Act Without Words II

[TheNinjaMantis]

One of the best things about Beckett is how much meaning can be pulled from his pieces. one can look at them from one perspective and see something and from another, something different. Here one can see the two men living with differing outlooks, that we all face the same end no matter how we live, or that in the end you have done absolutely nothing despite what you think. I think that is the greatest thing about Beckett, the fact that his plays, like this one, show so much... and show nothing.

[kutthroat84]

the stick and carrot

[TheSeungjin]

it looks very much like Charlie Chaplin's work

[progrockcoffee]

What bothers me about Beckett's plays are why his characters don't see the easy way out. Why doesn't one of these two open up the other sack? Why don't they just walk away and never go back into the sacks? Why don't they go find the goad and break it in half? Why don't Vladimir and Estragon just say "Fuck you, Godot!" and leave? GAH!

[Manwithcam]

@progrockcoffee Because people are creatures of routine, and we'd rather suffer in routine than break free into the void.

[boogeringdonosti]

Te first man is sad and its not living the life.

The second one its the oposite.

Beckett want to show two kind of livestiles.

( I think)

( Sorry about the English)

[AllyssEm]

i think it *does* mean something...i think he's taking a stab at describing the modern condition of man...a criticism of opiates vs. routine when it comes to man's persuit of meaning.

[onzin123bah]

Deze metafoor op de zinloosheid van het bestaan is een aansporing voor het besef dat de zin in het geleefde leven ligt en nergens anders.

[inluminary]

...endearing.

[MountAnalogue]

Well you know existetialism and Irish minimalism are extreme turn-ons for me.

[Indoril5]

its existentialism

[nightmindr]

its impossible to mean nothing. It is very possible to mean several things at once - probability increases with intellect. My best idea of becketts reaction to interpretation is best described by Freud in regard to the Irish.

[tosmrtforu]

i LOVE this one! It's so senseless, it just has to have a sense!

[baikabaga]

for some reason i see beckett laughing in his grave saying "it doesn't mean anything! bahahahaha!"

[mranenome]

I think his attitude was something like that; that his plays should be appreciated for what they were, that it wasn't necessary to subject them to interpretation.

Which would be fine by me.

[karoloandria]

even if dont meang anything still is a representation of something

[josswaldo]

@baikabaga HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA

[anusszka]

I would really like to know, the name and composer of this music! Who can tell me?

[emmypf]

We had to watch this in drama the other day. Everyone couldn't wait until this was over, though i sort of liked it! :D

[japhyriddle]

He has great ideas visually, but none of his films seem to go anywhere. It doesn't hold my attention long enough.

[dimeloloco]

it's more than what you see. it's what it represents and alludes to

[courtradiction]

mine?

[dripps611]

hey cheesyjelly thanks for repeating wikipedia for us

[RoxxyBee]

where is act without words part I?

[mranenome]

There is a Beckett play named "Act Without Words 1," but it's a separate play. It's not a first part to this one.

[gabgalvis]

acto si palabras.. sin palabras...

[courtradiction]

and the other of the negative nature.both have the same "jobs/ tasks" but one has a positive outlook, the other has a negative one. either way we see the job/task gets done...but is it truly what these characters want. we are completely responsible for our lives, therefore the blame can not be placed on the stick waking the two men up. instead, we take what life gives us and make due with it...in how ever way we choose.

[Mslikkle9]

Absolutely wonderful analysis of this play. I completely agree.

[randylahey123]

Yes I think you were spot on with this, although the stick could be their own drive, what spurs us to do anything and as they move out of its reach they become closer to death. There is a version of this in Dublin at the moment where the characters are drug addicts and it completely neutralises the message and confines it to the working classes... That THEIR life is meaningless routine, whereas Beckett might have said "Well so is yours!"

[courtradiction]

we've studied beckett in my IB theatre class.the meaning is very straightforward to the existentialist mind. The human is a hibitual creature.that being said,our lives are routine wether we believe it or not, its our choice wether or not to make something of it.hence why there are two characters in this act.one being of the positive nature,......

[courtradiction]

we've studied becket in my IB theatre class.the meaning is very straightforward to the existentialist mind. The human is a hibitual creature.that being said,our lives are routine wether we believe it or not, its our choice wether or not to make something of it.hence why there are two characters in this act.one being of the positive nature, ....

[lauralikes]

this is really great

[mranenome]

Beckett is one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. His plays are 'theater of the absurd,' which, as a genre, has been parodied without mercy. But with Beckett you see what all the fuss was about.

[Schish06]

Magnifico.

[nightttaker]

my own point of view is that there is only one person not two .. & what he carries is either hope or depresstion ..

[Peekapopinz]

so, the play is relevant to the social status of mankind being equal. AND it's completely irrelevant to that as well. It's also about a banana called billy taking out a hit on his mafia friends, the british nationalist party and the generation game. If you catch my drift ;)

[Peekapopinz]

this is someone borrowing this account, just thought i'd mention that Beckett designed it to not make sense, there is no meaning behind any of it really. or at least no designed meaning. Any interpretation you make of the play is correct, because it's made to invoke an interpretation. It's human instinct to make sense of the non-sensical.

[applicate321]

thats right the audience will try to convey meaning behind something absurd

[donnchadhkerr]

No I'm afraid you're quite wrong, this play has very specific meaning and form. Beckett is changing the device of narrative progression into a mechanical movement. Instead of the protagonist being given a story goal thy are given a physical destination. So instead of Bilbo gets the treasure, it's bilbo is moved from right to left.

The prod is litterally the creative mind of the writer artificially prodding the action onwards.

The absurdity reflects the absurdity of drama compared to real life.

[applicate321]

Hi, I always read Beckett plays as a reflection upon the absurdity of life and constantly posing the question: why? The narrative device is changed from a story to a physical destination, left to right surely this is absurd because he still doesn't actually go any where. I like the idea of the prod pushing the action (character)onwards. But where is the charecter actually pushed to?

[donnchadhkerr]

In a way the person using your account is right; something that is designed not to make sense is good definition of a joke and many of Beckett's plays are existentialist jokes.

In all the other ways imaginable s/he's wrong. There's nothing ambiguous about meaning in this play, he is very specific about meaning (unlike David Lynch) & his estate is very strict on how his works are performed, as any deviation from his directions would cause the kind of confuddle you wrongly attribute to him already

[MySerpentine]

I love Beckett . . .

[Maijanthedirtbag]

I am so impressed!:) Can anyone help me by telling me the name off the music they are using?

[zizou11111]

Ty ciulu, chcesz być zawrzanym Beckettologiem?

[CheesyJelly]

The goad has wheels on so that it can reach the sacks. They try to avoid being spurred into activity, but 'it' always finds a way to reach them. I also have a feeling they don't know of each other's existence.

[zizou11111]

I am Beckett

[imalmostallangel]

The long stick thing that prods them is called goad. I got ya the name but I'm not sure exactly what it is meant to be or why it's on wheels. Sorry, but at least I got you the name.

[gwennn89]

i love this... so haunting & depressing. i wish these existentialists would leave me alone! haha. just wondering if anyone could enlighten me.. on the long stick thing that prods them, on wheels... why that? like, symbolic of...? & why on wheels...??

[aira9art]

DEVINE! BRAVO thanx for sharing

[krybaby1029]

very nice! who made this film?

[mranenome]

Its from Beckett on Film, put out around 2001. Four DVDs of Beckett's plays with an all Irish cast. Sorry your comment languished here for two weeks. I have no idea what the settings are on half my videos anymore...

[Schish06]

Grazie

[Pete869]

I love this! Thanks for posting