A Psychoanalytic Review of ‘Endgame’

Abstract

While this play can be analyzed from different aspects, the psychological aspect has an important contribution to the theme of play. According to different schools characters can be considered the outcome of different forces ; in Marxist view they are products of cultural, economic and ideological forces; according to Darwin and naturalistic views human are outcome of natural selection; according to Freud and Lacan current situation of human are determined by their past, memories, the way they have been brought up, language and whatever characterized their past.In this play there are some references and evidences that support what have said above. Hamm, Clov, Nagg and Nelly are the characters to whom their past are significant. The role of unconscious and its effects on conscious, the repression of their desires, their melancholic response to what has been lost, the master/ slave relationships, the interpretation of dreams, the feeling of abondinment and their relationships to the theme of the play are all aspects that can be examined psychoanalytically in this play.