Samuel Beckett
Digital Manuscript Project
En attendant Godot / Waiting for Godot

MS-HRC-DA-145-1

MS. Pages: cover - 02r 03r - 07r 08r - 12r 13r - 17r 18r - 22r 23r - 27r 28r - 32r 33r - 37r 38r - 42r 43r - 47r 48r - 52r 53r - 57r 58r - 62r 63r - 67r 68r - 72r 73r - 77r 78r - 81v 82r - 86r 87r - 91r 91v - 95r 96r - 99r 100r - 100r
[p. 96r]

[3654] (ESTRAGON, having struggled with his boots in vain, is dozing off again. [3655] VLADIMIR looks at him)

VLADIMIR
(Contd.)

[3656] He'll know nothing. [3657] He'll tell me about the blows he received and I'll give him a carrot. (pause) [3659] Astride of a grave and a dificult birth. [3660] Down in the hole, lingeringly, the grave-digger puts on the forceps. [3661] We have time to grow old. [3662] The air of full of our cries. [3663] (he listens) [3664] But habit is a great deadener. [3665] (he looks again at Estragon) [3666] At me too someone is looking, of me too someone is saying, He is asleep,ing, he knows nothing, let him sleep on. [3667] (pause) [3668] I can't go on! [3669] (pause) [3670] What have I said?

[3671] (He goes feverishly to and fro, halts finally at extreme left, broods. [3672] Enter BOY right. [3673] He halts. [3674] Silence) xxx he

BOY

[3675] Please Mister...

[3676] (VLADIMIR turns)

[3677] Mr. Albert?...

VLADIMIR

[3678] Off we go again. [3679] (pause) [3681] Do you not recognize me?

BOY

[3682] No Sir.

VLADIMIR

[3683] It wasn't you came yesterday.

BOY

[3684] No Sir.

VLADIMIR

[3685] This is your first time.

BOY

[3686] Yes Sir.

[3687] (Silence)

VLADIMIR

[3688] You have a message from Mr. Godot.

BOY

[3689] Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR

[3690] He won't come this evening.

BOY

[3691] No Sir.

VLADIMIR

[3692] But he'll come to-morrow.

BOY

[3693] Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR

[3694] Without fail.

BOY

[3695] Yes Sir.

[p. 96v] [p. 97r]

[3696] (Silence)

VLADIMIR

[3697] Did you meet anyone?

BOY

[3698] No Sir.

VLADIMIR

[3699] Two other... (he hesitates) ...men?

BOY

[3700] I didn't see anyone, Sir.

[3701] (Silence)

VLADIMIR

[3702] How is your brother?

BOY

[3703] He's sick, Sir.

VLADIMIR

[3704] Perhaps it was he came yesterday.

BOY

[3705] I don't know, Sir.

[3706] (Silence)

VLADIMIR

[3706|001] What does he do, Mr. Godot?

[3706|002] (Silence)

[3706|003] Do you hear me?

BOY

[3706|004] Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR

[3706|005] Well?

BOY

[3706|006] He does nothing, Sir.

[3706|007] (Silence)

VLADIMIR

[3706|008] (Unintelligible ejaculation) Softly [3707] Has he a beard, Mr. Godot?

[3707|001] (silence)

Vladimir:

[3707|002] Well?

Boy:

[3708] Yes sir.

Vladimir:

[3709] Dark... or fair?

Boy:

[3711] I think it is... white, sir.

Vladimir:

[3713] Christ have mercy on us!

[3714] (silence)

Boy:

[3715] What am I.....

[3715|001] (Silence)

BOY

[3715] What am I to say to Mr. Godot, Sir?

VLADIMIR

[3716] Tell him... (he hesitates) ...tell him you saw me and that... (he hesitates) ...that you saw me.

[3717] (Pause. [3718] VLADIMIR advances, the BOY recoils. VLADIMIR halts, the BOY halts)

[3719] You're sure you saw me, eh, you won't come and tell me to-morrow that you never saw me before?

[3720] (Silence. [3721] VLADIMIR makes a sudden spring forward, the BOY avoids him and exits running. [3722] Silence. [3723] The sun sets, the moon rises. [3723|001] As before. [3724] VLADIMIR stands motionless

[p. 98r]

[3724] and bowed. [3725] ESTRAGON wakes, takes off his boots, gets up with them in his hands, goes and puts them down centre front, goes towards Vladimir, looks at him)

ESTRAGON

[3726] What's wrong with you?

VLADIMIR

[3727] There's nothing. wrong with me.

ESTRAGON

[3728] I'm going.

VLADIMIR

[3729] So am I.

ESTRAGON

[3731] Was I long asleep?

VLADIMIR

[3732] I don't know.

[3733] (Silence)

ESTRAGON

[3734] Where shall we go?

VLADIMIR

[3735] Not far.

ESTRAGON

[3736] Oh yes, let's go far away from here.

VLADIMIR

[3737] We can't.

ESTRAGON

[3738] Why not?

VLADIMIR

[3739] We have to come back to-morrow.

ESTRAGON

[3740] What for?

VLADIMIR

[3741] To wait for Godot.

ESTRAGON

[3742] Ah! [3743] (pause) [3744] He didn't come?

VLADIMIR

[3745] No.

ESTRAGON

[3746] And now it's too late.

VLADIMIR

[3747] Yes, now it's night.

ESTRAGON

[3748] And if we dropped him? [3749] (pause) [3750] If we dropped him.

VLADIMIR

[3751] He'd punish us.

[3752] (Silence. [3753] He looks at the tree)

[3754] Everything's dead but the tree.

ESTRAGON

[3755] (Looking at the tree) [3756] What is it?

VLADIMIR

[3757] It's the tree.

[p. 99r]

ESTRAGON

[3758] Yes, but what kind?

VLADIMIR

[3759] I don't know. [3760] A willow.

[3762] (ESTRAGON draws Vladimir towards the tree. [3763] They stand motionless before it. [3764] Silence)

ESTRAGON

[3765] Why don't we hang ourselves?

VLADIMIR

[3766] With what?

ESTRAGON

[3767] You haven't got a bit of rope?

VLADIMIR

[3768] No.

ESTRAGON

[3769] Then we can't.

VLADIMIR

[3770] Let's go.

ESTRAGON

[3771] Wait, there's my belt.

VLADIMIR

[3772] It's too short.

ESTRAGON

[3773] You could hang on to my legs.

VLADIMIR

[3774] And who'd hang on to mine?

ESTRAGON

[3775] True.

VLADIMIR

[3776] Show all the same.

[3777] (ESTRAGON loosens the cord that holds up his trousers [3778] which, much too big for him, fall about his ankles. [3779] They look at the cord)

[3780] That might do at a pinch. [3781] But is it strong enough?

ESTRAGON

[3782] We'll soon see. [3783] Here.

[3784] (They each take an end of the cord and pull. [3785] It breaks. [3786] They almost fall)

VLADIMIR

[3787] Not worth a curse.

[3788] (Silence)

ESTRAGON

[3789] You say we have to come back to-morrow?

VLADIMIR

[3790] Yes.

ESTRAGON

[3791] Then we can bring a good bit of rope.

VLADIMIR

[3792] Yes.

MS. Pages: cover - 02r 03r - 07r 08r - 12r 13r - 17r 18r - 22r 23r - 27r 28r - 32r 33r - 37r 38r - 42r 43r - 47r 48r - 52r 53r - 57r 58r - 62r 63r - 67r 68r - 72r 73r - 77r 78r - 81v 82r - 86r 87r - 91r 91v - 95r 96r - 99r 100r - 100r