Krapp's Last Tape

“Rusty black narrow trousers too short for him. Rusty black sleeveless waistcoat, four capacious pockets. Heavy silver watch and chain. Grimy white shirt open at neck, no collar. Surprising pair of dirty white boots, size ten at least, very narrow and pointed. White face. Purple nose. Disordered grey hair. Unshaven.”

The audience’s first impression of Krapp is one of slovenliness and deterioration. His apparent state of decline points to the frailty of the human body and Krapp’s approaching death, which is implied by the title of the play. The too-short trousers are significant for their reference to the passage of time; it seems as if Krapp has grown out of the pants without adjusting to his new age. They also give his appearance a silly aspect, along with his clownish “white face” and “purple nose.” These comical elements undermine the seriousness with which he approaches himself and his life’s work, especially as a younger man. The heavy watch is another reference to the overarching theme of passing time in Krapp’s Last Tape and the way it weighs on its protagonist.

“He treads on skin, slips, nearly falls, recovers himself, stoops and peers at skin and finally pushes it, still stooping, with his foot over the edge of the stage into pit.”

Krapp’s slipping on the banana peel, in its absurdity, introduces the concept of meaninglessness early in the play, before any words are spoken. Although comedic, it ultimately serves to highlight Krapp’s despair and indicates that it is, to some degree, of his own making. Beckett favored the effect of such clownish slapstick in his work, such as in his renowned existentialist drama Waiting for Godot.