Godot A Few Things to Consider

Godot and the principle of uncertainty Godot is unlike most pieces of lit. that you discuss in schoolthere is no magical key I can give you unlock the meaning. The only certainty is that any certainty about their situation is wrong; therefore, any interpretation that claims to know the identity of Godot, why they are waiting, etc., cannot be proven. This was a revolutionary idea in theater when Godot premiered and has everything to do with the Theater of the Absurd. You must let go of your demand for certainty to enjoy this play, but consider how many things in your life are just as uncertain as the situations facing Vladimir and Estragon.

Theater of the absurd Its not just a random set of occurrences. It has a serious, underlying idea: modern man is unable to find a coherent system of meaning, order, and purpose by which to understand existence. Humans are too short-lived to grasp the essential nature of existencereflected in Pozzo: Give birth astride a grave.

Form of the Play Rather than the typical format of literature: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, Godots form is closer to a piece of serious music in which a theme or motif is presented and repeated with variation and development throughout. Examples are entrance and exit of Pozzo and Lucky, the image of giving birth astride a grave, Gogos boots, hanging, inertia, etc.

Conflict We are used to having identifiable conflict in the literature we read. That is harder to discern in Godot. Who or what is in opposition? Estragon seems to get beat up regularly, but by whom? Here is my candidate for the bad guy. But we have to wait for it.

Still Waiting? Good

Keep Waiting--It Will Soon Arrive TIME Consider Pozzos tirade in both acts, the birth to grave image, the fact that V and E are fighting with the passage of time.

A Central Paradox in Godot Theater of the Absurd insists that we cannot fathom the nature of existence. We dont live long enough to experience the important cycles of change. Plus we might be too ignorant. But put our brief candle of existence under a microscope and watch Vladimir and Estragon struggle to make time pass while they are waiting.

RememberGodot is a minimalist play This is a simple piece of lit. Beckett has gone to great lengths to make it as simple as possible. Attempting to overcomplicate it will only lead to madness and other nervous disorders.

Schopenhauerfinal thought Beckett subscribed to some of the ideas of the German philo. Schopenhauer. An important one that applies to Godot is this: Existence is not a gift given to mankind; it is a constant struggle toward an unknown goal. Man cant help but continue the strugglewe are hardwired that way.