Endgame and the Meaning of Meaninglessness

Abstract

This article examines the similarities between Theodor Adorno and Stanley Cavell's readings of Samuel Beckett's Endgame (1964) and seeks to demonstrate the ways in which these interpretations, two of the earliest philosophical responses to Beckett's work, anticipate some of the most recent ones. The article argues that Adorno and Cavell both construe Beckett's play as a challenge to and complication of humanist notions of subjectivity, in stark contrast to the primarily existentialist contemporaneous understanding. It then goes on to point out the analogies between these earlier readings and those of certain contemporary critics.

Opsomming

Hierdie artikel ondersoek die ooreenkomste tussen Theodor Adorno en Stanley Cavel! se interpretasies van Samuel Beckett se Endgame (1964), en poog om aan te dui op watter wyses hierdie interpretasies, twee van die vroegste filosofiese reaksies op Beckett se werk, voorlopers is van die mees onlangses. Die artikel voer aan dat Adorno en Cavell albei Beckett se drama vertolk as 'n uitdaging aan en komplisering van humanistiese idees oor subjektiwiteit, in skrille kontras met die primer eksistensialistiese eietydse verstaan daarvan. Dit wys verder op die analo­giee tussen hierdie vroeer vertolkings en die van sekere eietydse kritici.