Act
Without Words II (Acte sans paroles II, mime, 1960)
by
Samuel Beckett
(Key Facts)
Key
Facts
Full
Title: Act Without Words II (Acte sans paroles II)
Author:
Samuel Beckett
Type
of Work: Mime play / One-act play / Short drama
Genre:
Absurdist theatre / Experimental theatre / Modernist drama
Language:
Originally written in English (with French title for publication in some
editions)
Time
and Place Written: 1960; Beckett wrote it while living in
Paris, France
Date
of First Publication: 1960
Publisher:
Grove Press (for English editions)
Tone:
Minimalist, absurdist, darkly comic, existential, contemplative
Setting
(Time): Timeless / Indeterminate; represents universal human
experience rather than a specific historical period
Setting
(Place): Barren stage / Desert-like landscape with a single
tree; symbolic rather than realistic
Protagonist:
The Man / The Sole Character
Major
Conflict: The protagonist’s struggle to obtain sustenance
(grain, water, fruit) and fulfill his desires in an indifferent and barren
environment; a struggle against futility, isolation, and the absurdity of
existence
Rising
Action: Objects such as grain, water, and fruit begin to fall
sporadically; the Man attempts to gather and use them, experiencing hope and
partial success
Climax:
The protagonist’s repeated, often futile attempts to obtain the fruit from the
tree reach a peak; his physical struggle, desperation, and frustration are most
intense
Falling
Action: Continued repetitive actions; the Man persists in
striving, but successes are temporary or insufficient, reinforcing the cyclical
futility of his efforts
Themes:
Absurdity
of human existence
Isolation
and loneliness
Human
struggle and perseverance
Hope
and disappointment
The
cyclical nature of life
Existential
reflection on meaning and agency
Motifs:
Repetitive
physical action
Falling
objects
Solitude
Cycles
of effort and failure
Symbols:
The
tree – life, goals, aspirations
Grain
– basic sustenance, necessity
Water
– temporary relief or renewal
Fruit
– higher desires, knowledge, or success
The
barren landscape – isolation, existential void
Foreshadowing:
The cyclical pattern of falling objects and repeated struggle foreshadows the
protagonist’s ongoing futility and endurance, reflecting the inevitability of
life’s repetitive challenges and the persistence of human striving
 by Samuel Beckett (Key Facts)){kind=link}
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