Fire, Tapes, Regret

Samuel Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape is the story of a man who looks back at his life as if he can’t remember. There would be no point in retelling a story that the audience already knows. What the play does is show the viewer what the reaction of the character is to his own memories. The way one reacts towards the past can tell you a lot about your current situation. If the reaction is nostalgic you can deduce that things were better in the past, if it is anger someone might have hurt you, and so on. The tape torments Krapp, as if he denies the past. There is no real explanation of what Krapp’s life used to be and what it is now. The audience must reach a unique and different conclusion after watching the play. Each person is left on their own, and they must create a life for the character. What this does is capture the audience in a way that no other play can.

When the tape states, “Perhaps my best years are gone. When there was a chance of happiness. But I wouldn't want them back. Not with the fire in me now. No, I wouldn't want them back.” You can assume that the life Krapp has now is worst than the one he had before. Fire appears to be a recurring symbol in different forms of art. The Road uses the fire to describe the power of hope. Krapp uses the fire to describe rage. Because his life was better before and he now carries the fire you could assume that it is not something good. Krapp repeats that he does not want his previous years back, this could symbolize uncertainty. Because he is not sure about wanting his years back he has to repeat it, as if convincing himself.