How we cite our quotes: (Act.Line)
Quote #1
WINNIE
World without end Amen. (1.1)
It seems like Winnie is grateful for a life of confinement. How important is the idea of free will to Winnie, especially as it relates to her religious beliefs?
Quote #2
WINNIE
…woe woe is me—to see what I see. (1.1)
It's not like Winnie can change her vista (or can she?). She's stuck in the way she sees things, both literally and metaphorically. And yet, we wonder how much of that confinement is self-imposed, especially considering the fact she has arms and hands to dig herself out.
Quote #3
WINNIE
...that is what I find so wonderful, it all comes back. All? No, not at all... A part. Floats up, one fine day, out of the blue. (1.7)
This line suggests that Winnie only regards her imprisonment as a temporary situation and that she will be right back where she used to be—back on her own two feet and free to move around.
Quote #4
WINNIE
Whereas if you were to die... or go away and leave me, then what would I do, what could I do, all day long, I mean between the bell for waking and the bell for sleep? (1.7)
The bells for waking and sleeping trap Winnie in a torturous schedule, and she sees no way to free herself. It seems like there is no way out of her predicament—it is permanent. The harsh solitude of her situation also seems to sustain her attachment to Willie, too. At least she has him to keep her company (sort of).
Quote #5
WINNIE
The earth is very tight today, can it be I have put on flesh, I trust not. (1.23)
Being confined for so long, your relationship to the forces that trap you can warp. Perhaps Winnie has become accustomed to her situation. After being trapped for so long, freedom can become a scary thought.
Quote #6
WINNIE
And that perhaps some day the earth will yield and let me go, the pull is so great, yes, crack all round me and let me out. Don't you ever have that feeling, Willie, of being sucked up? Don't you have to cling on sometimes, Willie? (1.29)
It seems like Winnie is eager to break free. Still, she clings on to the mound. What does that suggest about her future? Will she ever be free if she's not prepared to get away from what she knows?
Quote #7
WINNIE
I cannot move. No, something must happen, in the world, take place, some change, I cannot, if I am to move again. (1.31)
Winnie is unwilling to take responsibility for her situation. She's been stuck in the mound for so long that she actually believes that it's not her fault, that she can't actively change her life. It's almost as if she's trapped in a world of excuses.
Quote #8
WINNIE
Ah earth you old extinguisher. (1.31)
Beckett is telling us that life's hardships confine and ultimately destroy us. Think of how the earth is slowly creeping up to swallow Winnie whole—the play's central extended metaphor can be summed up with this one simple, poetic line.
Quote #9
WINNIE
Ah well, not long now, Winnie, can't be long now, until the bell for sleep. Then you may close your eyes, then you must close you eyes—and keep them closed. (2.1)
If the bell has complete control on whether Winnie sleeps or not, does that mean she has no freedom to choose?
Quote #10
WINNIE
Did you get stuck in your hole? (2.2)
This can easily describe depression, an ailment that Willie seemed to suffer from. After all, he did ask Winnie to take away the revolver. Or is it a metaphor for getting stuck in the past or in deadening habits? Yeah, we're looking at you Winnie.