Act Without Words II is a short play by Samuel Beckett, first published in 1956. It is Beckett's second mime play (after Act Without Words I). Template:Spoiler
Synopsis
Two sacks and a pile of clothes sit on a low, "violently lit" platform at the back of a stage. A long pole (described in the text as a "goad") enters, prods the closest sack, then exits. An awkward, slow man ("A") crawls out of the sack and performs a brief pantomime: he prays, takes his medication, dresses, drags the his and the other sack to centre stage, undresses, takes more medication, prays and crawls back into his sack. The goad reappears (this time with a wheel attachment), similarly prods the other sack and exits as before. Another man ("B"), this time brisk and rapid, crawls out of the sack and performs another pantomime: he exercises, brushes his teeth, combs his hair, dresses, checks a compass and map, drags his and A's sack to the other end of the stage, brushes his teeth, combs his hair, undresses, exercises and crawls back into his bag. Once again the goad appears and wakes A. He once again goes into the same pantomime, but this time is cut off by a blackout. The play ends.
Interpretation
The play is often compared to the Greek myth Sisyphus (just as AWWI is compared to the myth of Tantalus. In the underworld, Sisyphus was compelled to roll a large stone up a steep hill; but before it reached the top of the hill the stone always rolled down and Sisyphus had to begin all over again. Interpreted as an allegory, the play shares the theme of the futility of human life with the myth (i.e. human life subsists of pointless, repeitious tasks that ultimately lead to nothing). Some have pointed to the similarity of the characters "A" and "B" to the protagonists of Beckett's Waiting for Godot, Vladimir and Estragon. Vladimir and Estragon spend their time in much the same way, performing pointless tasks and dialogues to amuse themselves and pass the time, though ultimately leading to nothing.