Samuel Beckett’s Dramatic Dialectical Solution to the Contradictory Relationship between Hamm and Clov in Endgame

Abstract

This article aims to discuss Beckett's dramatic solution to the problematic dramatization of Albert Camus's concept of "the absurd man," which he coined in his book The Myth of Sisyphus translated by Justin O'Brien, in the relationship between Hamm and Clov in Endgame. The departure point is defining the concept of "the absurd" and then the concept of "the absurd man" since they are intertwined and interdependent. In light of this, the article presents some manifestations of the absurd in the dramatic world of the play, and then analyses how the two characters Hamm and Clov respond to them. This intends to answer the pivotal research question: How does Beckett dramatize the concept of the absurd man in the relationship between Hamm and Clov? The investigation of the question unravels the problematic relationship between the two characters who are contradictorily united. This contradiction which bends them together necessitates the adoption of Hegel's dialectical method to investigate their problematic relationship and show how Beckett solves it dialectically.