Waiting for Godot By Samuel Beckett :-

Waiting for Godot By Samuel Beckett :-

 

 

 

 Introduction about the play:-

Waiting for Godot qualifies as one of Samuel Beckett's most famous works. Originally written in French in 1948, Beckett personally translated the play into English. The world premiere was held on January 5, 1953, in the Left Bank Theater of Babylon in Paris. The play's reputation spread slowly through word of mouth and it soon became quite famous. Other productions around the world rapidly followed. The play initially failed in the United States, likely as a result of being misbilled as "the laugh of four continents." A subsequent production in New York City was more carefully advertised and garnered some success.

Buckett combats the traditional nation of time. it attacks the two main ingredient of traditional views of time like habit and memory. We find estragon and Vladimir in the main story and both waiting for unknown person Mr. Godot. In this thinks we are born indistinguishable from the day we shall die. Absurd theater is term applies to a group of dramatist in 1950s.

Martin Esslin about “Theater of the Absurd

Martin Esslin “Theater of the Absurd” written in 1960. and he was mentioned Buckett, Arthur admor, Harold Pinter, Eugene Ionesco, jean garret etc. However, the definition ‘absurd’ derives into the literature from the mid-twentieth-century-essay Myth of Sisyphus by the French author and philosopher Albert Camus.

Absurd means nonsensical opposed to reason something silly, foolish, senseless, ridiculous and tipsy. So in the play having a cock and dull story would be called and absurd play. Moreover, a play which have loosely constructed plot, unrecognizable characters & metaphysical called an absurd play. Actually the play “Absurd Theater” believes that humanity plight was purposeless in an existence. Which is out of harmony with its surrounding? This things the awareness about the lack of purpose produces a state of metaphysical anguish which is the center theme of the absurd theater. 

   Short Summery of The Play :-

 

This idea of “eternity”, an escape from death, is commented on by Anthony Chadwick who says “Death as a final ending, as a final silence, is absent from the play”. 

 

Vladimir: What do we do now? 

Estragon: Wait.

Vladimir: Yes, but while waiting.

Estragon : What about hanging ourselves?

We see that logical construction, rational ideas and intellectually viable argument was abandon and instead of these the irrationally for experience is acted out on the stage. the above mentioned discussion allow us to call waiting for Godot as an absurd play not only for its loose plot but also its characters are just like mechanical puppets with their incoherent colloquy. They are excited that Godot will come along after some time and “Will miraculously save the situation”. As Vladimir says “To-morrow everything will be better”. Because the boy said to them “Godot was sure to come to-morrow”.

The theme of the play was also unexplained waiting for godot as absurd play. Though characters are present but are not reorganization for whatever they do and whatever they present is purposeless. Its dialogue was concerned and there is no witty repeat and pointed dialogue. In the play reader or spectator hears is simply the incoherence babbling which does not have any clear and meaningful ideas. 

This play we come to know that nothing special happens in the neither play nor do we observe any significant change in setting. “We wait. We are bored. No, don’t protest, we are bored to death”. Though a change occurs but it is only that now the tree has sprouted out four or five leaves.

Vladimir: Oh he’s a …he’s a kind of                    acquaintance.

Estragon: Nothing of the kind, we                   hardly know him.

Vladimir: True…we don’t know him very 

                 well…but all the same…

Estragon: Personally I wouldn’t even know                  him if I saw him

The beginning, middle, end of the play do not rise up to the level of a good play. It falls in category of absurd. Though its theme is logical and rational yet it lies in umbrage. Neither it makes a consider use of dream and fantasy nor does it imply conscious poetic language.

 The situations almost remain unchanged and mixture of comedy and near tragedy proves baffling. We know that their endless waiting seems to be absurd. Though the fact is that they are conscious of this absurdity yet is seems to imply that rest of the world is waiting for the things. In the play there is no female character. Characters are there but they are devoid of identity.

So we can say that waiting was center not Mr. Godot our hope and leave in life its becomes part in life that’s why waiting was necessary in the play. Because we are happy with them and we wait to death not for god.