godot and repitition
"Nothing to be done," is one of the many phrases that is repeated again and again throughout Samuel Beckett's Waiting For Godot. Godot is an existentialist play that reads like somewhat of a language poem. That is to say, Beckett is not interested in the reader interpreting his words, but simply listening to the words and viewing the actions of his perfectly mismatched characters. Beckett uses the standard Vaudevillian style to present a play that savors of the human condition. He repeats phrases, ideas and actions that has his audience come away with many different ideas about who we are and how beautiful our human existence is even in our desperation. The structure of Waiting For Godot is determined by Beckett's use of repetition. This is demonstrated in the progression of dialogue and action in each of the two acts in Godot. The first thing an audience may notice about Waiting For Godot is that they are immediately set up for a comedy. The first two characters to appear on stage are Vladimir and Estragon, dressed in bowler hats and boots. These characters lend themselves to the same body types as Abbot and Costello. Vladimir is usually cast as tall and thin and Estragon just the opposite. Each character is involve
Pozzo: I don't seem to be able...(long hesitation)...to depart. "All I know is that the hours are long, under these conditions, and constrain us to beguile them with proceedings which-how shall I say-which may at first sight seem reasonable, until they become a habit."(52) Here Beckett has a character state flat out what is happening in the play. The plot of the play is based around repetition. All the pieces of their lives have become habit. When at first they were ways to pass the days they have become repeated, and through this repetition they have become unreasonable. The habit that controls our lives is the same habit that fuels the characters in Godot. The same habit that makes the structure of Godot a repetition in itself. In the first act, the goings-on in the play may seem reasonable to the audience. Merely a way for these two people to pass the hours of their particular day. By making the second act the same routine, the tragic humor of their situation is revealed. Estragon and Vladimir are stuck in this way of life. Bound to making each day more of the same, because they can find no other way to deal with their lives then to try to pass the time. All the ideas of the play and all the questions that are raised are highlighted through the use of repetition. Therefore, the structure of the play is dominated by this single characteristic of the play. In at least three instances in the play characters announce that they are leaving and remain still on the stage. These are examples of how the units of the play are effected individually by repetition. Again, Becket emphasizes this for a reason. This is best shown in the following beat:
Some common words found in the essay are:
Silence Pozzo, Pozzo Lucky, Godot Godot, Costello Vladimir, Estragon Vladimir, Waiting Godot, Vladimir Estragon, Pozzo Estragon, , Adieu Silence, waiting godot, play based, yes yes pozzo, repetition structure, estragon adieu, act routine, silence pozzo, play plot, adieu silence, vladimir adieu, adieu pozzo adieu, vladimir adieu pozzo, adieu pozzo,
Approximate Word count = 1291
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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