Samuel Beckett

Krapp's Last Tape

A late evening in the future.
Krapp's den.
Front centre a small table, the two drawers of which open towards audience.
Sitting at the table, facing front, i.e. across from the drawers, a wearish old man:
Krapp
Rusty blac narrow trousers too short for him. Rust blac sleevless waistcoat, four
capaciou pocets. !eavy silver watch and chain. "rimy white shirt open at nec, no
collar. Surprising pair of dirty white boots, si#e ten at least, very narrow and pointed.
$hite face. %urple nose. &isordered grey hair. 'nshaven.
very near(sighted )but unspectacled*. !ard of hearing.
+raced voice. &istinctive intonation.
,aborious wal.
-n the table a tape(recorder with microphone and a number of cardboard bo.es
containing reels of recorded tapes.
table and immediately ad/acent area in strong white light. Rest of stage in darness.
Krapp remains a moment motionless, heaves a great sigh, loos at his watch, fumbles
in his pocets, taes out an evelope, puts it bac, fumbles, taes out a small bunch of
eys, raises it to his eyes, chooses a ey, gets up and moves to front of table. !e
stoops, unlocs first drawer, peers into it, feels about inside it, taes out a reel of
tape, peers at it, puts it bac, locs drawer, unlocs second drawer peers into it, feels
about inside it, taes out a large banana, peers at it, locs drawer, puts eys bac in
his pocet. !e turns, advances to edge of stage, halts, stroes banana, peels it, drops
sin at his feet, puts end of banana in his mouth and remains motionless, staring
vacuously before him. Finally he bites off the end, turns aside and begins pacing to
and fro at edge of stage, in the light, i.e. not more than four or five paces either way,
meditatively eating banana. !e treads on sin, slips, nearly falls, recovers himself,
stoops and peers at sin and finally pushes it, still stooping, with his foot over the
edge of the stage into pit. !e resumes his pacing, finishes banana, returns to table,
sits down, remains a moment motionless, heaves a great sigh, taes eys from his
pocets, raises them to his eyes, chooses ey, gets up and moves to front of table,
unlocs second drawer, taes out a second large banana, peers at it, locs drawer,
puts bac his eys in his pocet, turns, advances to the edge of stage, halts, stroes
banana, peels it, tosses sin into pit, puts an end of banana in his mouth and remains
motionless, staring vacuously before him. Finally he has an idea, puts banana in his
waistcoat pocet, the end emerging, and goes with all the speed he can muster
bacstage into darness. 0en seconds. ,oud pop of cor. Fifteen seconds. !e comes
bac into light carrying an old ledger and sits down at table. !e lays ledger on table,
wipes his mouth, wipes his hands on the front of his waistcoat, brings them smartly
together and rubs them.
KRAPP
(brisly). Ah! (!e bends over ledger, turns the pages, finds the entry he wants, reads.)
Box . . . thrree . . . spool . . . five. (he raises his head and stares front. $ith relish.)
Spool! (pause.) Spooool! (happy smile. %ause. !e bends over table, starts peering
and poing at the bo.es.) Box . . . thrree . . . three . . . four . . . two . . . (with surprise)
nine! good God! . . . seven . . . ah! the little rascal! (!e taes up the bo., peers at it.)
Box thrree. (!e lays it on table, opens it and peers at spools inside.) Spool . . . (he
peers at the ledger) . . . five . . . (he peers at spools) . . . five . . . five . . . ah! the little
scoundrel! (!e taes out a spool, peers at it.) Spool five. (!e lays it on table, closes
bo. three, puts it bac with the others, taes up the spool.) Box three, spool five. )!e
bends over the machine, loos up. $ith relish.* Spooool! )happy smile. !e bends,
loads spool on machine, rubs his hands.* Ah! (!e peers at ledger, reads entry at foot
of page.) Mother at rest at last . . . H . . . !he "lac# "all . . . (!e raises his head,
stares blanly front. %u##led.) Blac# "all$ . . . (!e peers again at ledger, reads.) !he
dar# nurse . . . (!e raises his head, broods, peers again at ledger, reads.) Slight
iproveent in "owel condition . . . H . . . Meora"le . . . what$ (!e peers closer.)
%&uinox, eora"le e&uinox. (!e raises his head, stares blanly front. %u##led.)
Meora"le e&uinox$ . . . (%ause. !e shrugs his head shoulders, peers again at
ledger, reads.) 'arewell to(((he turns the page)((love.
!e raises his head, broods, bends over machine, switches on and assumes listening
posture, i.e. leaning foreward, elbows on table, hand cupping ear towards machine,
face front.
TAPE
(strong voice, rather pompous, clearly Krapp's at a much earlier time.) !hirt)(nine
toda), sound as a(((Settling himself more comfortable he nocs one of the bo.es off
the table, curses, switches off, sweeps bo.es and ledger violently to the ground, winds
tape bac to the beginning, switches on, resumes posture.) !hirt)(nine toda), sound as
a "ell, apart fro ) old wea#ness, and intellectuall) * have niw ever) reason to
suspect at the . . . (hesitates) . . . crest of the wave((or therea"outs. +ele"rated the
awful occasion, as in recent )ears, &uietl) at the winehouse. ,ot a soul. Sat "efore the
fire with closed e)es, separation the grain fro the hus#s. -otted down a few notes, on
the "ac# on an envelope. Good to "e "ac# in ) den in ) old rags. Have -ust eaten *
regret to sa) three "ananas and onl) with difficult) restrained a fourth. 'atal things for
a an with ) condition. (1ehemently.) +ut .e out! (pause.) !he new light a"ove
) ta"le is a great iproveent. /ith all this dar#ness around e * feel less alone.
(%ause.) *n a wa). (%ause.) * love to get up and ove a"out in it, then "ac# here to . . .
(hesitates) . . . e. (pause.) 0rapp.
%ause.
!he grain, now what * wonder do * ean ") that, * ean . . . (hesitates) . . . * suppose *
ean those things worth having when all the dust has((when all my dust has settled. *
close ) e)es and tr) and iagine the.
%ause. 2rapp closes his eyes briefly.
%xtraordinar) silence this evening, * strain ) ears and do not hear a sound. 1ld Miss
McGloe alwa)s sings at this hour. But not tonight. Songs of her girlhood, she sa)s.
Hard to thin# of her as a girl. /onderful woan, though. +onnaught, * fanc).
(%ause.) Shall * sing when * a her age, if * ever a$ ,o. (%ause.) 2id * sing as a
"o)$ ,o. (%ause.) 2id * ever sing$ ,o.
%ause.
3ust "een listening to an old )ear, passaages at rando. * did not chec# in the "oo#,
"ut it ust "e at least tne or twelve )ears ago. At that tie * thin# * was still living on
and off with Bianca in 0edar Street. /ell out of that, 3esus )es! Hopeless "usiness.
(%ause.) ,ot uch a"out her, apart fro a tri"ute to her e)es. 4er) war. * suddenl)
was the again. (%ause.) *ncopara"le! (%ause.) Ah well . . . (%ause.) !hese old
5.M.s are gruesoe, "ut * often find the(((Krapp switches off, broods, switches on)((
a help "efore e"ar#ing on a new . . . (hestitates) . . . retrospect. Hard to "elieve * was
ever that )oung whelp. !he voice! 3esus! And the aspirations! (3rief laugh in which
Krapp /oins.) And the resolutions! (3rief laugh in which Krapp /oins.) !o drin# less,
in particular. (3rief laugh of Krapp alone.) Statistics. Seventeen hundred hours, out of
the preceding eight thousand odd, consued on licensed preises alone. More than
678, sa) 978 of his wa#ing life. (%ause.) 5lans for a less . . . (hesitates) . . .
engrossing sexual life. :ast illness of his father. 'lagging pursuit of happiness.
;nattaina"le laxation. Sneers at what he calls his )outh and than#s to God that it.s
over. (%ause.) 'alse ring there. (%ause.) Shadows of the opus . . . agnu. +losing
with a (((brief laugh)(()elp to 5rovidence. (%rolonged laugh in which Krapp /oins.)
/hat reains of all that iser)$ A girl in a sha"") green coat, on a railwa)(station
platfor$ ,o$
%ause.
/hen * loo#((
Krapp switches off, broods, loos at his watch, gets up, goes bacstage into darness.
0en seconds. pop of cor. 0en seconds. Second cor. 0en seconds. 0hird cor. 0en
seconds. 3rief burst of 4uavering song.
KRAPP
(sings).
,ow the da) is over,
,ight is drawing nigh(igh,
Shadows((
Fit of coughing. !e comes bac into light, sits down, wipes his mouth, switches on,
resumes his listening posture.
TAPE
((Bac# on the )ear that is gone, with what * hope is perhaps a glint of the old e)e to
coe, there is of course the house on the canal where other la) a(d)ing, in the late
autun, after her long viduit) (Krapp gives a start), and the(((Krapp switches off,
winds bac tape a little, bends his ear closer to the machine, switches on)((a(d)ing,
after her long viduit), and the((
Krapp switches off, raises his head, stares blanly before him. !is lips move in the
syllables of 5viduity.5 6o sound. !e gets up, goes bac stage into darness, comes
bac with an enormous dictionary, lays it on table, sits down and loos up the word.
KRAPP
(reading fro dictionar)). State((or condition of "eing((or reaining((a widow((or
widower. (:oo#s up. 5u<<led.) Being((or reaining$ . . . (5ause. He peers again at
dictionar). =eading.) >2eep weeds of viduit)> . . . Also of an anial, especiall) a "ird
. . . the vidua or weaver "ird . . . Blac# pluage of ale . . . (He loo#s up. /ith
relish.) !he vidua7"ird!
%ause. !e closes dictionary, switches on, reusmes listening posture.
TAPE
(("ench ") the weir fro where * could see her window. !here * sat, in the "iting
wind, wishing she were gone. (%ause.) Hardl) a soul, -ust a few regulars, nurseaids,
infants, old en, dogs. * got to #now the &uite well((oh ") appearance of course *
ean! 1ne dar# )oung "eaut) * recall particularl), all white and starch, incopara"le
"oso, with a "ig "lac# hooded pera"ulator, ost funereal thing. /henever *
loo#ed in her direction she had her e)es on e. And )et when * was "old enough to
spea# to her((not having "een introduced((she threatened to call a policean. As if *
had designs on her virtue! (,augh. %ause.) !he face she had! !he e)es! :i#e . . .
(hesitates) . . . chr)solite! (%ause.) Ah well . . . (%ause.) * was there when(((Krapp
switches off, broods, switches on again)((the "lind went down, one of those dirt)
"rown roller affairs, throwing a "all for a little white dog, as chance would have it. *
happened to loo# up and there it was. All over and done with, at last. * sat on for a few
oents with the "all in ) hand and the dog )elping and pawing at e. (%ause.)
Moents. Her oents, ) oents. (%ause.) !he dog.s oents. (%ause.) *n the
end * held it out to hi and he too# it in his outh, gentl), gentl). A sall, old, "lac#,
hard, solid ru""er "all. (%ause.) * shall feel it, in ) hand, until ) d)ing da).
(%ause.) * ight have #ept it. (%ause.) But * gave it to the dog.
%ause.
Ah well . . .
%ause.
Spirituall) a )ear of profound gloo and indulgence until that eora"le night in
March at the end of the -ett), in the howling wind, never to "e forgotten, when
suddenl) * saw the whole thing. !he vision, at last. !his fanc) is what * have cheifl)
to record this evening, againt the da) when ) wor# will "e done and perhaps no
place left in ) eor), war or cold, for the iracle that . . . (hesitates) . . . for the
fire that set it alight. /hat * suddenl) saw then was this, that the "eleif * had "een
going on all ) life, nael)(((Krapp switches off impatiently, winds tape foreward,
switches on again)((great granite roc#s the foa fl)ing up in the light of the lighhouse
and thw wind(gauge spinning li#e a propellor, clear to e at last that the dar# * have
alwa)s struggled to #eep under is in realit)(((Krapp curses, switches off, winds tape
foreward, switches on again)((unshattera"le association until ) dissolution of stor
and night with the light of the understanding and the fire(((Krapp curses loader,
switches off, winds tape foreward, switches on again)(() face in her "reasts and )
hand on her. /e la) there without oving. But under us all oved, and oved us,
gentl), up and down, and fro side to side.
%ause.
5ast idnight. ,ever #new such silence. !he earth ight "e uninha"ited.
%ause.
Here * end((
Krapp switches off, winds tabe bac, switches on again.
((upper la#e, with the punt, "athed off the "an#, then pushed out into the strea and
drifted. She la) streched out on the floor"oards with her hands under her head and her
e)es closed. Sun "la<ing down, "it of a "ree<e, water nice and livel). * noticed a
scratch on her thigh and as#ed her how she cae ") it. 5ic#ing goose"erries, she said.
* said again * thought it was hopeless and no good going on, and she agreed, without
opening her e)es. (%ause.) * as#ed her to loo# at e and after a few oents((
(pause)((after a few oents she did, "ut the e)es -ust slits, "ecause of the glare. *
"ent over her to get the in the shadow and the) opened. (%ause. ,ow.) :et e in.
(%ause.) /e drifted in aong the flags and stuc#. !he wa) the) went down, sighing,
"efore the ste! (%ause.) * la) down across her with ) face in her "reasts and )
hand on her. /e la) there without oving. But under us all oved, and oved us,
gentl), up and down, and fro side to side.
%ause.
5ast idnight. ,ever #new((
Krapp switches off, broods. Finally he fumbles in his pocets, encounters the banana,
taes it out, peers at it, puts it bac, fumbles, brings out the envelope, fumbles, puts
bac envelope, loos at his watch, gets up and goes bacstage into darness. 0en
seconds. Sound of bottle against glass, then brief siphon. 0en seconds. 3ottle against
glass alone. 0en seconds. !e comes bac a little unsteadily into light, goes to the
front of table, taes out eys, raises them to his eyes, chooses ey, unlocs first
drawer, peers into it, feels about inside it, taes out reel, peers at it, locs drawer,
puts eys bac in his pocet, goes and sits down, taes reel off machine, lays it on
dictionary, loads virgin reel on machine, taes envelope from his pocet, consults
bac of it, lays it on table, switches on, clears his throat and begins to record.
KRAPP
3ust "een listening to that stupid "astard * too# )self for thirt) )ears ago, hard to
"eleive * was ever as "ad as that. !han# God that.s all done with an)wa). (%ause.)
!he e)es she had! (3roods, reali#es he is recording silence, switches off, broods.
Finally.) %ver)thing there, ever)thing, all the(((Reali#ing this is not being recorded,
switches on.) %ver)thing there, ever)thing on this old uc#"all, all the light and dar#
and faine and feasting of . . . (hesitates) . . . the ages! (7n a shout.) ?es! (%ause.) :et
that go! 3esus! !a#e his ind off his hoewor#! 3esus (%ause. $eary.) Ah well,
a)"e he was right. (3roods. Reali#es. Switches off. +onsults envelope.) 5ah!
(+rumples it and throws it away. 3roods. Switches on.) ,othing to sa), not a s&uea#.
/hat.s a )ear now$ !he sour cud and the iron stool. (%ause.) =evelled in the word
spool. ($ith relish.) Spooool! Happiest oent of the past half illion. (%ause.)
Seventeen copies sold, of which eleven at trade price to free circulating li"raries
"e)ond the seas. Getting #nown. (%ause.) 1ne pound six and soething, eight * have
little dou"t. (%ause.) +rawled out once or twice, "efore the suer was cold. Sat
shivering in the par#, drowned in dreas and "urning to "e gone. ,ot a soul. (%ause.)
:ast fancies. (1ehemently.) 0eep .e under! (%ause.) Scalded the e)es out of e
reading 8ffir again, a page a da), with tears again. %ffie . . . (%ause.) +ould have "een
happ) with her, up there on the Baltic, and the pines, and the dunes. (%ause.) +ould *$
(%ause.) And she$ (%ause.) 5ah! (%ause.) 'ann) cae in a couple of ties. Bon) old
ghost of a whore. +ouldn.t do uch, "ut * suppose "etter than a #ic# in the crutch. !he
last tie wasn.t so "ad. How do )ou anage it, she said, at )our age$ * told her *.d
"een saving up for her all ) life. (%ause.) /ent to 4espers once, li#e when * as in
short trousers. (%ause. Sings.*)
,ow the da) is over,
,ight is drawing nigh(igh,
Shadows(((coughing, then almost inaudible)((of the evening
Steal across the s#).
("asping.) /ent to sleep and fell off the pew. (%ause.) Soeties wondered in the
night if a last effort ightn.t(((%ause.) Ah finish )out "oo<e now and get to )our "ed.
Go on with this drivel in the orning. 1r leave it at that. (%ause.) :eave it at that.
(%ause.) :ie propped up in the dar#((and wander. Be again in the dingle on a
+hristas %ve, gathering holl), the red("erried. (%ause.) Be again on +roghan on a
Sunda) orning, in the ha<e, with the "itch, stop and listen to the "ells. (%ause.) And
so on. (%ause.) Be again, "e again. (%ause.) All that old iser). (%ause.) 1nce wasn.t
enough for )ou. (%ause.) :ie down across her.
,ong pause. !e suddenly bends over machine, switches off, wrenches off tape, throws
it away, puts on the other, winds it foreward to the passage he wants, switches on,
listens staring front.
TAPE
((goose"erries, she said. * said again * thought it was hopeless and no good going on,
and she agreed, without opening her e)es. (%ause.) * as#ed her to loo# at e and after
a few oents(((pause)((after a few oents she did, "ut the e)es -ust slits, "ecause
of the glare. * "ent over her to get the in the shadow and the) opened. (%ause. ,ow.)
:et e in. (%ause.) /e drifted in aong the flags and stuc#. !he wa) the) went
down, sighing, "efore the ste! (%ause.) * la) down across her with ) face in her
"reasts and ) hand on her. /e la) there without oving. But under us all oved,
and oved us, gentl), up and down, and fro side to side.
%ause. Krapp's lips move. 6o sound.
5ast idnight. ,ever #new such silence. !he earth ight "e uninha"ited.
%ause.
Here * end this reel. Box(((pause)((three, spool(((pause)((five. (%ause. 5erhaps )
"est )ears are gone. /hen there was a chance of happiness. But * wouldn.t want the
"ac#. ,ot with the fire in e now. ,o, * wouldn.t want the "ac#.
Krapp motionless staring before him. 0he tape runs on in silence.
+;=!A*,