Waiting For Godot

OVERVIEW
Samuel Beckett’s most famous play Waiting for Godot was actually written in
French in 20th century. The play mainly concentrates on the psyche of the
characters. Beckett describes two goalless characters in a world of isolation and
no purpose. The absurdity of this circumstance of the characters appears from
their hope for a life with a purpose. This possibility of aspiration that never
comes leads to comedy as well as tragedy. In this play, Beckett processes
existentialism with some biblical allusions. The play rests on existentialist
philosophy which analyse human being as having a set of fundamental themes
and personalities such as survive, nurture, death and freedom. In Waiting for
Godot, the characters find themselves in a lasting desperation; their dialogues
that involve incomplete conversations, discrepancies and replications sometimes
seem ambiguous and pointless although one can find any deep meanings in
them. There are totally six characters in the play, five of them can be seen in the
play but one is unseen. The characters onstage are two protagonists Vladimir
and Estragon, Lucky and Pozzo, and the messenger boy. The unseen character
is Godot who is waited by others throughout the play. All the characters except
Lucky are free to speak. Lucky can only speak when his master Pozzo orders.
Furthermore, they have no time, setting and reality in the play, they only try to
find a way to kill the time. Analysing Beckett’s characters in this play is really
hard since they seem to engage with no specific places. They are placed, oddly,
between personality and stylization, between connection and freedom, between
motifs and self-determination, between facet and profoundness, contributing
binary spots but never entirely gradable within each other. The characters reflect
psychic meanings. Contrary to the other well-improved plays, in Waiting for
Godot characters are not portrayed well-proportioned and activated. They give
the readers oddness and pointlessness of the play. Also, we can see that there is
no character development, the main doesn’t change. To illustrate, the only thing
Vladimir and Estragon does is waiting for Godot, whom they have never met
before and who may not exist at all. In conclusion, this sense of nothingness has
an important and fundamental role in solving every aspect of the play. The
sense of uncertainty and nothingness dominate characters, storyline, setting and
action. The play’s setting is in an unclear location. It is only described as a
country road with a tree without leaves in the background, otherworldly
location, which shows symbolism. The location is a symbol of a barren and
unfruitful life. There is nothing to do and it seems that there is both no place to
be in and no place better to leave. The tree, a symbol of life with its blossoms, is
obviously dead. Moreover, characters and their dialogues add uncertainty to the
text. For example, Vladimir and Estragon remain doubtful about their actions,
why and for whom they are waiting. Vladimir says several times that they are
waiting for Godot. They are hesitant of who he is and what he looks like. Also,
Godot is unconvinced as he does not come in the play and it remains undecided
if he will ever appear or if he even exists. Furthermore, in the beginning of the
play, the lines in which Estragon says: "Nothing happens, nobody comes...
nobody goes" can be also sorted out by a feeling of nothingness. This
nothingness comes painfully. All of the characters, their dialogues, body
language and the waiting process highlights the grieved effects of everlasting
waiting. When the play is mentioned to an analysis, it can be brought forward
that Vladimir and Estragon are limited by their waiting process just as how
Lucky is limited by the rope around his neck. Nevertheless, Godot is related to
Pozzo as being the one who controls this imprisonment. For Vladimir, the
waiting process for Godot avoids him from electing any other action. However,
his judgment to wait for Godot is a preference in itself. The excruciating trait of
this lasting wait for Godot comes into existence from the uncertainty feeling. In
addition, the doubt of memory is one of the reasons that Waiting for Godot
deprives from logic. It is Estragon, who realizes that they’ve been redoing their
actions all over again. Vladimir places a term on uncertainty: nothing is certain
around Estragon in contrast to Estragon’s claim that nothing is clear. Besides,
through the end of the dialogue the implausibly duality nature of Vladimir’s
relationship with Estragon can be seen. He wakes him up for companionship,
but can’t dedicate himself emotionally to listening to the products of Estragon’s
subconscious mind. Vladimir wishes for Estragon to be awake since he feels
alone and he needs enjoyment. However, Vladimir doesn’t want to bear
anything personal by paying attention to Estragon’s dreams. Because this would
make Estragon genuine and real, which Vladimir can’t seem to tolerate. Lastly,
Vladimir mentions continuously of Estragon’s addiction for him. Sometimes
this appears excused, but other times it can create a question that if he isn’t just
appointing a physical fixation to Estragon when he is emotionally addicted on
the existence of another.
To sum up, Beckett portrays the contemporary condition of modern-men living
in a purposeless macrocosm, and mourns his indiscretions. Hence, Waiting for
Godot is a cue for modern-human of their capacities and of their responsibility
to choose the way towards taking steps and duties. Nothing is clear in the play;
it is being dominated by a drastic obscurity. This profound obscurity is
strengthened and duplicated by short-term memory pauses of characters, except
Lucky into whose mind we do not have any access. This play is, indeed, a
fascinating work because of both the cases that nothing happens at all in the
play, and that there are many things to think in the middle of all absurdity.

THE IMPACT OF ABSURDISM IN “WAITING FOR GODOT”

BY SAMUEL BECKET
“Absurdism” means something silly, foolish, nonsensical, purposeless,
confusing. Martin Esslin was the first who used this term “Absurd” in his book.
This term basically used to describe the irrational, nonsensical, foolish and silly
aspects of human life. It is a philosophy which based on the belief that this
world is meaningless, purposeless and irrational and also the existence of
human beings is useless, meaningless and irrational. This philosophy is based
on the belief that human beings are leading a meaningless life. They have no
positive purpose in their lives and their existence is useless and meaningless. A
philosophical definition of Absurdism is ”It is a school of thought stating that
the efforts of humanity to find inherent meaning will ultimately fail because no
such meaning exists at least in relation to the individual.” According to
Absurdist “There is no meaning in life. The world is permeated men but there is
no man. Human life is like a bubble”. There are many dramas which based upon
the philosophy of absurdism. In literature “Absurdism focuses on the situation
and on characters. In an absurd drama, characters have no meaning and purpose
in their life. They live a meaningless and purposeless life in the whole drama.
Even their dialogues and conversation to each other is unmotivated and always
revolve around some specific and meaningless things. Samuel Becket was a
critic, playwright and an author and he was born on 13 April 1906. He won the
noble prize for literature in 1969. He was very famous writer and especially
known for his beautiful play “Waiting for Godot”. Samuel Becket born in
Ireland and he started his writing from prose. He published many stories and
poetry. Samuel Becket’s “waiting for Godot” is the best example of absurd
drama in 1952 and appeared on stage in 1953.He is an absurdist play writer.
”Absurd” is that type of drama who focuses on the absurdity of human
existence. In absurd drama, nothing is happen. Everything is useless and
meaningless. There is a confusing situation even characters themselves do not
know what they are doing and why. Characters’ dialogues and conversation are
totally confusing and meaningless. This drama is a part of the theatre of absurd
which discusses the idea that human life is useless, purposeless and
meaningless. “Waiting for Godot” is an absurd drama and it shows the absurdity
of human beings. In this play, nothing is happen and no development of plot is
found and there is no beginning, middle and an end. The setting of the play
clearly shows the absurdity. A country road, leafless tree and two homeless
men. So from the point of view of setting, it is an absurd play and no
meaningful thing is present. The setting of the play reminds the post war
conditions of the world which brought violence, uncertainty, despair and
pessimistic outlook. These things are present in “Waiting for Godot”. Two main
characters of the play, Vladimir and Estragon, show the condition of modern
men and they live a meaningless life. They are waiting for a person whose name
is Godot and they do not know about Godot who Godot is and will he come or
not. Valdimir and Estragon’s dialogues also revolve around one thing. They
repeat the same dialogues in whole drama.
Valdimir: Well Shall We Go?
Estragon: Yes Let’s Go
But they don’t move. There is no female character is present in this drama.
Characters are present but they loss their identity. They breathe but they live a
meaningless and purposeless life .They wait for a person but their waiting is
useless. They are not sure about his coming. So, these elements show the
absurdity of human beings. As modern human beings live meaningless lives.
Modern men have no clear purpose in their lives. As well as every good play
has a motivational and meaningful dialogues but in this play the dialogues are
meaningless. Breakdown of communication is present in this play. There is no
meaningful message in this play even the fact is that the characters are not
interested to talk to each other. Every good play has good and motivational
characters but in this play we have five characters that are not recognizable
human beings and they are not motivational at all. They pass their time with
dong through meaningless activities. They are waiting for Godot whom they
never met. They argue to each other and make a plan of suicide and discuss
passage from the Bible. Two characters named Pozzo and Lucky are playing
two different roles as master and slave. A messenger boy comes with a message
from the Godot that he will not come today but come tomorrow. The two
tramps decided to go away but they don’t move. The actions of first act repeated
in the second act with a few changes and the change is that tree has some leaves
and Pozzo is blind and again messenger boy comes with a Godotmessage that
Godot will not come today. The ending of the play is not a conclusion as in the
start of the play two tramps are waiting a person whose name is Godot till at the
end of the paly Godot will not come. Absurdism is closely related to
existentialism. It is a theory which is based upon the belief that human existence
is meaningless and the universe is indifferent. So this play “Waiting for Godot”
contains all the elements of absurdism like the mention play has a lot of impact
of absurdism.
Becket play deals with the life of a modern man. It discusses the condition of a
human life. Becket’s play “Waiting for Godot” has no conventional plot, has no
motivational characters, and has no clear setting. As two main characters like
Vladimir and Estragon useful purpose in their lives and their conversation to
each other, is purposeless and their conversation have no positive meanings. So
this play totally shows the condition of modern human beings. As modern man
also lives a meaningless and purpose life and even modern man does not know
what is the final destination of his life. In “Waiting for Godot” Valdimir and
Estragon are a waiting for a Godot but they don’t know about Godot who Godot
is and they even never met Godot before. So “Waiting” is an essential part of
human beings. Every person in the world lives a life and waiting for something.
Some persons are waiting for a job some are waiting for a wealth so all persons
lives in a state of waiting.
Vladimir and Estragon just passing a time with useless activities they don’t have
any knowledge and information they are ignorant. They live as they have no
existence and they have no identity. They are in a place and a mental state
where nothing is happened. Today’s modern also have no clear identity.
Modern men also are ignorant and they have no useful information and
knowledge even modern man doesn’t know about the purpose of his life. So this
play deals with the meaninglessness, purposelessness and foolishness of human
beings. In this play nothing is happen all things remain same throughout the
play. The opening line of the play is “Nothing lives a meaningless life and they
to be done” when Estragon fails to remove his boots. This line is the main idea
of the play. The characters, plot, setting, dialogues, conversation of the play are
useless based on absurdity. There is a breakdown of communication. Their
dialogues are useless and meaningless. When the messenger boy comes with a
message that Godot will not come today but surely come tomorrow so at this
spot they exchange a dialogue.
Vladimir: well shall we go?
Estragon: Yes let’s go
But they don’t move. They change the dialogues but they don’t act. This shows
the absurdity of human life. So we can say that this play is a best example of an
absurd play it contain all the elements of absurdist play. Characters’
conversation and their dialogues are based on absurdity. The setting and the plot
of the play is unconventional. The plot of this play has no beginning, middle
and end. The play start with a same thing that the two characters are waiting and
the play also end with the same thing that they are still waiting and Godot not
come at the end of the play. So all things remain same. No development show
throughout the play. Usually a tree is a symbol of life but in his play leafless
tree shows the condition of modern man human beings. It is an absurd play and
closely related to the life of modern human beings. Becket’s work concerned
with the civilization of today.
CONCLUSION
This play “Waiting for Godot” is a master piece of the absurd literature. It
focuses on the absurdity of life. It describes all the elements of the absurdity
through the two main characters “Vladimir” and “Estragon”. This play totally
deals with the life of a modern man and discuss the useless existence of a
human beings and also discuss that how a modern man live a meaningless and
purposeless life. Even modern man doesn’t know why he lives a life and what
purpose of his life is? All the characters of this drama and their dialogues and
their actions clearly show the absurdity of human beings. So this play is a best
example of absurd literature. It contains all the elements of absurdism.