Waiting for Godot : Summary

Summary

Background: Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot was written after World War II, in a time of unrest and uncertainty. People in Europe were living with the experience of war, destruction, and despair. Society was filled with hopelessness and fear about the future. People began to question the meaning and purpose of their lives. Beckett wrote this play in France in 1948. At that time, he was a member of the anti-Nazi resistance movement. His life was full of sadness, uncertainty, and long periods of waiting. These experiences deeply appear in his play.

 Summary

We can understand the whole drama easily in just 6 points.

First Day and First Act

1. Estragon and Vladimir wait for Godot.
2. Lucky and Pozzo arrive.
3. A boy comes with news about Godot.

Second Day and Second Act

1. On the second day, they still wait for Godot to come.
2. Pozzo and Lucky arrive again on the second day.
3. The boy comes again with news about Godot.

Day 1 and Act 1

Estragon and Vladimir, Waiting for Godot: At the start of the play, we see a lonely country road with a single tree. In the evening, a man named Estragon sits there trying to take off his boot. He tries many times but cannot remove it. Tired, he sits down and tries again. Then his friend Vladimir arrives. He is happy to see Estragon. They had missed each other and wondered if they would ever meet again.

Vladimir tells Estragon that life is very hard, and he once wanted to give up on life. Estragon keeps trying to remove his boot. Vladimir offers to help. But Estragon often feels helpless, sad, and irritated. Together, they talk about the hard times in life. Vladimir reminds Estragon about some events from a few days ago, which Estragon has forgotten. Their conversation mixes feelings of meaninglessness, sorrow, hope, and despair.

Vladimir tells Estragon the story of two thieves from the Bible, who were crucified with Jesus. One thief goes to heaven after death, and the other goes to hell. They argue about this story, but Estragon does not listen carefully. They often laugh, get annoyed, and then spend time together again. Estragon sometimes calls himself a poet, though now he wears torn clothes.

They sit together thinking about who they are waiting for. They say they are waiting for a man named Godot. But they don’t know if Godot will ever come or how he will come. Estragon and Vladimir argue, sometimes hopeful, sometimes hopeless. They wonder what will happen if Godot does not come. Yet, they decide to keep waiting until Godot arrives.

Estragon talks about taking a rope to hang themselves, as if they might commit suicide by hanging. Vladimir at first likes this idea, but then they think that if one dies, the other will be alone. So they canceled the idea of hanging. They think about how hard and meaningless life is. They depend on each other and even think about leaving each other. Estragon sometimes falls asleep, and Vladimir wakes him up. Their talks are full of sadness, loneliness, hope, and despair. Estragon often expresses sadness, and Vladimir tries to comfort him.

Estragon asks if they really have any right to be there. Vladimir says their human rights ended long ago. They depend on each other and stay together. They sit under the tree waiting. Suddenly, Estragon hears a sound, but actually hears nothing. Vladimir thinks it might be a sign that Godot is coming. But Estragon thinks it is just the wind. Estragon feels hungry. Vladimir gives him a carrot to eat. When the carrot finishes, he gives him a cucumber. While eating, Estragon forgets his earlier worries and starts talking again.

(In this part of the play, Estragon and Vladimir spend their lives only with each other. They search for meaning in life and try to understand one another. They wait for a man named Godot, but are not sure if Godot will come. They try to survive and spend time with each other, laugh, and become crippled by the meaninglessness of life. From the start of the play, human loneliness, meaninglessness, and the burden of waiting are reflected. Estragon and Vladimir hope for something from life, but that hope often breaks. They keep each other company, but deep inside they are sad and lonely.)

2. The Arrival of Lucky and Pozzo: Suddenly, Estragon and Vladimir hear the sound of someone approaching from a distance. They look and see a man walking ahead, and another man behind him. The man behind has a rope tied around his neck, and the other end of the rope is held by the man in front. The man in front carries a whip. The man behind is carrying a heavy load on his back, a folding stool, a large bag, and a picnic basket. He carries all these on his shoulders. At first, Estragon thinks this might be Godot. Vladimir watches carefully, too. But when they come closer, they realize, no, neither of these two is Godot. These two are Pozzo and Lucky. Pozzo stops and tells Lucky to stop. Lucky stands silently. Then Pozzo tells Lucky to take down the folding stool. Lucky does so, and Pozzo sits on it.

Pozzo takes the picnic basket and starts eating chicken meat. After eating, he throws the bones on the ground. Lucky stands holding the basket silently, saying nothing. Estragon and Vladimir are surprised Lucky seems completely lifeless. Pozzo orders, and Lucky obeys without protest. After eating, sleepiness comes over Lucky. He falls asleep standing up. Estragon and Vladimir curiously ask Pozzo why Lucky is not putting down the bag. Pozzo does not answer at first. Estragon goes to pick up the chicken bones from the ground. Pozzo says, Those are for Lucky. Estragon asks Lucky, Will you eat the bones? Lucky does not answer, so Estragon picks up the bones.

Estragon again asks about the bag. Pozzo says, Lucky is afraid that if he does not obey Pozzo, he will be given to someone else. Hearing this, Lucky cries. Estragon tries to wipe away his tears, but Lucky suddenly kicks him. Pozzo says Lucky has been with him for 60 years. Vladimir is amazed to hear this after a long time. Pozzo says that now Lucky has become a burden to him. Vladimir asks, Then why does he treat Lucky so badly? Pozzo gives no answer. Instead, he looks at the sky and begins to describe the beauty of the night. He says, the stars are twinkling, and moonlight spreads everywhere.

Estragon and Vladimir are impressed by Pozzo’s description. They praise him. Happy with their praise, Pozzo says, he wants to do something for them. Estragon takes the opportunity and asks for ten francs. Vladimir quickly hushes him. Then Pozzo says, Lucky will dance for their entertainment. Lucky dances. Estragon tries to copy his dance but fails. Then they talk about Lucky’s strange behavior. Suddenly, they all jump on Lucky. Lucky says nothing, only once at the end says, “Unfinished.” When given his bag, Lucky wakes up again. Pozzo says, now they have to leave. Lucky pulls the rope, and Pozzo moves forward. Both of them leave. Estragon and Vladimir are left alone again.

(This part shows the relationship between Pozzo and Lucky as a symbol of human exploitation and oppression. Lucky is like a slave, with no freedom. He just obeys Pozzo’s orders. Lucky’s silence and fatigue represent human weakness. Pozzo wants to show power, but his control is weak. Lucky has no chance of freedom. This shows the pain of human lack of freedom and dignity. This part clearly depicts the imbalance of power and the suffering of slavery.)

3. The Arrival of the Boy with News about Godot: Estragon and Vladimir are still standing under the tree. They continue waiting for Godot. Time passes slowly. Suddenly, they see a young boy approaching shyly. The boy comes forward and says that Godot sent him. Upon hearing this, Estragon immediately becomes annoyed. He asks why the boy came so late. The boy remains silent. Estragon scolds him and shows fear.

Then the boy says, Godot will not come today, but he will definitely come tomorrow. Vladimir listens carefully. Estragon feels a little disappointed. Vladimir tells the boy to go back and tell Godot that they are waiting here. Estragon says the same. The boy nods in agreement. Then the boy slowly walks away.

After the boy leaves, Estragon and Vladimir talk to each other. They share old stories. Sometimes they laugh, sometimes they stay silent. At the end, they say, “Let’s go from here.” But after a while, they are still standing. Neither of them moves. They stay there waiting for Godot.

(This part, the boy’s arrival, makes Godot’s coming uncertain. He says Godot will not come today, but is expected tomorrow. Estragon feels disappointed, and Vladimir asks the boy to tell Godot about them. They want to leave, but in the end, they remain a symbol of life’s unfinished hope and bonds.)

Day 2 and Act 2

4. Waiting for Godot Again on the Second Day: The next day, at the same time, Act 2 of the play begins. The same tree from the previous day has changed a little. Four or five leaves have grown on its branches. The tree seems a bit more alive. First, Vladimir enters the stage. He walks slowly and starts humming a song. His face shows happiness, as if his heart feels light. Estragon has not arrived yet. When he comes, he sees Vladimir sitting alone, singing. Estragon feels a little hurt because they seem to like being alone better, even though they always try to say they enjoy being together. This conflict stays hidden between them.

They start waiting for Godot again. But time passes slowly. Suddenly, Vladimir says he hears the voices of dead people in nature. The sounds make him uneasy. He asks Estragon for help. They decide to break this strange silence and discomfort by asking each other questions. They want to keep talking so that time passes. Estragon’s memory is very weak. He forgets much of his past. He does not even remember what happened the day before. He cannot recognize his own boot. He forgets the incident when he played with the noose around his neck. He also forgets meeting Lucky and Pozzo.

He puts on his boot and sees that it fits properly now. He feels happy with this small joy. Seeing a few leaves on the tree, he thinks maybe spring has come. Vladimir notices that Lucky kicked Estragon’s foot the day before. The place is still bleeding. This wound seems to keep the memory of the previous day alive. They continue talking. Suddenly, Vladimir finds Lucky’s hat. He puts the hat on his head. They play around with the hats for a while, changing hats and joking. Vladimir throws his hat toward Estragon and asks how he feels now. Estragon answers jokingly. They laugh and have fun like this.

At some point, they decide Pozzo and Lucky will act like them. Both try to imitate their gestures and way of speaking. This passes the time. Estragon walks a little farther away. He comes back, breathing heavily. He says they are coming back. Vladimir thinks, maybe Godot has arrived. Suddenly, fear comes between them. They want to hide behind the tree. But the tree is small, so they cannot hide. Their discomfort and embarrassment grow. Soon, they start insulting each other. They argue. But their quarrel does not last long. Finally, they hug and make up. They fixed their relationship again. Their waiting starts once more. Time seems to slowly pile up under the tree.

(In this part, although Estragon and Vladimir are together, they feel a little sad and uncomfortable. They try to hide in fear. Then they come together again. Here, their loneliness, fear, and friendship are shown.)

5. The Second Arrival of Pozzo and Lucky on the Second Day: While waiting for Godot, suddenly two familiar figures appear from a distance. They are Pozzo and Lucky. Just like the previous day, they came again. But this time, some big changes have happened. Pozzo is now blind. He cannot see anything. Lucky has also changed. He is now mute and cannot speak. Lucky was walking ahead. When he sees Estragon and Vladimir, they suddenly stop. They do not say why they stopped. Pozzo, being blind, cannot understand anything. Because Lucky stopped abruptly, they bumped into each other and both fell to the ground.

Estragon and Vladimir watch everything from a distance. They wonder whether they should help or not. After some hesitation, Vladimir asks Estragon, “Are we the only ones who spend time waiting like this here?” Estragon answers, “No, billions of people are waiting.” His answer hints at the loneliness of all people in the world. Pozzo then lies on the ground, asking for help. In return, he promises to give them 100 francs. Estragon immediately says, That is not enough.

Vladimir says, if they help Pozzo get up, then Pozzo and Lucky will leave. Then they will be alone again. This loneliness seems to be their greatest enemy. Finally, the two go to lift Pozzo up. But while trying, they themselves fall to the ground. At one point, Pozzo asks for help again. But Vladimir gets angry and kicks him. Pozzo lies there in pain. After a while, Estragon and Vladimir slowly stand up. This time, they pull Pozzo up. Pozzo asks for the time as soon as he stands.

Strangely, Pozzo also cannot remember anything. Just as Estragon forgot the events of the previous day, Pozzo cannot remember parts of his past. Estragon then turns toward Lucky and starts mocking him. The sleeping Lucky wakes up after a while and suddenly kicks Estragon. Estragon feels pain. He takes off his shoe and sits on the ground. Meanwhile, Vladimir tells Pozzo to make Lucky dance a little. But Pozzo says, Lucky is now mute. He cannot speak or express anything.

Curious, Vladimir asks, since when has Lucky become mute? This question angers Pozzo very much. He shouts, Don’t ask him about time. He has no idea about time. Then Pozzo himself lifts Lucky up. Both slowly leave the stage. Estragon and Vladimir become lonely again. They stand under the tree once more.

(In this part, Pozzo and Lucky come again, but now Pozzo is blind and Lucky is mute. They bump into each other and fall to the ground. Estragon and Vladimir think about helping them, but also fall down. Pozzo forgets time, and Lucky cannot speak. Estragon mocks Lucky, who wakes up and kicks Estragon. Finally, Pozzo leaves with Lucky. Estragon and Vladimir are alone again. Here, human weakness, loneliness, and the unclear nature of time are expressed.)

6. The Arrival of the Boy with News About Godot on the Second Day: The second day’s waiting is almost at its end. Estragon and Vladimir sit wearily beside the tree. Just then, the same little boy from the previous day arrives again. The boy looks at them timidly. Just like the previous day, he has brought a message from Godot. But he does not recognize them either. He has even forgotten that he came yesterday with Godot’s message. Vladimir asks him if Godot has any message. The boy replies that Godot will not be able to come today. But surely he will come tomorrow. They have heard this same thing before.

Vladimir calmly tells the boy that Godot should not forget about them anymore. He should remember that they are waiting here for him. The boy nods in agreement. Then the boy slowly leaves. After he leaves, silence falls again. Estragon and Vladimir sit quietly for a while. They think now is the time to leave. But suddenly they realize that if Godot suddenly comes, they will miss him. So they do not leave. They begin talking about the noose again. They think that if Godot does not come tomorrow either, then they will commit suicide. 

Estragon tries to make a noose by loosening his belt. Both hold the belt and pull it. They see how strong the belt is. But during the pulling, the belt breaks. The breaking belt causes Estragon’s pants to fall down. He hurriedly puts his pants back on. Vladimir then says, if Godot does not come tomorrow, they will really take the noose. But if he comes, then maybe everything will change. They decide again to leave. But both stand still. Neither moves. In the final scene of the play, they look again at the tree. They are waiting. Whether Godot will come or not remains unknown. This is where the play ends.

(In this part, Estragon and Vladimir wait again for Godot. The boy brings news from Godot, but says Godot will not come today, but will come tomorrow. They again think about leaving, but continue waiting for Godot. They try to make a noose but cannot finish it. Until the end of the play, they stand together, waiting for Godot’s arrival. This part symbolizes human hope, despair, and uncertainty.)