Krapp's Last Tape: Analysis of Setting
"Krapp's Last Tape" is a one-act play by Samuel Beckett that explores themes of memory, aging, and existential reflection through its setting. Central to the play is Krapp's den, a stark and solitary space that symbolizes his spiritual desolation and profound loneliness. The narrative unfolds on Krapp's sixty-ninth birthday, where he engages in peculiar rituals like eating bananas and listening to recordings of his younger self. These tapes reveal his past aspirations and joys, contrasting sharply with his current state of despair and regret.
The setting plays a crucial role in illustrating the passage of time, as it serves as a physical manifestation of Krapp's internal struggles. The den, characterized by its dimness and clutter, reflects the emptiness of his life and the disintegration of his once-vibrant spirit. As he listens to the hopeful voice of his younger self, the audience witnesses the stark disjunction between past ambitions and present reality. This juxtapulation invites contemplation on the nature of memory and the inevitable decline that accompanies aging. Overall, the setting in "Krapp's Last Tape" deepens the emotional resonance of Krapp’s journey, highlighting the haunting nature of memory and the weight of unfulfilled dreams.
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Krapp's Last Tape: Analysis of Setting
First published: 1958
First produced: 1958, at the Royal Court Theatre, London
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Absurdist
Time of work: 1950’s
Places Discussed
Krapp’s den
Krapp’s den. The writer’s den suggests the spiritual darkness and utter loneliness in which Krapp lives. The play opens with a series of seemingly unconnected and eccentric actions, as Krapp eats bananas, fingers an old envelope, and retires to a room offstage for a drink. As he listens to one of his tapes, in which a much younger version of himself describes his usual birthday routine, the audience discovers that Krapp is now repeating this ritual on his sixty-ninth birthday.
As the younger Krapp explains on the tape, he is searching for the “grain” of his life, which he defines as “those things worth having when all the dust . . . when all my dust has settled.” Now, thirty years later, the aging and alcoholic Krapp does the same. However, he can only return to a prior tape, on which he recorded what his ledger describes as a “Farewell to love.” The voice on the tape goes on to state with youthful conviction that he would not want the years back, when he was capable of happiness. “Not with the fire in me now.” As the elder Krapp sits in the same room thirty years later, with the fire all but extinguished, he has only the darkness surrounding him. The room embodies the dismal reality of that future which compelled him to bid farewell to love.
Bibliography
Gontarski, S. E. The Intent of Undoing in Samuel Beckett’s Dramatic Texts. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1985. Covers Beckett’s plays. A chapter on Krapp’s Last Tape connects the revision process to evolving interpretation of the play. Selected bibliography.
Gontarski, S. E., ed. On Beckett: Essays and Criticism. New York: Grove Press, 1986. Essays by various scholars, including Ruby Cohn’s “Beckett Directs: Endgame and Krapp’s Last Tape,” which discusses Beckett’s adeptness at staging.
Kenner, Hugh. Samuel Beckett: A Critical Study. New ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1973. Important study of Beckett. Kenner consulted with Beckett in writing it. Does not focus on Krapp’s Last Tape but the preface provides valuable insight into Beckett’s attitude toward his work.
MacMillan, Dougald, and Martha Fehsenfeld. From “Waiting for Godot” to “Krapp’s Last Tape.” Vol. 1 in Beckett in the Theatre. New York: Riverrun Press, 1988. Devotes a chapter to Krapp’s Last Tape. Discusses changes Beckett made from early to later drafts. Extensive interpretation of the play in relation to production.
Reid, Alec. All I Can Manage, More than I Could: An Approach to the Plays of Samuel Beckett. Dublin: The Dolmen Press, 1968. Accessible and valuable source on plays with publication, first production information, and synopses. Introductory essays on Beckett and his innovative work in broadening the scope of modern drama.