The use of time in Waiting for Godot
Waiting for Godot is a notable literary work by Samuel Beckett. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the main text, key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary Devices, Quotations, Notes, to various questions of Waiting for Godot.
Answer
Comment on the use of time in “Waiting for Godot.”
Samuel Beckett (1906 – 1989) has written the play “Waiting for Godot” (1952). This is called an “absurd drama“. Unity of time is an important element in a play. The waiting or time of the play is an important part of the absurdity.
Valueless to the aimless person: We find two tramps in the play, Estragon and Vladimir. There is no value of time to them. By this, Beckett means to say that never dream about success without working hard to get it.
Reflection of Ancient Brutality by the Capitalists: The slavery system is one of the most brutal systems in the world. The slavery system has not been removed completely from our society. In ancient times, there was “slave and master,” but now this term has been changed. Nowadays, a servant is used instead of the word slave. The capitalist society has changed this term. The soul of the term is not changed.
Time as a subject in the play: The writer uses time as a subject in the play. The two tramps, Estragon and Vladimir, wait for a hidden character named Godot. The play’s subject is waiting, not Godot. Their waiting is never to be ended in the play. So, we can say that the use of time develops the play.
Beckett uses the time of waiting metaphorically. The human expectation is clearly drawn through using time. The writer’s use of time makes the play famous and develops the story of English drama.