Name: Mira Korçak
Advanced Book Report
Main Features
Name of the Play: Waiting for Godot
Author: Samuel Beckett
Genre: tragicomedy
Tradition: theatre of the absurd
Analysis
Historical Context: Waiting for Godot contains many references to historical context such as
references to Shakespeare, The Bible and Greek mythology. Other than that Samuel Beckett
wrote the play a little after World War 2 and the conflicts and destruction were still freshly
imbedded in his mind. As of this, the play has a more depressive undertone and looks
seemingly meaningless. This could be resulted to the war causing human life and suffering to
be pointless while giving more power to authority.
Theatre of the Absurd: Theatre of the Absurd is a movement that evolved after World War
2. These plays seemed unreasonable, illogical or inappropriate compared to other popular
plays around that time. The idea of this kind of theatre came as a result to the collapse of
morals, religions, systems and authority after the war. A popular theme that can be seen
throughout these plays is the pointlessness of existence.
Character Analysis:
Estragon: Estragon, also known as Gogo, is a seemingly helpless character. He desperately
needs the help of Vladimir in multiple situations. He also has bad memory and is continuously
confused by his surroundings. However he is talented at making smart remarks and matches
Vladimir’s wit even though half the time he doesn’t make sense. His physical injuries gain
him sympathy from readers.
Vladimir: Vladimir can be seen as the most intellectually capable character in the play. He
seems more aware of his surroundings and who Godot is. Other than that Estragon depends on
him however Vladimir doesn’t like the idea of being alone. Thus he never lets Estragon out of
his sight.
Pozzo: Pozzo can be called the main antagonist in the play. He is rather aggressive and sees
himself very highly. He is said to be wealthy and has Lucky as his slave. He prefers being in
control and feels helpless when he loses his sight in act 2. It isn’t really certain if Pozzo is as
wealthy and important as he says he is or if he just believes that himself.
Lucky: Lucky is Pozzo’s slave and he gets mistreated throughout the play. On the other hand
he faces the risk of being thrown out so he tries to prove himself to lucky. He carries a lot of
weight with him at all times and through the play he has one extensively long monologue. It
isn’t certain if Lucky is actually smart or if he is trying to appear smart.
Boy: The boy is a timid and hesitant character that only appears twice throughout the play. He
is seen as a messenger for Godot, telling our main characters that Godot will come. The boy
works under Godot in presumably a farm and has no distinctive personality other than being
under an authority figure.
Godot: Godot is the main reason of conflict in the play. He is the most prominent character
yet he never arrives. He is said to be a powerful figure and Vladimir and Estragon fear of
punishment if they do not wait for him. He is said to symbolize God however as he never
comes to aid of the ones suffering, he is seen to be a mockery towards authority and religion.
Themes: 1. The Inherent Meaninglessness of the Universe: As the play takes place after
the second world war, human life seems more meaningless than ever. Combining that with
Godot never appearing and Estragon admitting that there is “nothing to be done”, the play
takes a more depressive tone. The religious allusions in the play and the dialogue also mock
authority and religion which strengthen this theme.
2. Impossibility of interpreting the Universe: miscommunication plays a huge role in this
play. With the dialogue not making sense half the time and the ongoing repetition, the play
takes on the idea that language is ineffective. In other words language fails to capture human
experience. Another fact is that overall the play isn’t very easy to understand. Due to
unfamiliar theatre props and dialogue, the play is difficult to interpret. This gives more ground
to the idea of the universe being complex and nonsensical.
3. Enduring Suffering Through Companionship: most of the characters in the play are in
pairs. Specifically Vladimir And estragon are clear examples for this as they always rely on
each other. They fear being alone and get rid of their boredom together. Even Pozzo and
Lucky require each other in the play. And even though the characters try to isolate themselves
they fail. These relationships mean that they endure their individual suffering together.
Symbols: 1. The Tree: as mentioned before, the play is an example of the Theatre of the
Absurd, thus meaning that the stage décor is different from ones that you usually see in plays.
The lone tree standing on top of the stage thereby sets the tone of the play and gives it a non-
traditional environment. Other than that, the uncertainty of the scenery causes the audience to
not be able to identify the settings. This causes the audience to emphasize more with Estragon
and Vladimir’s situation.
2. Lucky’s Bags: In the play Vladimir and Estragon make a point in asking why Lucky never
puts down his bags in multiple settings. Lucky never replies nor puts the bags down and it can
be seen that these bags have another meaning. They could represent the weight that humanity
carries. Or if we look at it from another perspective, the bags could symbolize Lucky being
tied down. One way or another he is a slave and he has no logical reason to carry those bags
except to serve Pozzo. This also tells us how unfair the world is.
3. Hats: each character has a hat which showcases their identity in a way. Throughout the
play, the characters swap hats searching for one that fits better. This represent the characters
search for identity and how interchangeable they really are. Another important point about
hats is Lucky’s thinking hat which he cannot talk nor think without. After putting the hat on,
he gives a magnificent speech however many of the words are mixed up and nothing he says
actually makes sense this proves the point that language is futile in expressing emotions.
Motifs: 1. Religious allusions: in the play we have multiple references to religion, such as
the story of the two thieves and mentions on Abel and Cain. Other than that our main
character Godot is said to represent God in a way. Other representations of religion include
Estragon comparing himself to Christ and a reference to Adam. Overall it is easy to see that
the play includes many religious motifs, however we can see throughout it that religion is
actually mocked. The play gives the meaning that religion is inherently uncertain and void of
meaning.
2. Waiting for Godot: The whole play is built on the interactions of two friends waiting for
someone names Godot. In multiple scenes they repeat that they cannot leave as they are
waiting for Godot. Estragon has memory problems and never seems to remember Godot. Due
to this and the fact that Godot never comes it is possible that Godot doesn’t exist. Godot
represents a sense of purpose for the two characters. Due to Estragon’s memory problems and
his confusion he is unable to move forward with life. Because of this, he and Vladimir
become completely absorbed with the idea of Godot helping them. Godot becomes their new
purpose and they do not mind waiting.
3. Pairing humor with tragedy: as I have mentioned before, the play’s genre is
Tragicomedy. This genre creates an unsettling feeling for the audience and make them
conflict with themselves. This emphasizes the confusing nature of the play and the plot. The
genre also helps in giving the characters a meaningless existence. Examples for tragedy in the
play include the main characters talking about killing themselves and depictions of abuse.
Other than that there are multiple comedic scenes in the play which give it the lack of
meaning. These can include comedic pacing or physical comedy. This emphasizes the
insignificant of the characters lives.
Questions
(250 words minimum for each question)
How is Waiting for Godot an example of Theatre of the Absurd?
Waiting for Godot is an absurd play as it has no story, no beginning or end, no character arcs
or characterization. Firstly the play is filled with nonsensical dialogue. Meaningless pauses,
pacing and long monologues are common throughout the writing. Other than that the plot is
different compared to other plays. Instead of being having a rising action, climax and falling
action; Waiting for Godot has a circular plot. This gives the play a loss of sense in meaning.
Other than that the writing carries many illogical elements. The characters wait for a
seemingly powerful character that never comes. Lucky has a leash, estragon loses his memory
every day and even Vladimir who seems more aware has very little idea where he is. Another
fact is that Vladimir and Estragon talk about dark subjects as if they have no importance. An
example for this is when Estragon refers to “billions of others” who have been killed. Another
example is when they decide to hang themselves to pass the time. These types of dialogue
cause discomfort in readers as one does not know how to react. Another instance for this is
when in act one, Vladimir says, "one daren't even laugh any more”. This emphasizes the dark
themes in the play. Another point of absurdity in the theatre is the lack of characterization.
The only thing only we know about the characters is their names and very little about their
personality. We have no idea of their backstory or their lives. Points like these make this play
an example of the the Theatre of the Absurd
Why is Waiting for Godot considered a tragicomedy: Tragicomedy is a literary genre that
blends both comedic and tragic elements throughout the work. It can be seen in dramatic and
tragic plays to lighten the mood for the audience. Other than that tragicomedy can be used to
give serious messages in comedic plays. Waiting for Godot has many humorous scenes. The
characters are absurd and the plot is pointless. The absurdity surrounding the play emphasizes
the comedic feeling throughout it. However if we delve deeper we can see that the play has a
very tragic reading to it. Vladimir and Estragon have their entire hopes based on Godot. They
are unable to leave even if they want to. They fear punishment if they abandon Godot. Other
than that their life seems very miserable as far as we can see it. They both seem to live in
poverty and Estragon continuously gets beat up. They believe that Godot will solve all of their
problems and wait for him for days. And even after that Godot fails to show up. The other two
main characters are Lucky and Pozzo. Lucky is Pozzo’s servant and throughout the play we
can see how much he gets abused. While Pozzo seems like a powerful character he seems
alone. On top of that the loses his sight in act 2 which causes his story to be even more tragic.
Godot puts his characters in seemingly hilarious situations yet he never lets us forget that
these characters are not colorful circus clowns but trashed and colorless people trapped in a
time loop. These elements make Waiting for Godot the tragicomedy it is.
What does Godot represent?: Godot is one of the main characters. He is the center of the
main conflict. He is said to be a powerful figure that can solve Vladimir and Estragon’s
problems. Yet they also fear punishment from him if they abandon him. For a character with
this immense importance many readers have made theories for who he really is. The most
popular of these theories is that Godot represents a religious figure, maybe even God. In
another perspective he is the salvation that religion promises. Vladimir and Estragon believe
in Godot completely and this could represent the obsessive belief against God that some
people have. But the irony of the play is that Godot never arrives. If Godot was God he would
arrive to ease the suffering of his believers. Yet the fact that Godot never arrives could
symbolize Samuel Beckett mocking religion. Godot offers a bleak image of God. One that is
either unable or unwilling to help others. Another thing is that it can be seen that Vladimir and
Estragon are stuck in a time loop. Perhaps the reason for this is because they are trying to
understand their lives and the universe. Perhaps they are not ready for Godot, or god in other
words yet they cannot navigate the world without him. Because of this they are stuck and
trapped behind invisible borders. Perhaps God is waiting for them to figure out their own
meaning for the universe alone. Or perhaps Godot is an uncapable religious figure. Either way
it can be said that Godot represents God.
What is the relationship between Estragon and Vladimir: Vladimir and Estragon are long
term companions. While we do not have a clear idea of their backstory together, we do know
what they have been with each other for a long time. Vladimir is the more intellectually
capable one among the two. Estragon needs much more help from Vladimir rather than the
opposite. Also Estragon has memory problems and is continuously confused about where he
is. Other than that their dialogues are both similar and repetitive so both the characters are
technically interchangeable. However both characters seemingly cannot leave the other.
Whether this is because they love each other or if they cannot get out of their comfort zone is
up to debate. They have such a deep sense of familiarity that they cannot bare to be alone. The
idea of loneliness frightens them, especially Vladimir who states so multiple times. On top of
that; even though they have a slight love-hate relationship, they find comfort within each
other. They can anticipate the other ones thoughts and actions and look after one another.
While they mention parting more than once, at the end they always think against it and stay
together. Their relationship is complicated and can be seen in a homoerotic light, however I
believe that their relationship cannot have labels put onto it. It seems as if they have been
together for so long that they are merging into one soul. To have such a deep sense of
familiarity they are bound together in a relationship of dependency.
Why does Pozzo go blind: Pozzo is a character who sees himself much higher than he already
is. He finds himself to be utterly important and expects others to do the same. While his
character can be seen as a comedic relief, he be said to symbolize Becket’s mockery towards
authority. Pozzo has a slave called Lucky which he keeps on a leash and mistreats. On top of
the abuse Lucky gets, he has to also convince Pozzo not to throw him out. In the second act
however, we find out that for some inexplicable reason Pozzo has gone blind. This causes his
relationship with Lucky to shift and he suddenly finds himself in need of Lucky’s help. This
unexpected change could symbolize two things. The first thing is that it could be to emphasize
the absurdity of the play and strengthen the fact that life has no meaning. Or it could be
another way for Samuel Becket to mock authority. This event that happened to Pozzo could
indicate that not even the strongest in life are immune to the uncertainty of the future. It does
not matter how powerful or important you are, you will never be able to control life itself.
Other than these points my personal belief about Pozzo’s blindness is that Lucky may be
responsible. Lucky was in danger of being thrown out. So if we combine his fear towards
being alone and his anger towards Pozzo it could make sense that Lucky blinds him so he has
to rely on Lucky for the rest of his life. This theory may not be true but it is undeniable that
Pozzo’s blindness holds an important part of the story.
References
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theatre-of-the-absurd/. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.
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https://www.litcharts.com/lit/waiting-for-godot/characters/godot. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.
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https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/godot/symbols/. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.
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inevitable-pair-48666738e6b5. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.
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www.sparknotes.com/lit/godot/symbols/. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
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