Rough for Theatre II
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Image:RfTII.gif Rough for Theatre II is a short play by Samuel Beckett.
Synopsis
Two businessmen like characters, A and B come to an apartment and begin to assess the life of C, standing at the window to a starry night, appearing to prepare to jump out the window and commit suicide. They look over and discuss C's miserable life, trying to find some reason that C should not jump; one positive incident where C wins a watch is countered by the reason - one incident where C is sitting, closely contemplating some dog's excrement in the street, a man gives him a raffle ticket out of pity - it turns out to be the winning ticket.
A and B continue, in an almost comic fashion, with the desklamps flickering on and off, and with a didactic analysis from B ("Shit! Where's the verb!") of the recounts they carry in their folders.
In the end, A and B come to the conclusion: "Let him jump". Before they leave, however, A goes to the window and shines a match to his face - C is already dead.