry
forexample.Youcan'tdenythere'sa
bigdifference.
ESTRAGON:
TheMaconcountry!Who'stalkingto
youaboutthe
Maconcountry?
VLADIMIR:
Butyouwerethereyourself,inthe
Maconcountry.
ESTRAGON:
NoIwasneverintheMacon
country!I'vepukedmy
pukeofalifeawayhere,Itellyou!
Here!IntheCackon
country!
VLADIMIR:
Butweweretheretogether,Icould
sweartoit!Picking
grapesforamancalled...(hesnaps
hisfingers)...can't
thinkofthenameoftheman,ataplace
called...(snapshis
fingers)...can'tthinkofthename
oftheplace,doyounot
remember?
ESTRAGON:
(alittlecalmer).It'spossible.I
didn'tnoticeanything.
VLADIMIR:
Butdownthereeverythingisred!
ESTRAGON:
(exasperated).Ididn'tnotice
anything,Itellyou!
Silence.Vladimirsighsdeeply.
VLADIMIR:
You'reahardmantogetonwith,
Gogo.
ESTRAGON:
It'dbebetterifweparted.
VLADIMIR:
Youalwayssaythatandyoualways
comecrawlingback.
ESTRAGON:
Thebestthingwouldbetokillme,
liketheother.
VLADIMIR:
Whatother?(Pause.)Whatother?
ESTRAGON:
Likebillionsofothers.
VLADIMIR:
(sententious).Toeverymanhis
littlecross.(Hesighs.)
Tillhedies.(Afterthought.)Andis
forgotten.
ESTRAGON:
Inthemeantimeletustryand
conversecalmly,sincewe
areincapableofkeepingsilent.
VLADIMIR:
You'reright,we'reinexhaustible.
ESTRAGON:
It'ssowewon'tthink.
VLADIMIR:
Wehavethatexcuse.
ESTRAGON:
It'ssowewon'thear.
VLADIMIR:
Wehaveourreasons.
ESTRAGON:
Allthedeadvoices.
VLADIMIR:
Theymakeanoiselikewings.
ESTRAGON:
Likeleaves.
VLADIMIR:
Likesand.
ESTRAGON:
Likeleaves.
Silence.
VLADIMIR:
Theyallspeakatonce.
ESTRAGON:
Eachonetoitself.
Silence.
VLADIMIR:
Rathertheywhisper.
ESTRAGON:
Theyrustle.
VLADIMIR:
Theymurmur.
ESTRAGON:
Theyrustle.
Silence.
VLADIMIR:
Whatdotheysay?
ESTRAGON:
Theytalkabouttheirlives.
VLADIMIR:
Tohavelivedisnotenoughfor
them.
ESTRAGON:
Theyhavetotalkaboutit.
VLADIMIR:
Tobedeadisnotenoughforthem.
ESTRAGON:
Itisnotsufficient.
Silence.
VLADIMIR:
Theymakeanoiselikefeathers.
ESTRAGON:
Likeleaves.
VLADIMIR:
Likesashes.
ESTRAGON:
Likeleaves.
Longsilence.
VLADIMIR:
Saysomething!
ESTRAGON:
I'mtrying.
Longsilence.
VLADIMIR:
(inanguish).Sayanythingatall!
ESTRAGON:
Whatdowedonow?
VLADIMIR:
WaitforGodot.
ESTRAGON:
Ah!
Silence.
VLADIMIR:
Thisisawful!
ESTRAGON:
Singsomething.
VLADIMIR:
Nono!(Hereflects.)Wecould
startalloveragain
perhaps.
ESTRAGON:
Thatshouldbeeasy.
VLADIMIR:
It'sthestartthat'sdifficult.
ESTRAGON:
Youcanstartfromanything.
VLADIMIR:
Yes,butyouhavetodecide.
ESTRAGON:
True.
Silence.
VLADIMIR:
Helpme!
ESTRAGON:
I'mtrying.
Silence.
VLADIMIR:
Whenyouseekyouhear.
ESTRAGON:
Youdo.
VLADIMIR:
Thatpreventsyoufromfinding.
ESTRAGON:
Itdoes.
VLADIMIR:
Thatpreventsyoufromthinking.
ESTRAGON:
Youthinkallthesame.
VLADIMIR:
Nono,it'simpossible.
ESTRAGON:
That'stheidea,let'scontradict
eachanother.
VLADIMIR:
Impossible.
ESTRAGON:
Youthinkso?
VLADIMIR:
We'reinnodangerofeverthinking
anymore.
ESTRAGON:
Thenwhatarewecomplainingabout?
VLADIMIR:
Thinkingisnottheworst.
ESTRAGON:
Perhapsnot.Butatleastthere's
that.
VLADIMIR:
Thatwhat?
ESTRAGON:
That'stheidea,let'saskeach
otherquestions.
VLADIMIR:
Whatdoyoumean,atleastthere's
that?
ESTRAGON:
Thatmuchlessmisery.
