Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot

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"Waiting for Godot" represents one of Samuel Beckett's most popular pieces of work. It was firstly published in French in 1948, but after that Beckett translated it into English. It is a tragicomedy in two acts, illustrating the following characters: Vladimir, Estragon, Pozzo and Lucky, representative characters for the human behaviour, Godot, the divine power, and the Boy, Godot's servant. This play pictures in symbolic terms the human condition and help the reader understand the sequence of events of his life and suggests the fact that human life is determined by chance.

This idea of chance in a human life is captured in the references to the Bible that appear in the play, more exactly when Vladimir reminds of the parable of the two thieves from the Bible: " One of the thieves was saved. It's a reasonable percentage.”. In this way, he draws the attention of the reader upon how our fate is determined. More than that, even the Bible itself reduces our existence to a simple matter of fortune and chance and the person is powerless to change the decision. The entire play represents a silent request of all humanity for answers, for meaning, answers that never come from God ( Godot), picturing a divine power which is absent. Godot is either absent or he does not show his power. In this way, Godot seems to be the accomplice of the Universe, an unpredictable universe in which human life is left to hazard.

The setting of "Waiting for Godot" is a simple but confusing one, the play beginning in the evening and presenting a road and a tree, capturing once again the idea of passing of time. The tree is associated with Godot, that's why Vladimir and Estragon choose to wait for Godot near the tree. The tree can be seen as the feeling of hope...

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...hat has happened, even anticipating that the Boy will come and say to them the same thing: that Godot will not come that day and that he will come tomorrow. This part represents the climax of the tragicomedy, being the most tragic one in which Vladimir gets into depression and he considers death the ultimate alternative. Moreover, he even takes into consideration the idea of committing suicide but the lack of courage prevents him from accomplishing his plan.

In conclusion, "Waiting for Godot" makes us wonder if our life is meaningful or not. All the symbols illustrated from the very beginning, such as the elements of setting, the position of the characters and their attitude, convey the thought that life should not be lived so superficial. People should not make false illusions, be realistic and have a flourishing existence, fake distractions being only temporary.

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