Waiting for Godot: Clear Criticism of Christianity
Samuel Beckett may have denied the use of Christian mythology in Waiting for Godot, but the character of Lucky proves otherwise. We can read Lucky as a symbolic figure of Christ, and, as such, his actions in the play carry a criticism of Christianity, suggesting that the merits of Christianity have decreased to the point where they no longer help man at all.
The parallels between Christ and Lucky are strong. Lucky, chained with a rope, is the humiliated prisoner, much like Jesus was the prisoner of the Romans after Judas turned him in. Estragon beats, curses, and spits on Lucky exactly as the Roman treated Jesus when preparing him for crucifixion. Lucky carries the burden of Pozzo's bags like a perpetual cross, and he is being led to a public fair where he will be mocked and sold; the Romans paraded Jesus on the hill where for public scorn. As Jesus fell three times under the weight of his burden, Lucky falls many times with the weight of the luggage, stool, coat, and picnic basket. Furthermore, Estragon wipes Lucky's eyes-like Veronica wiped Jesus' face-so he will "feel less forsaken" (p. 21b), which alludes directly to Jesus' cry from the cross: "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" [My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?] (Mark 15:34). Lucky slowly chokes as the rope cuts into his neck; crucifixion suffocated Jesus.
Pozzo, paraphrasing Estragon's question, then asks a rhetorical question concerning Lucky: "Why he doesn't make himself comfortable?" (p.21a). This question refers specifically to the taunt spectators hurled at Jesus, "Save yourself, why don't you? Come down off the cross if you are God's son," and refers generally to Christ's mission of suffering on earth (Matthew 26:40). Pozzo replies that Lucky doesn't want to drop the luggage because "he wants to mollify me, so that I will give up the idea of parting with him," and Lucky "imagines that when I see how well he carries I'll be tempted to keep him on in that capacity" (p. 21a). Likewise, Jesus believed that he had to carry out his burden-crucifixion-to awaken man's faith in God for time to come. Jesus commissioned his apostles to "make disciples of all nations...teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you. And always know that I am with you" (Matthew 28:18-20). Jesus wanted humanity to act in his own memory, or to keep himself on in that capacity, which was that of teacher, comforter, and ultimately deliverer of salvation.
As a child, when it is time for him to join the children at the front of the church, would not think about twice about pretending to find Jesus in order to relieve the focus quickly narrowing down to only him. As the last child left young Hughes, he whispered, “God damn! I’m tired o’ sitting here. Let’s get up and be saved.” (Hughes, 111), which leaves Hughes kneeling before the entire church.
We observed a series of skits that exhibited the attributes of Jesus. During the final skit, while we were sitting inside the K-Life gym, a black curtain dropped and we saw three men hanging from crosses. The men looked as if they had taken baths in blood, and they were struggling to speak and breathe; the man on the middle cross portrayed Jesus. The skit continued to act out the entirety of the crucifixion and the presence of the Holy Spirit was prominent in the room. I was astonished when I realized that He suffered and died on the cross for a person as broken and sinful as me. After the skit was over, Joe slowly walked out to speak to everyone who had just watched the simulated crucifixion. He revealed to us how undeserving we are of God’s grace, and how Jesus died for every person that has ever lived. He continued on with his disquisition and we eventually began to worship. At this point in time I had begun to pray to Jesus, that he would take over my life and use me in a way that glorifies him. I did not know what this would look like, but I desired to be a living example of a man of God.
From the moment that the curtain rises, Waiting for Godot assumes an unmistakably absurdist identity. On the surface, little about the plot of the play seems to suggest that the actions seen on stage could or would ever happen. At the very least, the process of waiting hardly seems like an ideal focus of an engaging and entertaining production. Yet it is precisely for this reason that Beckett’s tale of two men, whose only discernable goal in life is to wait for a man known simply as Godot, is able to connect with the audience’s emotions so effectivel...
While selflessness is typically an admirable quality to possess, being too selfless will only make matters worse for yourself. Stories of rich men giving away all their money and possessions warn us of the possible consequences of being too kind for our own good. The story behind Christ Bearing the Cross ("North Netherlandish (Utrecht?) Painter | Christ Bearing the Cross." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, I.e. The Met Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2015) is the story of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice. While from a biblical standpoint this was the right thing for Jesus to do, from a purely objective view, Jesus’ selflessness ultimately leads to his death. Jesus was a giving man who did good deeds for complete strangers, because he felt it was his duty. In the painting, he is shown in his final moments, totally ready to accept his death. Again, while this might make sense from a biblical view, Jesus sacrificed his life for little to no reason. His love for other people eventually was what ended him. The Pelican in Her Piety (Unknown. "Pelican in Her Piety." Metmuseum.org. Met Museum, 1400. Web) depicts the love of a mother for her children. The mother pelican is presumed to be unsuccessful in finding food for her children, and they are going hungry. The mother makes the choice to sacrifice her own life and slice her breast in order to feed her children. Just like in Christ Bearing the Cross, the
Faith plays a large role in how one lives their life. Christianity plays a strong role throughout Hamlet by William Shakespeare. When reading the play one must think of the controversies of the time when Shakespeare writes the play. Reformation and Renaissance opinions are reflected throughout. Shakespeare deals with very controversial attitudes and religious questions dealing with death, the existence of purgatory, morality, murder, suicide and marriage in his play Hamlet. It is obvious throughout the play that Hamlet’s life is guided by his faith and his religious beliefs.
“With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.” (Mark 15:37) “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46) These are the last words of Jesus as recorded in the Bible. This paper looks at the events leading up to Jesus’ death on the cross as well as the controversy caused by the events.
hardship, Jesus tried to walk upright while carrying the heavy wooden beam cross, at the
Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot has been said by many people to be a long book about nothing. The two main characters, Vladimir and Estragon, spend all their time sitting by a tree waiting for someone named Godot, whose identity is never revealed to the audience. It may sound pretty dull at first but by looking closely at the book, it becomes apparent that there is more than originally meets the eye. Waiting for Godot was written to be a critical allegory of religious faith, relaying that it is a natural necessity for people to have faith, but faiths such as Catholicism are misleading and corrupt.
Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” incorporates many characters including Vladamir, Estragon, Pozzo, Lucky, Boy, and Godot. Vladamir is one of the main characters alongside of Estragon, the second main character. Vladamir is foiled as the responsible, mature character between him and Estragon. Estragon is seen as very weak and helpless combined with his terrible memory.
The setting is the next day at the same time. Estragon's boots and Lucky's hat are still on the stage. Vladimir enters and starts to sing until Estragon shows up barefoot. Estragon is upset that Vladimir was singing and happy even though he was not there. Both admit that they feel better when alone but convince themselves they are happy when together. They are still waiting for Godot.
to become one of us. Jesus walked along the same roadways and experienced the same trials and tribulations as other people. Accepting Jesus as fully human is as important as accepting him as fully divine. Jesus experienced stress, anger, frustration and loneliness but he chose never to respond sinfully to these experiences. Given the choice between popularity and telling people the truth, he chose the path that ultimately turned people against him and led to his death.
... If Godot ever comes, this cycle of waiting will be broken and life as Vladimir and Estragon have lived it will be as well. Throughout the world, Christianity is a very dominant religion, with a larger amount of followers compared to other religions such as Islam and Buddhism. Not only does Christianity have a huge influence on the followers of the religion but on non-believers as well. Christianity’s values are built into aspects of life such as finance and education among other things. In Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett uses symbol, dialogue between characters, and the characters themselves to portray the invisible influence that God has on both believers and non-believers.
This man was a hero to me and many others. His name is Jesus. Jesus did many things for humanity. He was hated by many for trying to help and save us from sin. He was forced up a hill with a heavy cross on his back only to be lead to his death. What do you think that other people did as he was carrying his cross? They stood around and did nothing. Some were even
Although Samuel Beckett's tragicomedy, Waiting for Godot, has no definite meaning or interpretation, the play acts as a statement of hopelessness regarding human existence. Debate surrounds the play because, due to its simplicity, almost any interpretation is valid. The main characters, Vladimir and Estragon, are aging men who must wait for a person, being, or object named Godot, but this entity never appears to grace the men with this presence. Both characters essentially demonstrate how one must go through life when hope is nonexistent as they pointlessly attempt to entertain themselves with glum conversation in front of a solitary tree. The Theater of the Absurd, a prevalent movement associated with Waiting for Godot, serves as the basis for the message of hopelessness in his main characters. Samuel Beckett's iconic Waiting for Godot and his perception of the characteristics and influence of the Theater of the Absurd illustrate the pointlessness and hopelessness regarding existence. In the play, boredom is mistaken for hopelessness because the men have nothing to do, as they attempt to occupy themselves as, for some reason, they need to wait for Godot. No hope is present throughout the two-act play with little for Estragon and Vladimir to occupy their time while they, as the title indicates, wait for Godot.
Hypertext is changing the way we read, write and conceptualize literature. Traditionally, the distance between reader and writer with written works is maintained by multiple levels of people, paper and time. Once a piece of work is published, the writer's responsibility basically ends; meanwhile, the reader is still responsible for knowing and understanding all of the references the writer includes in the work. Hypertext creates a hyper-extension of the work, basically giving it a life of its own. A printed book is unable to recreate this same detailed precision and accessibility because of its physicality. A published book cannot be recalled instantly in order to make any changes or update information, unless it is reprinted and there is always a defined amount of time involved. Hypertext has the ability to link a multitude of related subject matters and authors, while incorporating a variety of techniques, such as sound and movement, to involve and extend the relationship between readers and writers.