Blog Post #3 Topic 1

The following passages is taken from “Waiting for Godot”

ACT 1:

VLADIMIR:

He said that Godot was sure to come tomorrow. (Pause.) What do you say to that?

ESTRAGON:

Then all we have to do is to wait on here.

(looking at the tree). Pity we haven't got a bit of rope.

Remind me to bring a bit of rope tomorrow.

VLADIMIR:

Yes. Come on.

ESTRAGON:

Well, shall we go?

VLADIMIR:

Yes, let's go.

They do not move.

ACT 2:

VLADIMIR:

We have to come back tomorrow.

To wait for Godot.

ESTRAGON:

You say we have to come back tomorrow?

VLADIMIR:

Yes.

ESTRAGON:

Then we can bring a good bit of rope.

VLADIMIR:

Yes.

We'll hang ourselves tomorrow. (Pause.) Unless Godot comes.

ESTRAGON:

And if he comes?

VLADIMIR:

We'll be saved.

ESTRAGON:

Well? Shall we go?

ESTRAGON:

Yes, let's go.

They do not move.

            “Waiting for Godot” is a play about two people, named Vladimir and Estragon, who are waiting for Godot. Upon closer reading of last few lines of Act 1 and Act 2, one can have a better understanding of the significance of the play.

            When reading the passage of Act 1, one notices that Godot does not come by the end of the day, and instead will come tomorrow. In response, Vladimir and Estragon decide that they will hang themselves the following day if Godot does not come the next day. However, despite lacking rope to hang themselves with, they do not move and wait for a new day to arrive. The very same events occur at the end of Act 2. These recurring events in the passages complement each other because they show that both Vladimir and Estragon are doomed to keep waiting for Godot. The main characters never bother to explore the surrounding area and they never get the rope to hang themselves, thus, they will never have any other choice except to wait for Godot.

In the play, Godot symbolizes hope or purpose. The fact that nothing meaningful happens throughout the play illustrates that Godot will never arrive and that Vladimir and Estragon are waiting for nothing. In the passages, the word “tomorrow” and “wait” are repeated numerous times. The word “Tomorrow” is to used to represent the unending cycle of the same events that occur throughout the play. The significance of word “Wait” is to highlight the absurdity of Vladimir and Estragon’s inaction. Perhaps the reason for the repetition is to make the words lose meaning. By making these words insignificant, the passages address how pointless the concept of time is. The pointlessness of time can connect to the philosophy of absurdism where it is believed that humans spend their lives finding purpose in what is impossible to understand. No matter how much time and effort is put into trying to understand the universe, humans will never be able to comprehend the complexities the universe has to offer.

Another thing to note is that the passages only consist of dialogue making it difficult for the reader to understand what is happening outside of the conversations between characters. Perhaps the reason for the passages doing so is to illustrate how meaningless everything outside the characters is in the play. Furthermore, the sole use of dialogue prevents the reader from understanding what the characters are thinking, which makes it difficult to find the meaning behind the characters’ actions too. This lack of understanding causes the reader to constantly feel bewildered about the actions and conversations of the characters in the play.

The way the play is written makes it difficult to understand what is truly going on within the world and characters of the book. However, the play is written like this to make the reader consider how pointless it is to understand the world, for some things are just too complex to comprehend. Instead, people should accept that some things are not meant to be known and continue to live their lives normally.