The Complete Dramatic Works (13 page)

ESTRAGON:
What am I to do?

VLADIMIR:
Curse me!

ESTRAGON:
[
After
reflection.
]
Naughty!

VLADIMIR:
Stronger!

ESTRAGON:
Gonococcus! Spirochaete!

[
VLADIMIR
sways
back
and
forth,
doubled
in
two.
]

VLADIMIR:
Tell me to think.

ESTRAGON:
What?

VLADIMIR:
Say, Think, pig!

ESTRAGON:
Think, pig!

[
Silence.
]

VLADIMIR:
I can’t.

ESTRAGON:
That’s enough of that.

VLADIMIR:
Tell me to dance.

ESTRAGON:
I’m going.

VLADIMIR:
Dance, hog! [
He
writhes.
Exit
ESTRAGON
left,
precipitately.
]
I can’t! [
He
looks
up,
misses
 
ESTRAGON
.] Gogo! [
He
moves
wildly
about
the
stage.
Enter
 
ESTRAGON
left,
panting.
He
hastens
towards 
VLADIMIR
,
falls
into
his
arms.
]
There you are again at last!

ESTRAGON:
I’m accursed!

VLADIMIR:
Where were you! I thought you were gone for ever.

ESTRAGON:
They’re coming!

VLADIMIR:
Who?

ESTRAGON:
I don’t know.

VLADIMIR:
How many?

ESTRAGON:
I don’t know.

VLADIMIR:
[
Triumphantly.
]
It’s Godot! At last! Gogo! It’s Godot! We’re saved! Let’s go and meet him! [
He
drags
 
ESTRAGON
towards
the
wings.
 
ESTRAGON
resists,
pulls
himself
free,
exit
right.
]
Gogo! Come back! [
VLADIMIR
runs
to
extreme
left,
scans
the
horizon.
Enter 
ESTRAGON
 
right,
he
hastens
towards 
VLADIMIR
,
falls
into
his
arms.
] There you are again again!

ESTRAGON:
I’m in hell!

VLADIMIR:
Where were you?

ESTRAGON:
They’re coming there too!

VLADIMIR:
We’re surrounded! [
ESTRAGON
makes
a
rush
towards
back.
]
Imbecile! There’s no way out there. [
He
takes 
ESTRAGON
by
the
arm
and
drags
him
towards
front.
Gesture
towards
front.
]
There! Not a soul in sight! Off you go. Quick! [
He
pushes 
ESTRAGON
towards
auditorium, 
ESTRAGON
recoils
in
horror.
]
You won’t? [
He
contemplates
auditorium.
]
Well, I can understand that. Wait till I see. [
He
reflects.
]
Your only hope left is to disappear.

ESTRAGON:
Where?

VLADIMIR:
Behind the tree, [
ESTRAGON
hesitates.
]
Quick! Behind the tree, [
ESTRAGON
goes
and
crouches
behind
the
tree,
realizes
he
is
not
hidden,
comes
out
from
behind
the
tree.
]
Decidedly this tree will not have been of the slightest use to us.

ESTRAGON:
[
Calmer.
]
I lost my head. Forgive me. It won’t happen again. Tell me what to do.

VLADIMIR:
There’s nothing to do.

ESTRAGON:
You go and stand there. [
He
draws 
VLADIMIR
to
extreme right and places him with his back to the stage.
] There, don’t move, and watch out. [
VLADIMIR
scans
horizon,
screening
his
eyes
with
his
hand, 
ESTRAGON
runs
and
takes
up
same
position,
extreme
left.
They
turn
their
heads
and
look
at
each
other.
]
Back to back like in the good old days! [
They
continue
to
look
at
each
other
for
a
moment,
then
resume
their
watch.
Long
silence
.]
Do you see anything coming?

VLADIMIR:
[
Turning
his
head.
]
What?

ESTRAGON:
[
Louder.
]
Do you see anything coming?

VLAMIDIR:
No.

ESTRAGON:
Nor I.

[
They
resume
their
watch.
Silence.
]

VLADIMIR:
You must have had a vision.

ESTRAGON:
[
Turning
his
head.
]
What?

VLADIMIR:
[
Louder.
]
You must have had a vision!

ESTRAGON:
No need to shout!

[
They
resume
their
watch.
Silence.
]

VLADIMIR:
Oh, pardon!

ESTRAGON:
Carry on.

VLADIMIR:
No no, after you.

ESTRAGON:
No no, you first.

VLADIMIR:
I interrupted you.

ESTRAGON:
On the contrary.

[
They
glare
at
each
other
angrily.
]

VLADIMIR:
Ceremonious ape!

ESTRAGON:
Punctilious pig!

VLADIMIR:
Finish your phrase, I tell you!

ESTRAGON:
Finish your own!

[
Silence.
They
draw
closer,
halt.
]

VLADIMIR:
Moron!

ESTRAGON:
That’s the idea, let’s abuse each other.

[
They
turn,
move
apart,
turn
again
and
face
each
other.
]

VLADIMIR:
Moron!

ESTRAGON:
Vermin!

VLADIMIR:
Abortion!

ESTRAGON:
Morpion!

VLADIMIR:
Sewer-rat!

ESTRAGON:
Curate!

VLADIMIR:
Cretin!

ESTRAGON:
[
With
finality.
]
Crritic!

VLADIMIR:
Oh!

[
He
wilts,
vanquished,
and
turns
away.
]

ESTRAGON:
Now let’s make it up.

VLADIMIR:
Gogo!

ESTRAGON:
Didi!

VLADIMIR:
Your hand!

ESTRAGON:
Take it!

VLADIMIR:
Come to my arms!

ESTRAGON:
Your arms?

VLADIMIR:
My breast!

ESTRAGON:
Off we go!

[
They
embrace.
They
separate.
Silence.
]

VLADIMIR:
How time flies when one has fun!

[
Silence.
]

ESTRAGON:
What do we do now?

VLADIMIR:
While waiting.

ESTRAGON:
While waiting.

[
Silence.
]

VLADIMIR:
We could do our exercises.

ESTRAGON:
Our movements.

VLADIMIR:
Our elevations.

ESTRAGON:
Our relaxations.

VLADIMIR:
Our elongations.

ESTRAGON:
Our relaxations.

VLADIMIR:
To warm us up.

ESTRAGON:
To calm us down.

VLADIMIR:
Off we go.

[
VLADIMIR
hops
from
one
foot
to
the
other,
ESTRAGON
imitates
him.
]

ESTRAGON:
[
Stopping.
]
That’s enough. I’m tired.

VLADIMIR:
[
Stopping.
]
We’re not in form. What about a little deep breathing?

ESTRAGON:
I’m tired breathing.

VLADIMIR:
You’re right. [
Pause.
]
Let’s just do the tree, for the balance.

ESTRAGON:
The tree?

[
VLADIMIR
does
the
tree,
staggering
about
on
one
leg.
]

VLADIMIR:
[
Stopping.
]
Your turn.

[
ESTRAGON
does
the
tree,
staggers.
]

ESTRAGON:
Do you think God sees me?

VLADIMIR:
You must close your eyes.

[
ESTRAGON
closes
his
eyes,
staggers
worse.
]

ESTRAGON:
[
Stopping,
brandishing
his
fists,
at
the
top
of
his
voice.
]
God have pity on me!

VLADIMIR:
[
Vexed.
]
And me?

ESTRAGON:
On me! On me! Pity! On me!

[
Enter
POZZO
and
LUCKY
,
POZZO
is
blind,
LUCKY
burdened
as
before.
Rope
as
before,
but
much
shorter,
so
that
POZZO
may
follow
more
easily,
LUCKY
wearing
a
different
hat.
At
the
sight
of
VLADIMIR
and
ESTRAGON
he
stops
short,
POZZO
,
continuing
on
his
way,
bumps
into
him.
]

VLADIMIR:
Gogo!

POZZO:
[
Clutching
on
to
LUCKY
who
staggers.
]
What is it? Who is it?

[
LUCKY
falls,
drops
everything
and
brings
down
POZZO
with
him.
They
lie
helpless
among
the
scattered
baggage.
]