WAITING FOR GODOT

AUTHOR: Samuel Beckett

TITLE: Waiting for Godot

EDITORIAL: University Photocopies (printed by Faber and Faber Limited, in Great Britain, 1956)

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

In this play appear five characters:

-Estragon: He is an old man. He and Vladimir go together for 50 years. Estragon is a curious character. He can not stay alone, without Vladimir, because he seems a bit crazy. But he says that he is happier when he is alone. Vladimir says that it is not true, because if he is alone, he is lost. Estragon is a person who has a strong character. He dreams a lot, and his life seems to be a dream. Vladimir calls him Gogo. He loves sleep, the food and he wants money.

-Vladimir: he is an old man, too. He is friend of Estragon. He is more sensible than Estragon, and he seems to be in earth. He has a good character. Vladimir looks after Estragon. He is the boss of both; he is who decides what to do. He loves money, too, and he wants to have good food. Estragon calls him Didi.

-Pozzo: He is an old man, too. He is about 60 years old. He is bald. He has a type of slave ( Lucky). Pozzo has money, and he has people that work for him. He loves the life, the good food and to smoke. He ill-treats his slave, Lucky, and he thinks that it is a good thing, because he thinks that Lucky wants to stay with him in this way. Pozzo loves very much to talk with people. He knows a lot of histories.

-Lucky: He is an old man, too, about 60 years old. He is the slave of Pozzo. He is a poor man, who has to do all the things that Pozzo says. He is angry, and he does not love other people. He seems crazy, too.

-A Boy: He is a young boy, who works for Godot, he looks after his goats. He only appears at the end of the play, twice, and he talks with Estragon and Vladimir.

We can talk something about Godot. He is other character in the play, but he does not appear. He seems a very important man, who has slaves (or people who works for him, like The Boy and his brother); and he seems to have money. Estragon and Vladimir are waiting for him all the play, and he does not appear.

PLOT AND SUMMARY

In the play, we see Estragon and Vladimir that are waiting for Godot. They are in the field, because it is the place where they have to wait for Godot. But they do not meet him, they never had seen him. They only know that Godot can give them money, food and a place for sleep. Vladimir has more patience, but Estragon wants to go. While they are waiting, they do not know what to do. They think to hang themselves, and they only have turnips for eat. Suddenly, appear Pozzo with Lucky. Vladimir thinks that they have met them before. They start to talk, and Vladimir feel sadness about Lucky, in the way that Pozzo treats him. Estragon tolerates him for money, but Pozzo only gives him food. Pozzo shows that Lucky does all the things he says to him. Then Estragon and Vladimir stay alone again to wait for Godot. After that, a Boy arrives to say them that Godot can not come this day, that he will come the following day. And the day passes. The following day arrives, and Estragon does not remember what happened the day before. Then appear Pozzo and Lucky. Pozzo and Lucky do not remember them, and Vladimir ensures that they have been there before. But Pozzo was blind and Lucky was dumb. Vladimir does not understand what is happened. When Pozzo and his slave go, the Boy arrives. He also does not remember the day after. At the end, Vladimir and Estragon are waiting for Godot yet, because the Boy said that Godot does not come this day, but the following day.

SPACE AND TIME

The play takes place in a field, in front of a tree, because they are waiting for Godot there. The history passes in two days, but the first day is when the most important part of the play happens.

LITERARY RESOURCES

We can stand out the simple and colloquial language that is used in this play, very appropriate in each scene. There are a lot of short sentences, and insults like pig, moron vermin and cretin. The two principal characters talk one with other in the play using these sentences, and sometimes without coherence, because sometimes one does not listen to the other. Also we can talk about famous names, that are in the play.

Moreover, I am talking about title, because I think it is an important part in plays. In this play, it is very simple, because it is the action which is made by characters, and it is the soul of the play.

PERSONAL OPINION

I think that this play is very complicated to understand, because I do not know what it means. I think that the characters are not easy, and the finality of the play is difficult to know and explain. In my opinion, these characters are waiting for nothing, it is like a dream. Godot is nothing, and these characters, like us, are waiting for nothing, because the life is it, waiting to the end. I think that Godot represent this end, the end of the life, the end that the people do not wait because they do not want to die; but poor people, like Vladimir and Estragon, who have nothing, love this end, because if they die, they are happier, and they rest in pace and they have not trouble and no preoccupations. Estragon is different. He is not worried about it, he is happier than Vladimir. Pozzo and Lucky represent other people. Pozzo is the people who beg, who have money, which have respect, but this people also die. And Lucky represents other people that are slaves, who receive orders, but also die. The author says at the end that Lucky is dumb. I think that it means that this kind of people is dumb, because they can talk but they do not do it. They only listen to the orders, but they never order. And it is bad. They should not stay in silent. Also the author says at the end that Pozzo is blind. I think that it means that this type of people do not see the rest of people, they only think in themselves, so they are blind. They want to be the best, having the power…and it is bad, too. But they will die. I think that it could be the opinion of the author about life, about the world.