Waiting for Godot By Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot as an Absurd Play

 

Waiting for Godot

By Samuel Beckett

INTRODUCTION:

Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) is one of the leading literary and dramatic figures of the 20^th century. Samuel Beckett was an eminent Irish playwright and critic of postmodern era. He earned the Nobel Prize for his contributions to literature in 1969. His most important plays are ‘Waiting for Godot’, ‘Endgame’ and ‘Happy Days’.

‘Waiting for Godot’ (1953) is termed as the first absurd drama of English literature. It was originally written in French (‘En Attendant Godot’). Beckett himself translated the play into English in 1954.

SUMMARY:

·       Two men, Vladimir and Estragon, meet near a tree. They talk on various topics and reveal that they are waiting there for a man named Godot. While they wait, two other men enter. Pozzo and Lucky.  Pozzo is on his way to the market to sell his slave, Lucky. He pauses for a while to talk with Vladimir and Estragon. Lucky entertains them by dancing. After a while Pozzo and Lucky leave.

·       After Pozzo and Lucky leave, a boy enters and tells Vladimir that he is a messenger from Godot. He tells Vladimir that Godot will not be coming tonight, but that he will surely come tomorrow. Vladimir asks him some questions about Godot and the boy departs. After his departure, Vladimir and Estragon decide to leave, but they do not move as the curtain falls.

·       The next night, Vladimir and Estragon again meet near the tree to wait for Godot. Lucky and Pozzo enter again, but this time Pozzo is blind and Lucky is dumb. Pozzo does not remember meeting the two men the night before. They leave and Vladimir and Estragon continue to wait.

·       Shortly after, the boy enters and once again, tells Vladimir that Godot will not be coming. Estragon and Vladimir decide to leave, but again they do not move as the curtain falls, and the play ends.

WAITING FOR GODOT AS AN ABSURD PLAY:

The term ‘Theatre of Absurd’ was coined by Martin Esslin in his essay ‘The Theatre of the Absurd’ (1961).

FEATURES OF ABSURD PLAY:

1.   Presents meaninglessness of modern human life.

2.   Free from the traditional plot, no division of acts, scenes.

3.   Very few characters having symbolic significance.

4.   Dialogues are very short and difficult to understand.

5.   Nothing significant happens on the stage.

‘Waiting for Godot’ can rightly be called an absurd play considering the following facts:

1.   There are only four characters who speak meaningless dialogue.

2.   They wait for someone whom they don’t know and who never comes.

3.   No action takes place on the stage, except meaningless conversation.

4.   Beckett has not structured the play into acts and scenes.

5.   The setting is - a lonely, isolated road with one single tree which looks terrific with no leaves.

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