Krapp's Last Tape

Beckett introduces Krapp as a “wearish old man” with a “laborious walk” (3). He is physically deteriorated and, as the title of the play implies, nearing the end of his life. Wearing trousers that are dirty and too short on him, he looks bedraggled and somewhat ridiculous. Though it is never said explicitly, Krapp is probably based on Beckett himself.

A miserable, lonely alcoholic, Krapp looks forward to his death. He seems somewhat cheerful at the beginning of the play, as he is amused by the word “spool,” but it turns out this has been the happiest moment of his year. As an ambitious younger man, Krapp isolated himself to better focus on his work. At thirty-nine, he was, according to the stage directions, “pompous,” and believed himself to be at his intellectual peak (5). Consumed by ambition, he prioritized achievement ahead of love. In his old age, he is, as a result, tortured by regret and self-loathing, and uses alcohol to dull these feelings. He takes no pride or fulfillment from his intellectual work. Love, sensation, and experience are now more significant to him than intellect.

Krapp’s disagreements between his past self and current self point to a