Come and Go (1965) by Samuel Beckett (Summary)

Come and Go (1965)

by Samuel Beckett

(Summary)

Summary

Type of Play

Analysis

Themes

Symbolism and Motifs

Characters Analysis

Key Facts

Summary of Come and Go (1965) by Samuel Beckett

Come and Go is one of Samuel Beckett’s shortest and most minimalistic plays, yet it is dense with suggestion, silence, and emotional tension. The entire play lasts barely a few minutes and consists of three elderly women—Flo, Vi, and Ru—who sit side by side on a narrow bench. They are dressed in long coats and wear hats, suggesting age, formality, and perhaps emotional restraint. The setting is bare and undefined, a typical Beckettian space stripped of all unnecessary detail.

At the beginning of the play, the three women sit silently. This silence establishes the tone of emotional emptiness and distance that characterizes the play. Flo then gently asks Vi to step aside for a moment. Vi leaves the bench, moving out of earshot. Once Vi is gone, Flo quietly reveals to Ru that Vi is suffering from a serious, unnamed illness. The exact nature of the illness is never disclosed, but the tone implies something grave, possibly terminal.

After this brief exchange, Flo calls Vi back to her seat and asks Ru to step away. With Ru absent, Flo tells Vi that Ru too is suffering from a similar serious condition. Again, the information is vague, but the implication is ominous. Finally, Vi returns, and Flo asks her to leave so that Vi can speak privately with Ru. Vi then tells Ru that Flo is also gravely ill.

When all three women are once again seated together, no one openly acknowledges what has been said. There is no confrontation, no discussion, and no expression of sympathy or fear. Instead, the women simply sit in silence, holding hands briefly at the end. This gesture is small but significant—it suggests a momentary connection or shared understanding, even though nothing is spoken aloud.

The play ends as quietly as it begins, with no resolution, explanation, or emotional outburst. The audience is left to reflect on what has occurred beneath the surface.

 

Interpretive Overview

Though extremely brief, Come and Go explores themes of mortality, secrecy, isolation, and human fragility. Each woman knows something terrible about the others, yet none confronts the truth directly. This creates a sense of shared but unspoken suffering.

The repeated pattern—one woman leaving, another receiving bad news—emphasizes cyclicality, a common feature in Beckett’s work. The title Come and Go reflects not only the physical movement of the characters but also the fleeting nature of life, health, and certainty.

Silence plays a crucial role. What is not said is more powerful than what is spoken. The play suggests that human beings often avoid direct confrontation with suffering and death, choosing instead quiet endurance.

The final hand-holding gesture can be interpreted ambiguously. It may suggest solidarity, resignation, or a fragile attempt at comfort in the face of inevitable decline.

 

Concluding Note

Come and Go exemplifies Beckett’s minimalist dramatic style, where brevity, silence, and implication replace action and dialogue. Despite its short length, the play leaves a lasting emotional impact, inviting the audience to contemplate aging, illness, and the quiet loneliness that often accompanies them.