Samuel Beckett
Digital Manuscript Project
Fin de partie / Endgame

MS-HRC-SB-3-5

MS. Pages: cover - 03r 03v - 08r 08v - 13r 13v - 18r 18v - 23r 23v - 28r 28v - 33r 33v - 38r 38v - 43r 43v - 48r 48v - 53r 53v - 58r 58v - 63r 63v - 68r 68v - 73r 73v - 78r 78v - backcover
[p. 28v] [p. 29r]

Hamm

[0891] But it should be setting. [0892] Look again.

Clov

[0893] (having looked again) [0894] Sweet damn all.

Hamm

[0895] Is it night already then?

Clov

[0896] (looking) [0897] No.

Hamm

[0898] Then what is it.

Clov

[0899] (looking) [0900] It's grey. [0901] (Lowering the glass, turning towards Hamm, louder.) [0902] Grey! [0903] (Pause. [0904] Still louder) [0905] GRREY!

[0906] He gets down, approaches Hamm from behind, whispers in his ear.

Hamm

[0907] (starting) [0908] Grey! [0909] Did you say grey?

Clov

[0910] Light black. [0911] Throughout the universe.

Hamm

[0912] You exaggerate! [0913] (Pause) [0914] Don't stay there, you frighten me!

[0915] Clov returns to his place beside the chair.

Clov

[0916] Why this farce, day after day?

Hamm

[0917] Routine. [0918] You never know. [0919] (Pause) [0920] Last night I saw inside my breast. [0921] There was a big sore.

Clov

[0922] Pah! You saw your heart.

Hamm

[0923] No, it was living. [0924] (Pause. [0925] With anguish.) [0926] Clov.!

Clov

[0927] Yes.

[p. 29v] [p. 30r]

Hamm

[0928] What's happening?

Clov

[0929] Something is following its course.

[0930] Pause

Hamm

[0931] Clov.

Clov

[0932] (impatiently) [0933] What is it?

Hamm

[0934] We're not beginning to... to... mean something?

Clov

[0935] Mean something! [0936] We You and I we, mean something! [0937] (x Brief laugh) [0938] Ah that's a good one!

Hamm

[0939] I wonder. [0940] (Pause.) [0941] If a rational being came back to earth, and observed us long enough, wouldn't he be liable to get ideas into his head. [0942] (Voice of rational being.) [0943] Ah, good, now I see what it is, yes, now I see what they're at! [0944] (Clov starts, drops the glass and begins to scratch his belly with both hands. [0945] Normal voice) [0946] And even without going so far as that, we ourselves... (with emotion)... we ourselves... at certain moments... [0947] (Vehemently.) [0948] To think perhaps it will not have been all for nothing!

Clov

[0949] (with anguish, scratching himself). [0950] I have a flea!

Hamm

[0951] A flea! [0952] Are there still fleas?

Clov

[0953] (scratching himself). [0954] Unless it's a crab-louse.

[p. 30v]

DOODLE 29

[p. 31r]

Hamm

[0955] (very xxx disturbed). [0955|001] A flea! [0956] But from there humanity might evolve all over again! [0957] Catch it him, for the love of God.

Clov

[0958] I'll go and get the powder.

[0959] Exit Clov.

Hamm

[0960] A flea! [0961] This is awful! [0962] What a day!

[0963] Enter Clov, with a sprinkling tin. (?)

Clov

[0964] I'm back again, with the insecticide.

Hamm

[0965] Let him have it!

[0966] Clov unbuttons the top of his trousers loosens the waist of his trousers, pulls it forward and shakes powder into the aperture. [0967] He stoops, looks, waits, starts, frenziedly shakes more powder, stoops, looks, waits.

Clov

[0968] The bastard!

Hamm

[0969] Did you get him?

Clov

[0970] Looks like it. [0971] (He drops the tin, buttons his trousers.) [0972] Unless he's only stunned.? ?

[p. 31v]

DOODLE 30
DOODLE 31

[p. 32r]

[0981] Pause.

Clov

[0982] What about your pee? How's the water?

Hamm

[0983] Finding its level, . finding its level.

Clov

[0984] Ah that's the stuff way spirit, that's the way spirit.

[0985] Pause

Hamm

[0986] (with ardour). [0987] Let us go from here, the two of us. [0988] South! [0989] To On the sea! [0990] You'll build a raft and the currents will carry us away, far away, to other... mammifers.

Clov

[0991] God forbid!

Hamm

[0992] Alone, I'll embark alone! [0993] Get working on that raft at once. [0994] To-morrow I'll be gone.

Clov

[0995] (hastening towards the door). [0996] I'll start straight away.

Hamm

[0997] Wait! [0998] (Clov halts.) [0999] Do you think xxx'll there'll be sharks?

Clov

[1000] Sharks? [1001] I don't know. [1002] If there will are there will be.

[1003] He goes towards the door.

Hamm

[1004] Wait! [1005] (Clov halts). [1006] Is it not yet time for my sedative?

Clov

[1007] (violently) [1008] No!

[1009] He goes towards the door.

Hamm

[1010] Wait! [1011] (Clov halts.) [1012] How are your

[p. 32v] [p. 33r]

[1012] eyes?

Clov

[1013] Bad.

Hamm

[1014] But you can s see?

Clov

[1015] Sufficiently.

Hamm.

[1016] How are your legs.

Clov

[1017] Bad.

Hamm

[1018] But you can walk.

Clov

[1019] I come... and go.

Hamm

[1020] In my house. [1021] (Pause. [1022] Prophetic and with relish.) [1023] One day you'll be blind. [1024] Like me. [1025] Sitting somewhere, You'll be sitting there, a speck in the emptiness, in the dark, for ever. [1026] Like me. [1027] (Pause) [1028] One day you'll say, I'm tired, I'll sit down, and you'll go and sit down. [1029] Then you'll say, I'm hungry, I'll get up and get something to eat eat. [1030] But you won't get up. [1031] You'll say, I was wrong to sit down, shouldn't have sat down, but since I have I'll sit on a little longer, then I'll get up and get something to eat. [1032] But you won't get up and you won't get anything to eat. [1033] (Pause.) [1034] You'll look at the wall for a little, then you'll say, I'll close my eyes, perhaps nap sleep a little, after that I'll feel better, and you'll clo close them. [1035] And when you open them again there'll be no wall any more. [1036] (Pause.) [1037] Infinitive emptiness will be all about you, all the resurrected dead of all the ages wouldn't fill it, and there you'll be

MS. Pages: cover - 03r 03v - 08r 08v - 13r 13v - 18r 18v - 23r 23v - 28r 28v - 33r 33v - 38r 38v - 43r 43v - 48r 48v - 53r 53v - 58r 58v - 63r 63v - 68r 68v - 73r 73v - 78r 78v - backcover