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''Come and Go'' is a short play (described as a "dramaticule" on its title page) by Samuel Beckett. It was written in English in January 1965 and first performed (in German) at the Schillertheater, Berlin on 14 January 1966. Its English language premiere was at the Peacock Theatre, Dublin on 28 February 1966, and its British premiere was at the Royal Festival Hall in London on 9 December 1968. It was written for and dedicated to the publisher John Calder. Some critics consider this one of Beckett's most "perfect" plays: Beckett agonized over each individual line until they exactly matched his creative vision. The play varies between "121 and 127 words"〔Knowlson, J. and Pilling, J., ''Frescoes of the Skull'' (London: John Calder, 1979), p 121〕 in length, depending on the translation (his notes are significantly longer than the actual play), and as such is rarely performed on its own. ==Synopsis== The play opens with three similar figures of "indeterminable"〔Beckett, S., ''Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'' (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 193〕 age, Flo, Vi, and Ru, sitting quietly on a narrow bench like seat surrounded by darkness. They are childhood friends who once attended "Miss Wade's"〔Beckett, S., ''Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'' (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 194〕 together and sitting side by side in this manner is something they used to do in the playground back then. The three characters – unusually for Beckett – wear colourful full-length coats, albeit now dulled over time; they are effectively three faded flowers. "Drab nondescript hats … shade () faces."〔Beckett, S., ''Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'' (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 196〕 Vi's opening line recalls the Three Witches of Shakespeare's ''Macbeth'': "When did we three last meet?"〔 ("When shall we three meet again?" - ''Macbeth'': Act 1, Scene 1). "Their names, especially Ru's, recall the names of the flowers which Ophelia distributes to King Claudius and his court in her mad scene"〔Roche, A., Samuel Beckett:The Great Plays After Godot, ''Samuel Beckett – 100 Years'' (Dublin: New Island, 2006), p 69〕 (''Hamlet'' - Act 4, Scene 5). When together they make uneasy small talk. After a short time Vi, who is seated in the centre, rises and silently goes off stage. Once she is out of earshot Flo asks Ru how she thinks their absent friend is looking. "I see little change,"〔 Ru replies. Then Flo slides over to the middle to whisper an awful revelation to the other and swears her to secrecy. After this Vi returns and takes the seat vacated by Flo. The same scenario is then enacted twice more "()ith choreography suggestive of the sleight-of-hand artist (button under the thimble)"〔Overbeck, L. M., ‘"Getting On" Ritual as Façon in Beckett's Plays’ in Burkman, K. H., (Ed.) ''Myth and Ritual in the Plays of Samuel Beckett'' (London and Toronto: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1987), p 24〕 and with very similar dialogue until Vi finds herself back in the middle of the group; Ru and Flo's positions have however been reversed. In this manner all three women at one point occupy the central position and all become privy to a secret about one of the others. Beckett said the action should be: "Stiff, slow, puppet-like."〔Harmon, M., Ed., ''No Author Better Served: The Correspondence of Samuel Beckett and Alan Schneider'' (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1998), p 417〕 The audience however does not get to hear what is whispered. The initial response in each instance is a shocked, "Oh," though Beckett specified that all three should be unique in some way. At the play's conclusion, the three link hands "in the old way"〔Beckett, S., ''Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'' (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 195〕 (reminiscent of Winnie's "old style"〔Beckett, S., ''The Complete Dramatic Works'', Faber and Faber p 143〕) forming an unbroken Celtic knot. Finally Flo says, "I can feel the rings",〔 though none are apparent. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Come and Go」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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