Interpretation
Challenge: Breath: The Shortest Play by Samuel Beckett
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Breath by Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett is considered one of the last modernist
writers who gave noteworthy contribution in the “Theater of Absurd.” His later
plays are extremely short, Breath is an unusually brief work. The duration of
this play is only of 35 seconds.
It consists of the sound of “an instant of recorded
vagitues” (a birth cry), followed by an amplified recording of somebody slowly
inhaling and exhaling accompanied by an increase and decrease in the intensity
of light. (Wikipedia)
Script
of the play
CURTAIN up
1. Faint light on stage littered with
miscellaneous rubbish. Hold about five seconds.
2. Faint brief cry and immediately
inspiration and slow increase of light together reaching maximum – together in
about ten seconds. Silence and hold for about five seconds.
3. Expiration and slow decrease of
light together reaching minimum together (light as in 1) in about ten seconds
and immediately cry as before. Silence and hold about five seconds.
CURTAIN down
Like other plays there is nothing like dialogues between
characters. The play is highly absurd.
In the play there is no human or any kind of dialogues, we hear the sound of
breath, cry and also see the rubbish garbage on the floor but then even it
conveys basic meaning of life. As Beckett himself stated that,
It should be “Littered with miscellaneous rubbish”
Furthermore, there are many versions of this short play by
various directors but the common thing is that all of them represents the
meaninglessness of life. As being an absurd theme, the main theme of the play
is understood with help of existentialism.
Existentialism
Curtain as symbol
The play start in typical way with curtain up and also
ends with curtain down. If we look at symbolically it may suggest the process
of birth and death among human beings.
The rubbish on the floor may symbolize the
nothingness of life.
Increase and decrease of light seems as the spinning
circle of hope and despair which every human being feels in life.
Breath
by Damien Hirst
In this video we can find lots of materialistic things
rather a kind of rubbish lying everywhere. Among this
rubbish, a symbol of Swastikis also there and equally a computer is also there.
It may symbolize that among these rubbish there is something which is arranged
in proper way through which we can live our lives. Rather it may also be connected
with spiritual idea. With the advancement of technology, spirituality may be
decreased and the rationality is increasing. The symbol of Swastik can also
interpreted in another way as it is connected with Hitler who was responsible
in snitching the life of many people.
Breath in and breath out
The very first sound comes in the play is of breathing. A
very long sound of breath may signify the birth as well as at last when sound
of breath out is coming, it may symbolizes the death of person.
Breath
by Liana De Jourdan
In this one we find fresh fruits, vegetables and
pesticides package of fruit juices. The idea of eating natural or hygienic fruits
is somehow connected with our feetness. But it symbolizes that these may help
in gaining good health but should not help in escaping from death. In this way
again it showcases the very much idea of Existentialism.
Modern Interpretation of Breath
It showcases how humans are surrounded by materialistic things
from birth to the death as well as whole human life from birth to death was
shown in this. Though the voice of breathing is common but the vast difference is
that, in the old play there is only a sound of breathing which is moving while
in this one picture keeps on moving. In this photographs may symbolize the
moments which has been passed away and remain only as memory.
In nutshell, all these various interpretation of Breath showcases
the absurdity of life in one or another way and also put emphasizes on
meaninglessness of life.
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