Here is some background of his Monologues.

Samuel Beckett was influenced by the existential philosophies of Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus. His work is therefore defined by the consciousness that words are incapable of expressing the inner self and by the simultaneous acceptance of the fact that language is intrinsic to the human situation and thus not a removable element.

Beckett regards language as equivalent to the identity of self. In each of his plays, the scenes are woven with dialogues and signify in conjunction with other theatrical elements on stage. Interaction via language is traditionally based on the principle of causality.

This is seen especially in his Endgame and Waiting for Godot where a clutter of absurd conversations deconstruct certain existentialist themes in the play. Beckett uses monologue extensively in many of his plays like Waiting for Godot and Krapp’s Last Tape.

Waiting for Godot

Monologues are intrinsic to Beckett’s plays. A good instance of such a monologue can be seen in Waiting for Godot where Lucky’s speech disconnects and broaches various subjects from their spinal cord, which is the point of convergence and presents them to the readers for them to scrutinize it.

Fragments and repeated parts of his speech reflect the linguistic chaos which results from the ‘absolute absence of the absolute’. His speech starts with a hypothetical statement about the existence of a personal god living in divine ‘apathia’. This personal god loves us with some exceptions but does not communicate with us and finally condemns us for reasons unknown.

In Lucky’s speech, random words have been yoked together but a deeper look at the speech makes it all the more meaningful. The words might have been have been put together haphazardly but they produce a particular structure, and, in turn, make Lucky’s speech a reflection of the play itself in a precisely concise form producing meaning from its structureless structure.

Beckett himself remarked on Lucky’s speech: ‘The threads and themes of the play are being gathered together [in this speech].’  Furthermore, Beckett explains that the theme of this monologue resonates with that of the play, that is ‘to shrink on an impossible earth under an indifferent heaven’.

Krapp’s Last Tape

Beckett also uses monologue to show the breakdown of language in Krapp’s Last Tape and the characters’ alienation from others due to the lack of interaction among the characters. Numerous monologues within the play tell us the characters’ inability to maintain a conversation because of their egocentricity, which becomes a reason why people just want to express their own thoughts and do not pay attention to others’ discourses.

That is also why they must repeat their questions several times before they can get answers. “Through monologue, Beckett uses the technique of the stream-of-consciousness to attack the audience’s sense of time, place, and order” says Su-Lien Liao.

A Piece of Monologue

A Piece of Monologue is a play that was made because there was a request for a “play about death” and it comprised of fifteen-minutes, one of the shortest among plays by Samuel Beckett. Written between 2 October 1977^[1] and 28 April 1979, it was requested by the actor David Warrilow who had starred in the premiere in the Annex at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, New York on 14 December 1979.

A Piece of Monologue consists of a solo figure talking, an old man, bereft of everything, talking about his loss and loneliness, the usual cheerful subject matter, a man facing a blank wall where the photos of his family used to hang. until he tore them all down, and then prey to increasingly feverish memories of endless funerals he’s attended.

Happy Days

With very little action in the play, Happy Days employ monologues to showcase the absurdities of human life and thereby bring out its existentialist themes. Winnie, a housewife,  buried to her waist, follows her daily monotonous routine and prattles to her husband, Willie, who is largely hidden and uncommunicative.

Winnie’s frequent refrain is “Oh this is a happy day.” As the play proceeds, she becomes further entrapped in her position and continues speaking to her husband. This act of repetition or of the loop is again reminiscent of the absurdist theatre and the final question remains- will she be able to acknowledge the position she is in, or will she continue to reminisce on those happy days of the past?

FAQs

What is the main feature of Beckett’s language?

Repetition, and pattern of circularity, all of these mark Beckett’s language. They sometimes lack coherence which not only symbolizes the absurdities of human life but also brings out the suffering of mankind.

What is the meaning of Not I by Samuel Beckett?

Beckett’s Not I is about the emotional reaction of his protagonist, a woman who was deeply affected by the epiphany that caused her to be able to speak. This epiphany is the best way to get a true sense of the woman and her personality. The play is a monologue of some 15 minutes in length.

Why Samuel Beckett is so famous?

Samuel Beckett was influenced by the existential philosophies of Jean-Paul    Sartre and Albert Camus. His work is therefore defined by the consciousness that words are incapable of expressing the inner self and by the simultaneous acceptance of the fact that language is intrinsic to the human situation and thus not a removable element.

Who was Samuel Beckett influenced by?

 Samuel Beckett was influenced by the existential philosophies of Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus.