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Major Works Data Sheet

Biographical information about the author:

Title: Waiting for Godot

Samuel Beckett was born in Foxrock, Ireland on April 13,

1906. He began to play music when he was six, and he

Author: Samuel Beckett

played sports as a youth. He also published articles in a

school newspaper. He received his B.A. from Trinity

College, where he met author James Joyce, who influenced

Date of Publication: 1952 (French) 1954 (English)

his life and his work. In 1930, he became a lecturer at Trinity

College, but he resigned at the end of 1931 and began to

write. Beckett joined the French Resistance during the

Genre: Absurdist Play, “Tragicomedy”

German occupation. He began to write Waiting for Godot

after the war. In 1969, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

He continued writing for the rest of his life. His last work, the

Historical information about the period of publication:

poem “What is the Word,” was written in 1988, and he died in

Originally written few years after the end of World War II

1989 of respiratory problems.

and the Holocaust.

There was the recent development and use of the atom

Characteristics of the genre:

bomb during World War II. Also, there was the

Absurdist theatre abandons focuses on the senselessness of

development of the more powerful hydrogen bomb.

the human condition. It often lacks a plot, and it does not

Written soon after the beginning of the Cold War.

have a moral or a message, leaving the audience to find their

own meanings. The occurrences are not logical. Characters

lack a sense of purpose. Absurdist plays are often humorous.

Describe the author’s style:

An example that demonstrates the style:

Samuel Beckett uses many aspects of the Theater of

“Pozzo: The tears of the world are a constant

the Absurd, discarding traditional plot, characters, and

quantity. For each one who begins to weep,

actions to create a play with many different

somewhere else another stops. The same is true of

interpretations. Beckett uses simple diction, but the

the laugh. (He laughs.) Let us not then speak ill of

characters often divulge into meaningless

our generation, it is not any unhappier than its

conversations. His style is marked by repetition of

predecessors. (Pause.) Let us not speak well of it

such phrases, which he uses to emphasize the

either. (Pause.) Let us not speak of it at all.” (Act I)

tediousness of the characters’ lives. The characters’

conversations almost seem philosophical, but are not

logical, creating a “sense of senselessness of the

human condition” which characterizes the play.

Memorable Quotes

Quote

Significance

“Estragon: Nothing to be done.

Although here Estragon is referring to his boots, this quote

Vladimir: I'm beginning to come round

represents the hopelessness in the main characters mundane and

to that opinion.” (Act I)

repetitive lives, and their struggle to pass the time as they wait for

the mysterious Godot.

“Vladimir: We met yesterday. (Silence)

The forgetfulness of characters of time, objects, and each other,

Do you not remember?

promotes a nihilistic view, where the characters are unsure of their

Pozzo: I don't remember having met

existence. Vladimir is the only character that retains his memory

anyone yesterday. But to-morrow I

throughout the play, but he often questions the validity of his

won't remember having met anyone to-

memories.

day. So don't count on me to enlighten

you.” (Act II)

“Vladimir: Let us not waste our time in

This quote characterizes Vladimir as the most philosophical and

idle discourse! (Pause. Vehemently.)

least materialistic of all the character in the play. It also reflects

Let us do something while we have the

Beckett’s theme of hope because Beckett calls for people to grasp

chance! It is not every day that we are

hope by their actions, and seize the opportunities presented to them.

needed. Not indeed that we personally

are needed. Others would meet the case

equally well, if not better. To all

mankind they were addressed, those

cries for help still ringing in our ears!

But at this place, at this moment of

time, all mankind is us, whether we like

it or not. Let us make the most of it,

before it is too late! Let us represent

worthily for once the foul brood to

which a cruel fate consigned us!” (Act

II)

Major Works Data Sheet

Page 3

Characters

Name

Role in the story

Significance

Adjectives

Vladimir (Didi or Mr.

One of two main

Vladimir is the paternal figure in the play. He is

Responsible, cautious,

Albert)

protagonists;

responsible and wary, and interestingly, stands through

remembering, restless, thoughtful

most of the play, whereas his partner, Estragon, sits.

masculine protagonist

Vladimir, the logical individual, is often restless and

preoccupies himself with religious or philosophical

matters. While Estragon’s pain is physical hurt,

Vladimir’s is mental anguish. He suffers every day in the

same situation, which is magnified because he is the only

character who remembers the past. He is the most

“normal” of the characters in the play.

Estragon (Gogo)

One of two main

Estragon is the infantile figure in the play. Always

Weak, helpless, forgetting

protagonists; feminine

seeking Vladimir’s protection, e is weak, helpless, and

whiny throughout. No figment of higher reasoning crosses

protagonist

Estragon; he preoccupies himself everyday with mundane

thoughts: what he can eat or how to ease his physical

pain. Like the other characters, Estragon, possibly

suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, forgets what

happened every day. His amnesia might symbolize the

futility of time and life.

Pozzo

Rich gentleman who

Pozzo occasionally passes the spot where Vladimir and

Brutal, pompous, self-righteous,

owns a servant

Estragon wait every day. He provides a diversion every

condescending

day for Vladimir and Estragon. Pozzo treats his servant,

Lucky, very harshly, but their relationship is complex.

There are hints that their relationship was better in the

past. The dynamics between Pozzo and Lucky could be an

extreme exaggeration of that between Vladimir and

Estragon. Like Didi and Gogo, Pozzo and Lucky are

bound by decades of intimacy. In the first act, Pozzo is

functional, but in the second act, he is blind and does not

remember meeting Validmir and Estragon the night

before. However, his poor memory may be more of a

result of self-absorption and deep insecurity.

Lucky

Pozzo’s old, worn

Lucky carries Pozzo’s bags and stool. In the first act,

Servile, stupid, stubborn, slow,

slave

Lucky sings and dances, But in the second act, he strikes

mulish

dumb. He spews into a monologue during which his voice

increasingly trembles until he can no longer speak without

shaking. Such is a possible symptom of Parkinson’s

disease, which Beckett’s mother had. It is evident that in

the past, Lucky had more influence in his relationship

with his master. He even thought in order to fill the vacant

need of Pozzo. Although Lucky was intellectually

superior to Pozzo, he is now an object of contempt, but is

nevertheless faithful. When Pozzon falls, he does not run

away, but instead helps his master.

Boy

Young lad, goat herder

At the end of each act, the boy informs Vladimir that

Shy, wary, ingenuous, simple

Godot will not be coming that night. He too forgets the

previous day and insists that he was not there previously.

The boy has a brother who is a shepherd and whom Godot

beats. The boy plays the role of a messenger in the story,

or to those who take the Christian perspective, he plays

the role of an angel.

Godot

Man for whom

Above all, Godot is mysterious. His identity has been

Mysterious, dilatory, reluctant

Valdimir and Estragon

subject to much debate. Those who see the play as a

wait indefinitely

religious allusion assert that Godot is God, an accusation

Beckett denies. In the story of the two thieves crucified

with Jesus, only one was saved, just as only one of the

boys working for Godot is safe from beatings and only

one of Estragon’s feet was saved. Perhaps if Godot came,

either Vladimir or Estragon would have to suffer; only

one would be saved. Then it might be better if Godot

never came.

Major Works Data Sheet

Page 4

Setting

Significance of the opening scene

The setting of “Waiting for Godot” is a non-descript

Vladimir and Estragon immediately establish the hopelessness

plain. The only object that is detailed is a dead tree

of their situation with the statement “Nothing to be done.”

However, they also express joy at their reunion, implying the

(which mysteriously grows leaves the next morning).

passage of time and joy in the present. Thus, Beckett

In their discussion, Vladimir and Estragon mention a

introduces the essential paradox of living: the reality of

ditch that Estragon hides out in. Presumably then, the

bleakness paired with the feeling of expectation. Estragon’s

landscape is made of some rolling hills. The barren

struggle with the boot is a foreshadowing of the conflict to

come, one that the reader will ultimately face. The boot joins

emptiness of the setting echoes the emptiness of the

the human to the earth and the anticipation to the facts. While

duo’s existence. Vladimir and Estragon endlessly wait

Estragon continues in ignorance, the reader will ultimately

for Godot, a representation of God. In that sense, they

have to question his or her conception of life and try to

are in purgatory. The setting is perfectly neutral, an

reconcile existence with misery.

absolute equilibrium between heaven and hell. In this

Significance of the ending/closing scene

stillness, Vladimir and Estragon live and wait. The only

The ending scene directly parallels the opening scene. Once again,

sign of civilization is the road on which Pozzo and

Estragon and Vladimir meet in a field, and once again, they try to

Lucky enter, suggesting that life is a journey.

hang themselves out of boredom. They decide to try and hang

themselves, but like the day before, they fail. The similarities between

the first and second act underscore the repetitive nature of Vladimir

and Estragon’s existence. While suicide would serve as an escape

Symbols

from the cycle, the duo is unable to complete the act, suggesting that

they will never leave. Interestingly, Estragon completely forgets the

events of the day before, leaving Vladimir to question his own shaky

The tree (dead in Act I but thriving in Act II) represents the omnipotence

memory. Even the Boy, repeating the same directives, seems to have

of nature. Although Vladimir and Estragon remain trapped in the same

forgotten his and Vladimir’s last meeting. Vladimir is determined to

events, the tree grows. While humans with their supposed “free will”

make the boy remember his existence, indicating the depths of

repeat the same day, the tree has the capacity to change.

Vladimir’s fear. More than anything else, he fears being forgotten, but

The hats that Pozzo, Lucky, Vladmir, and Estragon pass around represent

Estragon’s amnesia hints that Vladimir’s fears are realized with the

civilization, the distinction between animals and humans. When Pozzo,

dawn of each new day. In the very last lines, Vladimir and Estragon

Estragon, and Vladimir exchange hats, no change occurs. When Lucky is

agree to leave and to metaphorically break the cycle. Instead, they

given a hat, however, he is suddenly capable of speech and thought.

stand motionless, and the cycle continues.

Lucky’s speech is a sad reminder that most of human “thought” is

actually stolen snippets of others’ ideas. Although the diction is high, the

Old AP Questions

syntax of Lucky’s speech is jumbled and nonsensical. He speaks but does

not communicate. Like the rest of existence, he makes no sense.

Godot is also a symbol for purpose and meaning. Whenever he appears,

he will give direction to Pozzo and Lucky. However, Godot’s absence

demonstrates the meaningless of life.