ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

DRAMA
Waiting for Godot
By: Samuel Beckett

II
“FOURTH YEAR”
BY:
ASST. LECTURER: HAYDER GEBREEN
(FINAL EXAM)

2017\2018
Wednesday, May 02, 2018
HTTPS://T.ME/BRITISHENGLISHD
 CONTENTS

1. Waiting For Godot’: Title: ............................................................................... 1

2. The Source Of The Title: ................................................................................. 1
3. Meaning Of The Title, ‘Waiting For Godot’: .................................................... 2
4. Main Curious Part Of This Title Is Name Godot: ............................................. 2
5. Samuel Beckett’ View: ..................................................................................... 2
6. Godot Meaning In Other Languages: ............................................................... 3
7. Meaning Of Title: ............................................................................................ 3
8. Godot: ............................................................................................................ 3
9. The Play Brief General Idea: ............................................................................ 4
10. What Actually Happens In Godot?: .............................................................. 4
11. Plot Sequence:.............................................................................................. 5
12. Act I: ........................................................................................................ 5
13. Act II: ....................................................................................................... 5
14. Plot: ............................................................................................................. 6
15. The Same Statement “There Is No Action”: .................................................. 6
16. Characters: ................................................................................................... 7
• Characters Names: Five Characters ............................................................. 7
17. Speech And Dialogue: .................................................................................. 9
18. Clothing ....................................................................................................... 9
19. Themes ........................................................................................................ 9
20. Setting: ...................................................................................................... 10
21. Symbols: .................................................................................................... 10
22. Structure: ................................................................................................... 10
23. Conclusion: ................................................................................................ 11
“Views About Waiting For Godot” ......................................................................... 12
Christian Imagery ................................................................................................ 12
 1

1. Waiting for Godot’: Title:

This play contains only five characters and only two of them are most
important or protagonists, named Vladimir and Estragon. Three another
characters are Pozzo, Lucky, A boy and last but not the list is Godot, for
whom they are waiting in entire play.

The protagonists of this play are waiting for Godot and so this play is
named as ‘Waiting for Godot’. So we can understand easily that Godot is
something which is something, who comes and who is that much important
that two people are constantly talking about it and waiting for it. So it has
its existence into the title of this play so here we can see rule of Aristotle
about tragedy that, tragedy’s name can be based on some important
character’s name. This play’s title itself indicates waiting for something,
quest for something, and wishes for something.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

2. The Source of The Title:

1. “Marcadet” and it was written by Balzec
2. Eric Bentley, who traces the title of another play, ‘named “Godean is
restlessly awaited”.
3. Simone Will’s play ‘Waiting for God’
4. Odets’s ‘waiting for lefty’
5. There is still another possibility Beckett’s title may have its source in
Tom Kromer’s book called ‘Waiting for Nothing?’
 2

3. Meaning of the Title, ‘Waiting for Godot’:

This title, ‘Waiting for Godot’ simple means that this play is about
waiting. It just shows that waiting is happening or some story about waiting
must be there in play. ‘To wait means to delay movement or action until the
arrival or occurrence.’ It means this title shows lack of action on the stage. It
merely just about waiting for something named Godot nothing else.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

4. Main Curious Part Of This Title Is Name Godot:

It has no meaning at all as one point of view. But as another point of
view it has so many interpretations and meanings, too.

So it is depend on viewer’s thoughts and director’s thoughts that how

they look at Godot and what are they looking for as Godot.

Godot is the basic thing in this title

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

5. Samuel Beckett’ view:

When Samuel Beckett was asked about Godot’s meaning he replayed very
calmly:
“If I know I would say so in the play.”
 3

6. Godot meaning in other languages:

1. In French language Godo means ‘Eau (water)’, means something
which is life of our lives.
2. In English language Godo means ‘God’ again powerful factor, which
is deeply rooted in our life.
3. In Iris language this word, Godo is usually uses for ‘God’.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

7. Meaning Of Title:
So these are some basic and meaningful meaning of this play’s title. These
are some dotes and as we know that to see literature means to connecting
dotes and see what emerges as a picture. But here we also can conclude that
nothing clear picture of literature is emerges from this play. Something is
visible but it is not clear, it is very vague idea about human life and society.
It shows nothingness. This play creates nothingness in human mind.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

8. Godot:
There is still no definitive answer as to whom or what Godot represents,
and the writer has denied that Godot represents a specific thing, despite a
certain ambiguity in the name. Upon study, however, one realizes that this
ambiguity in meaning is the exact meaning of Godot. Though he seems to
create greater symbolism and significance in the name Godot, Beckett
actually rejects the notion of truth in language through the insignificance
of the title character's name. By creating a false impression of religious
symbolism in the name Godot Beckett leads the interpreter to a dead end.

“GODOT’S MEANING GODOT IS NOT GOD”

 4

9. THE PLAY BRIEF GENERAL IDEA:

1. This play is merely presenting boredom, waiting, ignorance, pain,

suffering and that type of things only.
2. This play shows that humans are suffering from this type of things
only.
3. Human life is full of alienation, loneliness, in quest of something,
mainly in quest of his/ her identity only.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

10. What actually happens in Godot?:

• Near a roadside tree, two tramps meet as they meet daily: to wait for Godot.
• Estragon (Gogo) fusses with his boots. Vladimir (Didi) fusses with his hat.
They discuss separation, but make up. Suicide, vegetables, religion, urinary
troubles and Godot. Passing by are Pozzo (with a whip) and his slave Lucky
(on a leash.) Pozzo, who owns everything around, talks of many things.
• Lucky cries, dances and thinks on command. Master and slave leave. A
goat-boy brings a message: Godot will come tomorrow.
• Didi questions him about his brother, a shepherd. Night falls. Agreeing to
leave, the tramps stand still.
• Next day, the tramps resume waiting with games and talk. Pozzo (now
blind) and Lucky (now • mute) return and collapse.
• Pozzo and Lucky leave. Didi soliloquizes.
• The goat-boy comes and says Godot “will come tomorrow”. Night falls.
Agreeing to leave, they stand still.
“THE END “
 5

11. PLOT SEQUENCE:

1. Act I. The passive ones pass the time waiting
2. The active ones pass through
3. The passive ones get a message
4. The passive ones decide to go on waiting.
5. Act II – exactly the same four events
6. Act I describes circular events. Act II describes circular events.

THIS PLAY COULD GO ON FOREVER!!.......

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

12. ACT I:
(1) Vladimir and Estragon Alone .
(2) Arrival of Pozzo and Lucky: Lucky’s Speech.
(3) Departure of Pozzo and Lucky: Vladimir and Estragon Alone .
(4) Arrival of Boy Messenger.
(5) Departure of Boy Messenger: Vladimir and Estragon Alone.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

13. ACT II:

(1) Vladimir and Estragon Alone.
(2) Arrival of Pozzo and Lucky.
(3) Departure of Pozzo and Lucky: Vladimir and Estragon Alone.
(4) Arrival of Boy Messenger.
(5) Departure of Boy Messenger: Vladimir and Estragon Alone.
 6

14. PLOT:
Waiting for Godot contains clowning of the highest degree, which
attracts audiences, and likely the play’s enigma contributes to its appeal. Its
symbolism is obscure or non- existent; its “message” is individual to each
audience member, and the “nothing happens” becomes our daily existence.

What Didi and Gogo are doing? They tell us a dozen times: They are
waiting for Godot, and we are to leave it at that.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

15. The Same Statement “THERE IS NO ACTION”:

• Waiting: They do not move.

• No Change Same….Same….

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
 7

16. CHARACTERS:
We can think of the two characters of the play named, Vladimir and
Estragon. They are mentioned as just two characters on the stage. They
have no past, they have no future, what they are doing in present is not
clear. They are just waiting for Godot to come that is true but why?? It is
not clear, too. They even don’t know that who is Godot and where is he
come from. They just know that he will come and they have to wait for him
at any cost. They have no son, no daughter, no wife, no parents, no friends,
no followers, nothing.

• Characters Names: Five Characters

• Estragon &Vladimir
• Pozzo & Lucky
• Boy- Messenger
1. Estragon (GoGo) – the earthy one. Practical and physical. Rather cultured,
good vocabulary. Overly dependent on Didi for security, leadership and
rational direction. Name in French means tarragon, a pungent herb used to
make pickles and vinegar.
2. Vladimir (Didi)– Rational side of humanity. Verbal. Eager to present a
good social image. Believe in the world of the mind and accepts a higher
reality outside himself. Acts as though loyalty to Godot will bring guidance,
security, redemption, salvation. Believes these things can be granted from
outside one’s self. He will go on waiting for Godot to come…in French,
name has connotations with word dis-dis, speak-speak.
 8

3. Didi and Gogo: are pair which complements each other, i.e. Batman and
Robin. A pair who need each other, yet stifle each other’s growth. They are
miserable much of the time together, yet neither seems big enough to part
from the other. They are possibly parts of a divided self (Crime and
Punishment). Gogo as the unconscious mind, Didi as the conscious mind.
They cannot separate once and for all.

4. Pozzo – personification of Raw Power. Owns all, has a slave, a whip to

symbolize power. Since the slave seems cultured and educated, why is the
slave on Pozzo’s leash? Pozzo believes: “You don’t need an education and a
brain, all you need is the cunning to get people with brains on a leash.”
(Romans with the Greeks) Materialistic. In Italian, Pozzo means “well”, as in
gushing oil well.

5. Lucky – symbol of man-as-a-machine. Name is ironic, of course, and yet he

is well fed, cared for, etc. – a secure man/pet.

6. Pozzo and Lucky: are a pair which complement each other. Pozzo
symbolizes the sadist; Lucky the masochist. Perhaps all slaves must become
masochistic or else die in rebellion. Parts of a divided self.
Materialistic man rejecting and suppressing his spiritual and cultural side.
Pozzo needs Lucky, and even so, he is dying and withering.

7. The Messenger: Boy: in Greek drama, symbolizes resolution. Irony here –

he symbolizes continuation… He is a goat-boy – Judeo-Christian concepts
of sheep and goats. Only contact between the tramps and Godot…a priest
figure…yet he works with the goats, not the sheep!
 9

17. Speech and Dialogue:

• Waiting for Godot was originally written in French and then

translated by Samuel Beckett himself into English. Beckett was Irish,
so we hear a good deal of colloquial Dublinisms like "your man" and
"I’d like well to hear him think."
• This adds to our vision of Vladimir and Estragon as everyday men.
They're just some random guys on the side of the road—not
philosophers or great thinkers.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

18. Clothing
Costuming is not explicitly stated in the script, other than the use of
bowler hats and boots. However, in stage productions, Vladimir and
Estragon are usually dressed like vagrants.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

19. Themes

1. - Humour and the Absurd

2. - Waiting, Boredom, and Nihilism
3. - Modernism and Postmodernism
4. - Time
5. - Humanity, Companionship, Suffering, and Dignity
 10

20. Setting:

1. Road archetype of journey, travel

2. Cycle of time
3. There is a respect for the three unities
4. Unity of time
5. Unity of place
6. Unity of action
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

21. Symbols:

1. Tree – archetype of life/ Tree of Knowledge

2. Tree represents the Cross
3. Leash symbolizes bondage.
4. Boots = earth, body, roots.
5. Hat = mind, rational side of life
6. Carrot: meaninglessness of life
7. Rope represents time or power
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

22. Structure:
The play has a symmetrical structure. There are two Acts, two messenger
boys, and two sets of characters that are Vladimir and Estragon, and Pozzo
and Lucky. It appears to have been structured on sets of binaries. It is
considered that the structural pattern of the play is both parallel and
circular. The two acts, each made up of four identical sections.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
 11

23. Conclusion:

1. Throughout the work one can find religious, philosophical, classical,

psychoanalytical and biographical – especially wartime – references,
there are ritualistic aspects and elements literally lifted from
vaudeville and there is a danger in making more of these than what
they are: that is, merely structural conveniences, avatars into which
the writer places his fictional characters. The play “exploits several
archetypal forms and situations, all of which lend themselves to both
comedy and pathos.”

2. Waiting for Godot also illustrates an attitude toward man's

experience on earth: the poignancy, oppression, camaraderie, hope,
corruption, and bewilderment of human experience that can only be
reconciled in mind and art of the absurdist. If Godot is God, then
Didi and Gogo's (mankind's) faith in God is not only subject to
doubt, but may also have almost entirely disappeared. Yet the
illusion of faith—that deeply embedded hope that Godot might
come—still flickers in the minds of Vladimir and Estragon. It is
almost as if the faith of these two men has been tested to such
extremes that they can perfectly well see the logic of renouncing it—
but they cannot completely.
 12

“Views about Waiting for Godot”

1. Political View • Political: “It was seen as an allegory of the cold war,” or of
French resistance to the Germans. Graham Hassel writes, “[T]he intrusion
of Pozzo and Lucky … seems like nothing more than a metaphor for
Ireland's view of mainland Britain, where society has ever been blighted by a
greedy ruling élite keeping the working classes passive and ignorant by
whatever means.” The pair are often played with Irish accents, an inevitable
consequence, some feel, of Beckett's rhythms and phraseology, but this is not
stipulated in the text.
2. Existentialist View • Existentialist: Broadly speaking existentialists hold
there are certain questions that everyone must deal with (if they are to take
human life seriously), questions such as death, the meaning of human
existence and the place of God in human existence. By and large they believe
that life is very difficult and that it doesn't have an "objective" or universally
known value, but that the individual must create value by affirming it and
living it, not by talking about it. The play touches upon all of these issues.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

CHRISTIAN IMAGERY
1. Tree of knowledge and the Cross
2. Life of tramps as the fallen states of man
3. Their strange relationship as a kind of marriage
4. Concept of original sin/ sin of being born
5. Estragon’s references to Christ
6. Godot’s name