“Waiting For Godot” by Samuel Beckett, Book Review Example

Samuel Beckett’s most celebrated play in two acts “Waiting for Godot” was first published in 1952 in Paris. Originally written in French, it was soon translated into English by the author himself. The play tells about two tramps, Vladimir and Estragon, waiting for someone named Godot. The tragicomedy doesn’t have any specific plot; there is no particular story being told, as it is usually done in dramatists’ works, but rather there is some static situation being described. Play’s main action is waiting. Despite its seeming simplicity and minimalism, the dramatic piece turns out to be amazingly rich, originally fun and tragic. Play’s characters deal with unsolved philosophical puzzles, inviting us to search for interpretations among all kinds of social, political and religious schools. The two protagonists, emotionally naked and miserable, serve to represent man’s pitiful vulnerability and unexplainable cruelty. Interpersonal relationships in Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” are particularly significant, since the whole work is actually based on the interaction of the central characters and how they struggle to satisfy one another’s need for companionship and boredom. Vladimir and Estragon, who are united in their misery, escape loneliness in each other’s company and even if frequently tending to separate in fact reveal themselves to be a truly loving friendly couple, providing comfort to one another.

Beckett’s drama is full of unpredictability. The characters are unusual, motivated in bizarre and curious ways; their conversation is filled with mostly nonsensical blathering. The plot structure is perfectly random; there’s no certain opening, culmination, and conclusion. The play is full of never answered questions of which the most intriguing one is “Who is Godot?” The audience is not presented with some easily recognized solutions to accurately observed troubles. The spectator is surprised at not obtaining any directions to what is the play’s moralizing message. Beckett skillfully makes his listeners wait for something to happen in the play, subtly alluding to the emotions his central characters are experiencing. As they wait for someone named Godot (we never find out who he actually is), the two tramps wait for something to change in their lives, and meanwhile, they pass their time, talking about nothing in particular, discussing mostly insignificant matters, yet from time to time referring to the profound issues, uttering the words that bear deep philosophical meaning.

The two major characters though alike in many ways, are in fact quite dissimilar. Even their physical performances differ. Vladimir is impatient, always reluctant to keep still or stay where he is because of boredom or nervousness.  He generally walks or stands throughout the play. Estragon is mostly motionless, not willing, or not having the strength or power to move. He is described as sitting down frequently or even dozing off for several times. When spending time together, they constantly experience a certain conflict of interest on this basis. When one is willing to take a nap, the other one is more enthusiastic about doing something more active, at least talk: “Estragon: Let’s stop talking for a minute, do you mind?  Vladimir:  All right. (Estragon sits down on the mound. Vladimir paces agitatedly to and fro, halting from time to time to gaze into distance off. Estragon falls asleep. Vladimir halts finally before Estragon.) Gogo! . . . Gogo! . . . GOGO! Estragon wakes with a start. Estragon:  I was asleep! Why will you never let me sleep? Vladimir: I felt lonely.” (Beckett)

While Estragon is typically concerned about ordinary routine issues, Vladimir shows himself to be much less down-to-earth. Estragon mostly cares about what he can find to eat and how to reduce his physical sufferings. Vladimir, however, occupies himself by observing the sky and scenery all the time, and reflects on religious or philosophical substances. He does care about what other people think of him. When Pozzo asks them before leaving: “Is there anything I can do in my turn for these honest fellows who are having such a dull, dull time…   to cheer them up?” and Estragon immediately reacts with claiming for money, Vladimir responds indignantly “We are not beggars!” The author also highlights how he feels uncomfortable in the scene where Estragon asks for Pozzo’s permission to pick up the bare chicken bones he has thrown away. (Beckett) Vladimir is obviously embarrassed at being a poor vagrant, and tries to behave with a certain level of dignity and self-respect, in contrast to Estragon, who is perfectly indifferent to own self-image and the impression he makes on others.

Estragon is direct, spontaneous, he has a very poor short-term memory, while Vladimir, who seems to always be of sober mind and memory, never loses patience to prompt his confused companion. Estragon never remembers anything haven happened recently, but is however able to recollect facts when his memory is refreshed. For instance, when Vladimir asks: “Do you remember the Gospels?” Estragon reacts by remembering the maps of the Holy Land: “Colored they were. Very pretty. The Dead Sea was pale blue. The very look of it made me thirsty. That’s where we’ll go, I used to say, that’s where we’ll go for our honeymoon.” (Beckett) He remembers specific details, unable to see the broader picture, – Vladimir’s philosophical reflections are unintelligible and uninteresting to him. However, this specific aspect of their relationship doesn’t tear them apart, but on the contrary, serves as the cement strengthening their friendship and uniting them together. Estragon repetitively forgets, Vladimir repeatedly refreshes his memory, and by doing that continually they pass the time.

Both Estragon and Vladimir never reveal their background, their past is vague. They do not make their actual ages known, yet it is clear enough that they have been together for ages now:  “Estragon: How long have we been together all the time now? Vladimir: I don’t know. Fifty years maybe.” (Beckett) They have nothing to talk about. They have a strong common ground for their relationship, but this ground is based on poor fate and endless dullness and monotony. They seem to share this destroying infection of never-ending boredom. However, they evidently have experienced better times. In the play there are some occasional mentions of their visit to the Eiffel Tower and grape-harvesting by the Rhône. They do not reveal their history, however, it is clear they have common past which lies at the core of their specific interaction. Vladimir keeps a memory of most events; he preserves reminiscences that turn out to be their common, since Estragon has little memory except of what is said right away to him, and depends on Vladimir to memorize for him. “Who are these tramps? of what nationality? did they ever work? go to school? do they have families? why are they meeting here? (Where is here?) Etc. Possessing no history, connected to no naturalistic background, they seem to slip into the universal or archetypal.” (Berlin) Just as a theatrical set made up of country road and sole tree seem to only exist on the naked stage, Vladimir and Estragon also appear to be real as long as they move and talk within the bounds of a given scenery.

Despite having fairly dissimilar personal qualities, the two protagonists are coupled by strong mystical connection. Two friends are frequently talking of parting. It is doubtful however they will ever be able to actually separate: “Estragon: I sometimes wonder if we wouldn’t have been better off alone, each one for himself. We weren’t made for the same road.  Vladimir: (without anger). It’s not certain. Estragon: No, nothing is certain. Vladimir slowly crosses the stage and sits down beside Estragon. # Vladimir: We can still part, if you think it would be better. Estragon: It’s not worthwhile now. Vladimir: No, it’s not worthwhile now.” (Beckett). Do they in fact believe in what they say? No matter how well they get along, they never dare to practically leave. They somehow remind a loving yet quarrelsome married couple. Very different and never fully pleased with each other, they however cannot go on independently. They have been together for so long that now depend on each other almost physically. Just look at them when they are separated! Vladimir, when failing to discover Estragon at their meeting place, starts to be nervous and “begins to move feverishly about the stage. He halts before the tree, comes and goes, before the boots, comes and goes, halts extreme right, gazes into distance, extreme left, gazes into distance”. And when he finally observes his friend coming, he exclaims in relief: “You again! Come here till I embrace you.” (Beckett) They miss each other, truly need each other’s company, and fail to treat discussed separation seriously. Their connection is too strong to be broken by weak arguments they present.

The whole play, as well as Vladimir and Estragon relationship are saturated with irony. It actually plays a crucial role in the very composition of the dramatic piece. Beckett’s characters’ endeavors to alter intolerable conditions of their existence and to achieve happiness and comfort are mostly presented in an ironic form, statements, behavior and images. In fact, their reciprocal conduct and their relation to the outside world are perfectly satirical. There is so much sarcasm, displays of masochism and cruelty mingled with those of humaneness and mercifulness in the play, that the spectator has to do nothing but to treat the particular situations as bitterly ironic. The tragicomedy is based on contradictory inconsistency in characters’ situation of constant thrashing about between staying and leaving, living and dying.

This continuing inability to change the situation, to get out of this closed circuit embraces the play, while the desperate search for salvation sets up balance between conflicting motives in a delicately ironic way. In quite the same way Estragon and Vladimir balance each other, taking decisions to leave, and yet never wanting it truly, killing their time in each other’s company, occupied with nothing worthy, slowly heading for their death. There is so much irony in the way they waste they time trying to entertain themselves taking advantage of not being alone: “Estragon: That’s the idea, let’s abuse each other. They turn, move apart, turn again and face each other. Vladimir: Moron! Estragon: Vermin! Vladimir: Abortion! Estragon: Morpion! Vladimir: Sewer-rat! Estragon: Curate! Vladimir: Cretin! Estragon: (with finality). Crritic! Vladimir: Oh! He wilts, vanquished, and turns away. Estragon: Now let’s make it up. Vladimir: Gogo! Estragon: Didi! Vladimir: Your hand! Estragon: Take it! Vladimir: Come to my arms! Estragon: Yours arms?  Vladimir: My breast! Estragon: Off we go! They embrace.”(Beckett) Scenes like that are not purely comic, but are rather sarcastic. Even though we smile watching their ridiculous entertainments, we also feel sorry for them living a life that is so empty. The delicate irony of their relationship emphasizes the huge absurdity of their whole existence.

Two protagonists are united by the hopelessness of their lives. In the drama we face two “unaccommodated man, naked, helpless, waiting together with someone else but still intensely alone, talking and talking to avoid feeling the palpable, perhaps hellish, silence…” (Berlin) Somehow these two tramps are doomed to live in the world of emptiness, absurdity and illogicality, where no action has sense. They are realistic about the world they live in. While Estragon refrain from analysis, Vladimir formulates a philosophically gloomy view of life: “Vladimir: Astride of a grave and a difficult birth. Down in the hole, lingeringly, the grave-digger puts on the forceps. We have time to grow old. The air is full of our cries. (He listens.) But habit is a great deadener.” (Beckett) They got stuck in this useless and meaningless life, from which they cannot escape. The burden of living eventually pushes them to despair and makes them consider suicide as a possible way out of this stagnant reality. “Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it’s awful!” Estragon complains, and yet “Nothing to be done.” (Beckett) They really hate own inaction, yet they also sincerely believe in own complete impotence to change anything. However, the friendly balance between them somehow smoothes the situation, especially due to Vladimir’s comparatively enduring ability to hope for the best.

We observe Vladimir to be much more optimistic than Estragon. He does realize own misery, and yet is still able to wait, and to encourage his friend not to lose hope that their patience to the world and to each other will once be awarded: “Vladimir: (gloomily). It’s too much for one man. (Pause. Cheerfully.) On the other hand what’s the good of losing heart now, that’s what I say.”(Beckett)  They both have already decided that their existence is miserable and worthless, yet while one is depressing and unwilling  to move in any way, the other one feels like there is still something needs to be done, still something to strive for and tries to discover things that are important. “Though Estragon is giving up in the face of life’s struggle, Vladimir, despite being equally battered, is still clinging to possibilities.” (Banerjee) Vladimir is constantly hypothesizing about alternative prospects, attempting to involve his sluggish depressed fellow into some sort of activity and thus to deliver them both from a complete emotional stupor. Estragon, on the other hand, satisfies Vladimir need for a company, since the one realizes how being on his own is much more depressing then experiencing a feeling of futility when a friend is near, even though this friend is of little help.

It is obvious how two friends need each other. “As the play proceeds, Vladimir himself learns as much as he teaches Estragon.” (Banerjee) Their functions as friends differ, however they both are of use to each other. Moreover, they share a common understanding of world, complementing one another in a surprisingly harmonious way: “Estragon: So long as one knows. Vladimir: One can bide one’s time. Estragon: One knows what to expect. Vladimir: No further need to worry. Estragon: Simply wait. Vladimir: We’re used to it.” (Beckett) Naturally, they happen to fallout with each other, and they obviously get on each other’s nerves, but they are now experienced enough to realize their mutual need in such a weird camaraderie.

Their friendship and companionship help them to make each other’s burden less heavy. Their road is not an easy one, yet sharing it makes the journey easier to continue: “Vladimir: I missed you . . . and at the same time I was happy. Isn’t that a strange thing? Estragon: (shocked). Happy? Vladimir: Perhaps it’s not quite the right word. Estragon: And now? Vladimir: Now? . . . (Joyous.) There you are again . . . (Indifferent.) There we are again. . . (Gloomy.) There I am again. Estragon: You see, you feel worse when I’m with you. I feel better alone too. Vladimir: (vexed). Then why do you always come crawling back? Estragon: I don’t know. Vladimir: No, but I do. It’s because you don’t know how to defend yourself. I wouldn’t have let them beat you.” (Beckett) In their common misery, they are still able to experience compassion and fellow-feeling, and thus make their friendship the only worthy experience in their lives. Their alliance is based upon mutual protection, strive for understanding, and fear of loneliness.

There is a certain amount of tenderness between Vladimir and Estragon. Sometimes they happen to behave just like a loving couple would usually do. They attempt to push each other away, and at the same time are never able to let each other go. When in Act 2 Vladimir and Estragon reunite and Estragon feels resentful about being beaten up again, he also feels himself separated from his friend, finding Vladimir singing cheerfully in a seeming neglect of Estragon’s absence. “Don’t touch me! Don’t question me! Don’t speak to me! Stay with me! he exclaims,  and then reveals Vladimir the essence of his offence: “That finished me. I said to myself, He’s all alone, he thinks I’m gone for ever, and he sings.” (Beckett) When in the Act 2 Estragon decides to take a nap, Vladimir behaves with a surprising care of his fellow. He first sings him to sleep and then covers him with own jacket, and calms him down gently when Estragon wakes up form a nightmare: “Vladimir gets up softly, takes off his coat and lays it across Estragon’s shoulders, then starts walking up and down, swinging his arms to keep himself warm. Estragon wakes with a start, jumps up, casts about wildly. Vladimir runs to him, puts his arms around him.) There . . . there . . . Didi is here . . . don’t be afraid . . . Estragon: Ah! Vladimir: There . . . there . . . it’s all over. Estragon: I was falling— Vladimir: It’s all over, it’s all over.” (Beckett) No matter how irritated they are by each other, their relationship actually reveals itself as a union of the spirits of mankind within the universe. They balance each other in their ideal connection of two complete opposites. They are essential to each other, even though their feelings are contradictory.

“Beckett’s dark summation of the human condition, presented with compassion and humor, includes man’s ability to keep his appointment, to go on, despite the hopelessness of his condition.” (Berlin) However comic the play seem, it is more likely to be perceived as a tragedy, since despite all its funny routines, the two characters are heading toward the dark, toward their death. Can we actually find a situation like the one described in the play funny? True indeed, we all wait for something, but we also never stop believing this something is once to come. Estragon and Vladimir, however, are not likely to wait until the end of their misery. Whatever they are waiting for, it is only death that will deliver them from their empty existence. Their friendship, though, this affecting alliance of two human beings, broken and plunged into despair, proves that there can be “human spirits alive in the midst of ruins.” (Banerjee) Their story illustrates how two poor souls, despite both men characters’ and temperaments’ inconsistency, are able to provide each other with companionship, support and consolation, which are worthy of living.

Works Cited

Banerjee, A. “Stir Within Stasis in Waiting for Godot.”

Beckett, Samuel. “Waiting for Godot.” Samuel Beckett On-line Resources. 5 Dec. 2009. <http://www.samuel-beckett.net/Waiting_for_Godot_Part1.html>.

Berlin, Normand. “Traffic of our Stage: Why Waiting for Godot?”