Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot as an Existentialist Play Essay

Waiting for Godot as an Existentialist Play The ply, Waiting For Godot, is centred more or less two men, estragon and Vladimir, who are waiting for a Mr. Godot, of whom they have little. tarragon admits himself that he whitethorn never recognize Mr. Godot, Personally I wouldnt neck him if I ever saw him. (p.23). tarragon also remarks, we hardly fuck him. (p.23), which illustrates to an audience that the identity of Mr. Godot is irrelevant, as little information is ever habituated throughout the play about this indefinable Mr. X. What is an important element of the play is the act of waiting for someone or something that never arrives. Western readers may find it natural to speculate on the identity of Godot because of their inordinate command to find answers to questions. Beckett however suggests that the identity of Godot is in itself a rhetorical question. It is manageable to stress the for in the waiting for to see the purpose of action in two men with a mission, not to be deflected from their compulsive task. Estragon Lets go. Vladimir We cant. Estragon Why not? Vladimir Were waiting for Godot. (p.14). The essence of existentialism concentrates on the concept of the individuals freedom of choice, as opposed to the belief that humans are controlled by a pre-existing omnipotent being, such as God. Estragon and Vladimir have made the choice of waiting, without instruction or guidance, as Vladimir says, He didnt say for sure hed come (p.14), but decides to wait till we know exactly how we stand (p.18). Albert Camus, an existentialist writer, believed that boredom or waiting, which is essentially the disruption of routine or habit, caused people to think seriously about their identity,... ...h other(a) or from their situation in general. The optimistic view of the play shows a range of human emotion and the need to share experiences alongside the woefulness of finite existence governed by the past, acting in the present and perplexing of th e future. Works Cited and ConsultedAlvarez, A. Samuel Beckett. peeled York Viking, 1973.Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot A Tragicomedy in cardinal Acts. New York Grove, 1953.ClassicNote.com by GradeSaver. J. N. Smith. Aug. 1999. Web. 27 March 2015 Gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/WaitingForGodot/Analysis.htmlGraver, Lawrence. Waiting for Godot. 5th ed. New York U of Cambridge P, 1999.Hugh Kenner, A Readers Guide to Samuel Beckett, London 1973.http//www.britannica.com/eb/print?tocId=9014042Wikipedia. Waiting for Godot. Web. 27 March 2015 http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waiting_for_Godot