“WAITING FOR GODOT”

Author: Samuel Beckett

Title: Waiting For Godot

Subtitle : A play in two acts

Date of publication: 1955

Editorial: faber and faber

Place of publication: Arts Theatre, London

Dramatis personae:

Estragon: Beckett does not tell us the physical characteristics of this character, but we can say that it is a man of approximately 60 years. And it is necessary to emphasize that he is a person with a scant memory.

Vladimir: friend of Estragon, of this personage we do not have physical characteristics, but we can deduce that he is approximately 60 years too.

Lucky: the author doesn’t describe him physically. He is a slave of Pozzo, he is a person without personality is just dedicated to obey the orders of his owner.

Pozzo: the "owner" of Lucky. Pozzo is a bossy person with Lucky.

a boy: is a man who works for Godot. He says Vladimir and Estragon that Godot isn’t going to come this day.

Plot:

Two men of approximately 60 years of age, Estragon and Vladimir, are in an open land, under a tree, waiting for Godot. None of them know who Godot is and they don’t know if he exists or not. Nevertheless they wait for him. While they are waiting, they have absurd conversations and they even discuss. One day, they meet Pozzo and Lucky, the first one is like the owner of Lucky, who does everything that Pozzo tells him. Lucky never speaks, and when he speaks, he says things without sense. They meet a boy too. This boy says that he knows Godot . And he warns them that Godot will come on the following day, although it isn’t true. Vladimir and Estragon go on waiting for Godot, but he never appears.

Space, time…:

The history develops in two acts, the two days that Vladimir and Estragon wait for Godot. The space is an open land in which there is a tree and a way. The characters are always in this place. About the time, I will say that the play is in the present, and the history passes during two days. The predominant linguistic register is colloquial and vulgar.

In this play predominates a lot of absurd situations. And we can see the ignorance and the insecurity of the characters too.

Personal opinion:

In my opinion, this play is a little absurd due to the fact that, it is strange that two persons are waiting Godot, an unknown person. Besides they are waiting without an apparent motive.

I think that the purpose of this author is made people think, and to make people think about life and it’s sense. Maybe, we all are waiting for somebody who guides us in our lifes. Maybe we all are waiting for Godot too.