Author of ‘Come And Go’, Samuel Beckett, was an absurdist playwright. He himself was influenced by the existentialist philosophies of Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus which stated that the universe was without any overarching moral order or meaning. Beckett’s renowned play Waiting for Godot was a breakthrough in such an era.

Replacing the cluttered stage of naturalism in drama with the empty stage that in the words of Peter Hall was “an image of life passing in hope, despair; companionship and loneliness.”

About The Play Come And Go

Come and Go is yet another short play, also described as a “dramaticule” on its title page, written by  Samuel Beckett. Webster defines a dramaticule as a little or insignificant drama. The play is considered to be a dramaticule because of its short length.

Critics are of the opinion that this play is among Beckett’s most “perfect” plays as Beckett agonized over each individual line, perfecting it until they matched his creative vision. The play varies between “121 and 127 words”  to be precise.

It is only three minutes in performance and was written in English in January 1965 and first performed in German at the Schiller theatre, Berlin on 14 January 1966. Its English language premiere was at the Peacock Theatre, Dublin on 28 February 1968, and its British premiere was at the Royal Festival Hall in London on 9 December 1968.

Come And Go: Stage Directions And Style

Silence occupies a major portion of the play, with bleak, almost inaudible conversations. The or ‘silence’ itself occurs as many as six times as part of stage directions, leaving powerful and haunting impressions on the audience.

FLO: I can feel the rings. [Silence. ]

There is a feeling of uncanniness as the play focuses on the issue of death with three women conversing cautiously avoiding the actual word. Flu, Vi and Ro can be perceived as ghosts or revenants and according to Beckett must disappear from the lit area on stage and reappear without the sound of feet.

Plot of Come And Go

Three women sit on a bench conversing in almost inaudible whispers, reminiscing their past. The three women are named Flo, Vi, Ru, and the central one, Vi, gets up and walks backstage, leaving behind Flo and Ru on the bench. Flo shuffles over to Ru and whispers inaudibly in her ear.

The one who had left, Vi, re-enters and takes up the vacant place left behind by Flu on the left. The one who is now in the middle, Flo, gets up and walks toward the backstage. Ru shuffles over to sit next to Vi, and whispering inaudibly something in her ear. It is important to note how each time the person listening gasps “Oh”.

Vi too here gasps ‘Oh’. Flo reappears from backstage and sits on the vacant place on the right. It is the turn of Ru to get up and walk backstage.  Vi, in turn, shuffles across to sit next to the one on the right, Flo and whispers in her ear. Flo gasps again, ‘Oh’.

Ru appears from backstage and takes up the vacant place on the left of the bench.  Noticeably all of this falls in line with Beckett’s pattern of repetition and circularity.

Themes

Among the themes that seem discernable, the most prominent is that of loneliness and isolation.

Like all other Beckett plays, especially Waiting for Godot, Krapp’s Last Tape and Endgame, Come and Go seems to entrench a certain kind of loneliness with its absurd characters on stage who whisper and move about, and their movement results in almost nothing of paramount significance.

However, another discernable theme seems to be of women and their restricted role in society under patriarchal pressure, although it seems highly unlikely that Beckett who had once banned the performance of women in Waiting for Godot would indulge in such themes ever.

Conclusion

Although Beckett did not want his plays to be heavily invested with meaning, scholars all across have tried to connect the dots, to bring out meanings that are otherwise hard to discern from the play. It so happens that the meaninglessness brings out the tragedy of human life, the repetitive patterns recurring in our lives.

To think about infinite things, that display the misery of the human condition, patterns of circularity stand among them. The title “Come and go” itself expresses that nothing ever stays, everything is ever-changing paradoxically nothing is permanent.

FAQs

What is the theme of ‘come and go’ by Samuel Beckett?

Among the themes that seem discernable, the most prominent is that of loneliness and isolation. Another discernable theme seems to be of women and their restricted role in society under patriarchal pressure.

When was ‘come and go’ by Samuel Beckett written?

come and Go is only three minutes in performance and was written in English in January 1965 and first performed in German at the Schiller theatre, Berlin on 14 January 1966. Its English language premiere was at the Peacock Theatre, Dublin on 28 February 1968, and its British premiere was at the Royal Festival Hall in London on 9 December 1968.

 What is the main feature of Beckett’s style?

The disjunctive words are a characteristic feature of Beckett’s plays and are a post-modern approach to showcase the disjunctive, brokenness of life that was inherent in the post world war period. Beckett usually employs a bleak atmosphere for his plays which have both to offer tragedy and comedy.

The casual linking of dialogues that could be found in any other play is missing in Beckett’s world. Not only is Beckett’s world replete with iteration, but it also consists of stichomythia which in drama is a dialogue consisting of single lines spoken alternately by two characters.

What did Beckett say about Godot?

Beckett is said to have revealed to Peter Woodthorpe that he regretted calling the absent character ‘Godot’ because it had apparently given rise to theories revolving around ‘God’ which he had not intended.  Godot can be a metaphor for religions, philosophy, beliefs, or anything else one can think of.