Topic : 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 texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Waiting for Godot.
Main text
Waiting for Godot
tragicomedy in 2 acts
By
Samuel Beckett
Estragon
Vladimir
Lucky
Pozzo
a boy
ACT I
A country road. A tree.
Evening.
Estragon, sitting on a low mound, is trying to take off his boot. He pulls at it with
both hands, panting.
He gives up, exhausted, rests, tries again.
As before.
Enter Vladimir.
ESTRAGON:
(giving up again). Nothing to be done.
VLADIMIR:
(advancing with short, stiff strides, legs wide apart). I'm [...]
Key info
"Waiting for Godot" is a classic and existential play by Samuel Beckett. The play was first published in French in 1952 as "En attendant Godot" and later translated into English in 1954. It is a prominent work in the Theater of the Absurd movement. The play is characterized by its existential and often absurd themes. Here are some key facts about the play:
Writer: Samuel Beckett (1906-89)
Full Name of the Author: Samuel Barclay Beckett
Original Title: En attendant Godot.
Summary
"Waiting for Godot" is an absurd drama by the Irish Dramatist Samuel Beckett (1906-1989). Here is the detailed summary of the drama Waiting for Godot.
Estragon and Vladimir waiting for Godot: This is shown at the beginning of the drama, with Estragon standing under a tree trying to untie Shoe from his leg. Despite repeated attempts, he is unable to untie the Shoe. Then comes Vladimir. He said yesterday he was inside a pit/trench and was beaten a lot. After many attempts, Estragon finally succeeded in untying the Shoe from his leg. Then he looked to see if anything was stuck inside his shoe. Vladimir does the same thing with his hat. Vladimir then decided to leave. Then he started telling the story of the two thieves by himself.
These two thieves were executed with Jesus Christ. He then asks Estragon if Estragon has ever read the Bible. Estragon references maps of various holy places from the Bible. Hearing this, Vladimir says that Estragon should have become a poet. Estragon shows his tattered clothes and says that he was indeed a poet once. To pass the time, Vladimir started telling the story of the two thieves again. Then Estragon wants to leave. But Vladimir holds him back. Because they are both here waiting for Godot. But they don't know if they are waiting in the right place or when Godot will come to meet them.
Characters
Waiting for Godot is a classic creation of Samuel Beckett (1906-1989). The characters of this play are,
Vladimir ( French name- Didi)
One of the two protagonists. Perhaps the main protagonist of the play.
Estragon (French name- Gogo)
One of the two main characters of the play, along with Vladimir.
Notes
- "I remember the maps of the Holy Land"- Explain "I remember the maps of the Holy Land. Colored they were. Very pretty. The Dead Sea was pale blue. The very look of it made me thirsty. That's where we'll go. I used to say,[Expand...]
- "The tears of the world are a constant quantity. For each one who begins to weep, somewhere else another stops".- Explain"The tears of the world are a constant quantity. For each one who begins to weep, somewhere else another stops".- Explain In Samuel Beckett's (1906-89) iconic play "Waiting for Godot," the line "The tears of[Expand...]
- "The blind have no notion of time. The things of time are hidden from them too."- Explain."The blind have no notion of time. The things of time are hidden from them too."- Explain. In Samuel Beckett's (1909-1989) iconic absurdist drama, "Waiting for Godot," the line "The blind have no notion of[Expand...]