Waiting for Godot
Who is Godot and what does he represent? These are two of the questions that Samuel Beckett allows both his characters and the audience to ponder. Many experiences in this book expand and narrow how these questions are viewed. The process of waiting comforts the characters in Beckett's play that they do indeed exist. One of the roles that Beckett has assigned to Godot is to be a saviour of sorts. Godot helps to give the two hobos in Waiting for Godot a sense of purpose. Godot is a universal character that helps to give meaning and function to the lives of two homeless men.The main characters in Waiting for Godot are dependant upon each other for reassurance of their existence. Existentialism is defined as being grounded in existence or being able to affirm existence. Vladimir and Estragon are able to confirm their existence in the world by the constant need to remind each other of what is happening. Estragon forgets every day what events occurred the previous day. The forgetfulness casts doubt on the actual existence of these two men. Vladimir needs to tell Estragon every day what happened the previous day; this reinforces their need for each other. Since no one else in the play remembers Vladimir and Estragon, this g
ame of remembering is very important. When the boy and Pozzo forget meeting Vladimir and Estragon, it once again casts doubt on the actual existence of these two men. The two hobos constantly reaffirm their being by recalling that they are waiting for Godot. Godot is a significant figure despite never physically being in the play. The reader finds out about him only through the conversations in the play. Despite never being physically present in the book, Godot's presence is everywhere. The whole book, including all the actions and the theme itself, is affected by the mention of Godot. Vladimir and Estragon spend the entire play waiting for this unknown being. Vladimir and Estragon are not even sure if they are at the right place or time for their meeting. They do not even know why they are waiting for Godot. The two homeless men never express any understanding about the reason for the meeting with the unknown man. Both the characters and the audience see Godot as a saviour of some sort. He is the one who will bring salvation. He could be a Christ figure or another religious figure. Godot may also be a representation of salvation; this may or may not be a religious rescue. Godot may also be symbolic of the meaning of life that Vladimir and Estragon are searching for. . He is a reason they are still alive. Every day, Estragon wants to kill himself, but not only is there not enough rope, but there is also a hope that maybe, just maybe, Godot will appear the next day and everything will b
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Approximate Word count = 1018
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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