Samuel Beckett
Digital Manuscript Project
Krapp's Last Tape / La Dernière Bande

MS-UoR-1227-7-7-1

X
Segment 1

[0053] (He lays it on table, closes box three
and puts it back with the others. He
bends over spool
.
[0054] Box three Box thrree,
spool five.
[0059] (He puts spool on machine,
[0061] peers at ledger. Reading from ledger
entry at foot of page.
)
[0062] Mother at
rest ...
[0064] The black ball ...[0065] (He raises
his head.
[0066] Puzzled.)[0067] The black ball???

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Segment 2

[0068] (He peers again at ledger)[0069] ... The
dark nurse
[0069|001] ... broods ...[0070] (He raises
his head, broods, peers again at ledger
)
[0071] Improvement of bowel condition ...
[0073] Memorable ... what?[0074] (He peers closer)
[0075] Equinox. Memorable equinox.

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Segment 3

[0076] (He raises his head, stares xx front.
[0077] Puzzled.)[0078] Memorable equinox?[0079] (Pause.
[0080] He shrugs his shoulders, peers again at
ledger.
)
[0081] Farewell ... to - (he turns
the page
) - love.

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Segment 4

[0082] He closes ledger, bends over machine,
switches it on, takes up listening
posture, i.e. ear cupped towards
ear cupped towards machine, face
front.

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Segment 5

[0083] Tape. (strong young voice, but unmis-
takably his at a much earlier time
.)
[0084] Thirty-seven today, sound -

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Segment 6

[0085] xxx xxxions
Settling himself more comfortably
he knocks a box off the table
on the floor. He curses, stops
machine, sweeps boxes and
ledger violently off table,
switches on the machine, resumes
his pose.

X
Segment 7

[0086] Tape Thirty-seven today etc.

X
Addition 1
turns back tape to beginning
Transcription
  • Segments
  • Marginal Additions