krappslasttapewarningtechnology

[krappslasttapewarningtechnology]

Did we hear the scientific and technological warnings in Krapp’s Last Tape?

Humanity is the focus of many plays, but as a reader have we been ignoring the warnings that come with this narrative? Krapp’s Last Tape is more than just the man on stage.

Reading time: 3 mins

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash.

When I first watched Krapp's Last Tape (1958) being honest, I didn’t get it. One man on the stage with a tape machine, but that’s the point. What we see on stage here is an embellished version of what we all do today. We only talk about one side of technology, the side that brings us together and progresses our existence. In reality, aspects of our modern technology isolate us and hold us in the past, much like Krapp.

Through the use of technology, we can document and access any part of our history at any second which allows us to live in a bubble of our life. It’s important to look at how Beckett uses the tape recorder and Krapp’s relationship with it to illustrate this. Although there are many performances, I have used Patrick Magee’s performance as a reference. Magee is able to visually capture and animate important stage directions that I will later discuss.

Looking at the physicality of a tape recorder, it’s incredibly interactive. The visual, touch and sound sensations when using it are far more interactive than say an iPhone. The stage directions indicate Krapp’s intimate relationship with the tape recorder, and his interactions with it could be seen as a representative of one of Krapp’s lovers:

‘He raises his head, broods, bends over machine, switches on…leaning forward, elbows on table, hand cupping ear towards machine, face front.’

Photo by Tobias Tullius on Unsplash. 

Beckett is warning modern people against the effects of modern technology and how it can embody our identity. Krapp becomes obsessed with his tapes, referring to one as ‘the little rascal!’ It’s as if they have come to life because of what they embody. He is constantly reliving his past self, altering his future self and as a consequence, his body becomes replaced by the machine. Katherine Hayles importantly explores the idea of the body no longer existing. Technology has produced us with the opportunity to encapsulate ourselves within a device, which Beckett illustrates perfectly when Krapp silently mouths his own words coming from the tape recorder:

‘Pause. KRAPP’S lips move. No sound.’

Has his entire identity been taken over by technology to the point where he no longer needs to physically exist?

Memory

Krapp’s tapes consist of his own verbally documented memories from which he forms his sense of identity, but there are imperfections of the human memory. Krapp tries to identify whether his life has been fulfilling but struggles to find the meaning behind his own words:

‘Ah! [He peers at ledger, reads entry at foot of page.]…[He raises his head, stares blankly front. Puzzled.] Black ball?... [He peers again at ledger, reads.] The dark nurse…Slight improvement in bowel condition… Hm...Memorable…what? [He peers closer.] Equinox, memorable equinox. [He raises his head, stares blankly front. Puzzled.] Memorable equinox?…[Pause. He shrugs his shoulders, peers again at ledger, reads.]’

These objects and events were once significant to him, but not now. Beckett makes us realise that memory should never be a substitute for actual life in the present. Krapp can not only access the past but bring them back to the present, and by recording over these, alters them.

How often do you edit and look back on pictures and videos on your phone?

Beckett also importantly shows us how technology isn’t just black and white, instead, it’s in a grey area. There is constant use of light and dark imagery: Krapp’s ‘rusty black narrow trousers…grimy white shirt’, ‘the black ball’, and ‘a little white dog’. All this creates an overwhelming grey image on stage, which mimics the grey area surrounding technology.

Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash. 

Exploring this grey area, I want to bring the messages of this play back into the twenty-first century. Artificial Intelligence is a perfect example of this. It is currently being used in industries like healthcare, which is constructive, but I think Beckett exposes the importance of criticising and exploring the negative effects that could come with it. He exposes the reality that technology could replace us and alter our development. Becket is celebrating humanities variety and difference and we should do the same.