Waiting for Godot
is one of the most prominent plays in the genre of Theatre of the Absurd. It
was written by Samuel Beckett in 1952. The play is often referred to as a
tragic comedy in two acts. It is about two tramps Vladimir and Estragon who are
waiting for a character named Godot with whom they think they might have an
appointment. Waiting for Godot portrays the absurdity of human life in a
comic form. Uncertainty is one of the most prominent themes in this play. It
can be seen in the play’s setting, plot, characters, time and action.
Waiting for Godot
is set in an unknown location. The setting is described merely as a country
road with a bare tree in the background. The uncertainty of location is also
not resolved by the characters who are as much at a loss about their location
as the audience. They are not sure where they are and whether it is the place
where they are supposed to be.
“Estragon :- You’re sure, it was here?
Vladimir :- What?
Est:- That we were to wait?
Vl :- He said by the tree. Do you see any others?”
This problem remains
unsolved throughout the play, maintaining the theme of uncertainty.
The plot of the play is
non consequential. The events that take place and the actions performed by the
characters do not lead to any proper consequence. Vladimir and Estragon engage
themselves in various activities such as tugging at boots, eating carrots or
even contemplating to hang themselves without any definite purpose. They
perform these activities merely to relieve boredom and pass the time while they
wait for Godot. Their words often do not correspond to their actions. Several
times during the play, they say – “Let us go” but nobody moves. The uncertainty
about what they are supposed to do is clearly stated by Estragon at the very
beginning of the play- “Nothing to be done.” Such a statement at the beginning
of a play no doubt intrigues the audience or the reader who becomes aware that
several unknown incidents may take place in the course of the play. But Waiting
for Godot is unique because of the fact that the characters actually do
nothing throughout the play. Thus, it is not only the audience or the reader
but also the characters themselves who remain unsure about the actions that may
have taken place or should have taken place, thus maintaining the theme of
uncertainty in the play through its plot and actions.
The characters of the
play and their conversations also contribute to the theme of uncertainty in the
play. The two tramps Vladimir and Estragon remain unsure about their actions,
why and for whom they are waiting. Vladimir mentions several times that they
are waiting for Godot. But neither of them has ever seen him. They are
unaware of who he is or what he looks like. The character of Godot itself is
undetermined as he does not appear in the play and it remains uncertain if he
will ever come or if he exists at all.
Two other characters, Pozzo and Lucky, also appear in the play. However the purpose
of their appearance and their contribution to the plot remains unclear.
Vladimir and estragon merely continue to wait after Pozzo and Lucky leave.
Towards the end of both acts another character appears – a boy who carries a
message from Godot. Although the same boy appears in both the scenes, he
insists that he never saw Vladimir or Estragon before. This further heightens
the uncertain nature of his identity.
The dialogues in this
play are extremely incoherent, bordering on meaningless. The conversations
between the characters do not follow any logical sequence. They begin with one
topic and drift off to another without realizing. There is the use of a lot of
repetitions giving the impression that they come back to the same point where
they began, only to drift off towards another topic. This reflects the
uncertainty in their state of being. They are unsure if they are doing the
right thing or not, whether they should continue to wait or leave. But at the
same time they are unable to leave as they are constantly reminded of the fact
that they have to wait for Godot.
Finally, the theme of
uncertainty is seen in the representation of time in the play. Vladimir and
estragon do not know when and how long they are supposed to wait.
Vladimir:-
He said Saturday. I think.
Estragon:-
You think.
Vladimir
:- I must have made a note of it.
Estragon:-
But what Saturday? And is it Saturday? It is not rather Sunday? Or Monday? Or
Friday?
The continuity of time
is also uncertain in the play. In the second act, Vladimir insists that it is
the next day. But the tree has four or five leaves indicating a change of
season. Therefore, how much time has actually passed between the two acts
remains unclear.
Thus it is seen that
the theme of uncertainty runs throughout the play and is manifested through the
setting and plot, the characters and their actions, the language of the play
and the time. The uncertain nature of the play has successfully captured the
absurdity of human life that Beckett has endeavoured to portray in Waiting
for Godot.
