It is the opening lines through the voice of Estragon and Vladimir that we are give the concept behind Waiting for Godot, "Nothing to be done." , "I'm beginning to come around to that opinion." It was in Beckett's play Waiting for Godot that landed him the title of a literary genius. His play, while highly unanticipated to be anything more than a mild farce, became an overnight success. En Attendant Godot was written between October 1948 and January 1949. It is a simple story: two men wait on two separate occasions by a skeleton tree for someone called Godot who, they hope, will come to save them. Two other men call and stay for a while, but the one whom they are waiting for does not arrive. It is a static drama, which encompasses symbolism and numerous allusions.
Beckett's play is symbolic in more ways than one can ever wish to consider.
The symbolism is very elusive, and through out the performance one will to
often rummage through in search of a meaning. Yet it is in the idea of a thematic
scheme of existentialism, and modernism that Beckett wishes to present his
view. His inspiration for the play as documented by James Knowlson was the
painting by Caspar David Friedrich. (342) To consider a single source as his
inspiration would be like suggesting that experience in life played no part.
Beckett believed as James Knowlson cited that, "all theater is waiting."
(343) Thus, creating a central situation in which boredom and avoidance of
boredom are key elements in preserving dramatic tension. In Waiting for Godot,
this tension is built by providing a story of silence that is some how filled
with form yet no content. Through out the play the players perform, talk,
swap hats, eat carrots and chicken bones, and play games all to elude their
idle brains from thinking and "to hold the terrible silence at bay."
(51) It is as if Beckett freezes inaction to become dramatic action. Most
plays can be given a plot summary yet the action that occurs in Waiting for
Godot cannot be. It is as Ronald Hayman pointed out, "Nothing happens,
twice." (8) Yet ironically to describe waiting as nothing is in it self
contradictory in the sense that by doing nothing you are still doing something.
A very conceptual way at looking at the play is the idea of the two main characters
as being forced to entertain us by any means necessary. The two have nothing
to do with their time and so need ways in which to pass it so as to keep the
audiences attention. "What shall we do now?" is in fact what they
are always saying to each other. They play at being Pozzo and Lucky, they
play at being polite to each other, they play at abusing each other, they
play at staggering about on one leg as to look like a tree, they even go to
play at making things up. The audience is even acknowledged as being part
of the performance in the light of the two characters looking harshly into
the audience upon which asking of each other, "What shall we do now?"
A second of the many views encompassed into the play is the thought of Godot
as being God, or a god like form. While Beckett never acknowledged Godot as
being symbolic for god, the play itself underlines the truths about the hopeless
destiny of the human race and comments on those who are loitering by the withered
tree, waiting for salvation, which never comes. To reflect upon the babble
of Estragon and Vladimir:
Vladimir: Well? What do we do?
Estragon: Don't let's do anything. It's safer.
Vladimir: Let's wait and see what he says.
Estragon: Who?
Vladimir: Godot.
Estragon: Good idea.
Vladimir: Let's wait until we know exactly how we stand.
Estragon: On the other hand it might be better to strike the iron before it
freezes.
Vladimir: I'm curious to hear what he has to offer. Then we'll take it or
leave it.
Estragon: What exactly did we ask him for?
Vladimir: Were you not there?
Estragon: I can't have been listening.
Vladimir: Oh.... nothing very definite.
Estragon: A kind of prayer.
Vladimir: Precisely.
Estragon: A vague supplication.
Vladimir: Exactly.
Estragon: And what did he reply?
Vladimir: That he'd see.
Estragon: That he couldn't promise anything.
Vladimir: That he'd have to think it over.
Estragon: In the quiet of his home.
Vladimir: Consult his family.
Estragon: His friends.
Vladimir: His agents.
Estragon: His correspondents.
Vladimir: His books.
Estragon: His bank account.
Vladimir: Before taking a decision.
Estragon: It's the normal thing.
Vladimir: Is it not?
Estragon: I think it is.
Vladimir: I think so too. (12-13)
Vladimir and Estragon here both share the same concept of "a composite image of god"(73), according to Phyllis Carey as well as to having "prayer being a formidable means of transaction."(73) Godot puts off answering to consult what becomes the bottom line, his books. Yet before we as reader blame Godot for being so calculating, Beckett does remind us that it is only is version. Through out the play they are incline to do nothing as to it being "safer." And their fear in God, Godot, is greatly seen in their reaction to Pozzo who is carrying a whip with Lucky being tied by a rope to Pozzo. To intertwine the relation ship, Vladimir and Samuel both know they are tied to Godot. In the two players mind Pozzo could be Godot, god, yet it is Pozzo who reminds them that he is, "Made in God's image!"(15) Yet we find Vladimir commenting on Pozzo's cruelty to Lucky as being not particularly human, as to suggest, "cruelty is that common denominator that entitles man to claim a resemblance to God."(73)
In the second scene Estragon asks Vladimir: "Do you think God sees me?"(49)
Vladimir's response is a rhetorical passage complete with poetic imagery and
allusion. In it's entirety an image of a grave digger slash obstetrician, alludes
to a soliloquy of death and birth, two punishments of which god imposes upon
us a difficult birth and death. Death it is hinted is superimposed upon each
of s from the very moment of our births. Vladimir listens as if to hear the
cries that must constantly be in the wind yet hears none. He concludes that
it is not that the cries are not there but simply that he has been tuning them
out, "habit is a great deadener."(51)
To categorize Waiting for Godot, as being an allegorical play would be wrong
in the sense that as Harold Gloom put it, "it is altogether symbolic without
being traditionally allegoric."(103) Like wise it does not, "contain
the intermediary that is characteristic of allegory: the reduction to abstract
elements."(104) It also eludes the representation of being labeled a work
of expressionism, with its lack of abstract qualities. Waiting for Godot is
in fact a static drama, in which Beckett asks the spectator to recognize an
image of his own condition in order to better reflect upon ones self.
"If only the whole thing would be over… how sad that it had to stop."(593)
As Anthony Cronin pointed out; these were the last lines of the last story produced
by the author, critic, and playwright, Samuel Beckett. Among Beckett's most
prized accomplishments was his innovative thinking as a writer that lead him
to discover the static drama upon which he created literary works through the
use of thematic schemes of existentialism, and modernism dedicating his work
towards giving commentary on the absurdity of life.