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

MS-HRC-SB-6-4-1

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 - 83r 83v - 88r 88v - 93r 93v - ins.backcover backcover - ins.backcover
[p. 43v] [p. 44r]








POZZO

[1024] Good. [1025] Is everybody ready? [1026] Is everybody looking at me? [1027] (He looks at Lucky, jerks the rope. [1028] Lucky raises his head.) [1029] Will you look at me, pig! [1030] (Lucky looks at him.) [1031] Good. [1032] (He puts the pipe in his pocket, takes out a little vaporizer xxx, and sprays his throat, puts back the vaporizer in his pocket, clears his throat, spits takes out the vaporizer again, sprays his throat, puts back the vaporizer in his pocket) [1033] I am ready. [1034] Is everybody listening? [1040] Is everybody ready? [1041] (He looks at them all in turn, jerks the rope.) [1042] Hog! [1043] (Lucky raises his head.) [1044] I don't like talking in a vacuum. [1045] Good. [1046] Let me see. [1047] He reflects.

ESTRAGON

[1048] I'm going.

POZZO

[1049] What was it exactly you wanted to know?

VLADIMIR

[1050] Why he -

POZZO

[1051] (angrily) [1052] Don't interrupt me. [1053] (Pause. [1054] Calmer.) [1055] If we all speak at once we'll never get anywhere. [1056] (Pause.) [1057] What was I saying. [1058] (Pause. [1059] Louder.) [1060] What was I saying?

[p. 44v] [p. 45r]

[1061] Vladimir mimics one carrying a heavy burden. [1062] Pozzo looks at him, puzzled.



ESTRAGON

[1063] (forcibly) [1064] Bags! [1065] (He points at Lucky.) [1066] Why? [1067] Always hold. [1068] (He sags, panting.) [1069] Never put down. [1070] (He opens his hands, straightens up with relief.) [1071] Why?

POZZO

[1072] Ah! [1073] Why wouldn't you say so before? [1074] Why he doesn't make himself comfortable? [1075] Let's try and get this clear. [1076] Has he not the right to? [1077] Certainly he has. [1078] It follows that he doesn't want to. [1079] There's reasoning for you. [1080] And why doesn't he want to? [1081] (Pause.) [1082] Gentlemen, the reason is this.

VLADIMIR

[1082|001] (to Estragon) [1083] Make a note of this.

POZZO

[1084] He wants to impress me, so that I'll keep him.

ESTRAGON

[1085] What?

POZZO

[1086] Perhaps I haven't got it quite right. [1087] He wants to mollify me, so that I'll give up the idea of parting with him. [1088] No, that's not exactly it either.

VLADIMIR

[1089] You want to get rid of him?

[p. 45v] [p. 46r]

POZZO

[1089|001] He wants to cod me, but he won't.

VLADIMIR

[1089|002] You want to get rid of him?

POZZO

[1090] He imagines that when I see how well he carries I'll be tempted to keep him on in that capacity.

ESTRAGON

[1091] You've had enough of him?

POZZO

[1094] In reality he carries like a pig. [1095] It's not his job.

VLADIMIR

[1096] You want to get rid of him?

POZZO

[1097] He imagines that when I see him indefatigable I'll regret my decision. [1098] Such is his miserable scheme. [1099] As though I were short of slaves! [1100] (All three look at Lucky.) [1101] Atlas, son of jupiter! [1102] (Silence.) [1104] Well, that's that, I think. [1105] Anything else?
[1106] Vaporizer

VLADIMIR

[1107] You want to get rid of him?

POZZO

[1108] Remark that I might just as well have been in his place and he in mine. [1109] If chance had not willed otherwise. [1110] To each one his due.

VLADIMIR

[1111] You waagerrim?

POZZO

[1112] I beg your pardon?

VLADIMIR

[1113] you want to get rid of him?

x

[p. 46v] [p. 47r]

POZZO

[1114] I do. [1115] But instead of driving him away as I might have done, I mean instead of simply kicking him out on his arse, in the goodness of my heart I am bringing him to the fair, where I hope to get a good price for him. [1116] The truth is you can't drive such creatures away. [1117] The best thing would be to kill them.

[1118] Lucky weeps.

ESTRAGON

[1119] He's crying!

POZZO

[1120] Old dogs have more dignity. [1121] (He proffers his handkerchief to Estragon.) [1122] Comfort him, since you pity him. [1123] (Estragon hesitates.) [1124] Come on. [1125] (Estragon takes the handkerchief.) [1126] Wipe away his tears, he'll feel less forsaken.

[1128] Estragon hesitates

VLADIMIR

[1129] Here, give it to me, I'll do it.

[1130] Estragon refuses to give the handkerchief. [1131] Childish gestures.

POZZO

[1132] Make haste, [1133] before he

[p. 47v] [p. 48r]

POZZO

[1133] stops. [1134] (Estragon approaches Lucky and makes to wipe his eyes. [1135] Lucky kicks him violently in the shins. [1136] Estragon drops the handkerchief, recoils, staggers about the stage howling with pain.) [1137] Hanky!

ESTRAGON

[1140] Oh the swine! [1141] (He pulls up the leg of his trousers) [1142] He's crippled me!

POZZO

[1143] I told you he didn't like strangers.

VLADIMIR

[1144] (to Estragon) [1145] Show. [1146] (Estragon shows his leg. [1147] To Pozzo, angrily.) [1148] He's bleeding.

POZZO

[1149] It's a good sign.

ESTRAGON

[1150] (on one leg). [1151] I'll never walk again!

VLADIMIR

[1152] (tenderly). [1153] I'll carry you. [1154] (Pause) [1155] If necessary.

POZZO

[1156] He's stopped crying. [1157] (To Estragon.) [1158] You have replaced him as it were. [1159] (Lyrically.) [1160] The tears of the world are a constant quantity. [1161] For each one who begins to weep somewhere else another stops. [1162] The same is true of the laugh. [1163] (He laughs) [1164] Let us not then speak ill of our generation,

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 - 83r 83v - 88r 88v - 93r 93v - ins.backcover backcover - ins.backcover