Waiting for Godot

Waiting for Godot

Overview

In “Waiting for Godot,” two tramps (Estragon and Vladimir) are waiting by a sickly looking tree for the arrival of Mr. Godot. They quarrel, make up, and try to hang themselves on the tree while waiting for Godot. They re the protagonists in the play. There are other characters like the master (Pozzo) and his slave (Lucky). And the boy who was sent to tell the tramps that Mr. Godot could not see them yet. The play is a development of the title, Waiting for Godot. He does not come and the two tramps resume their vigil by the tree.

Russian Formalism as applied to Samuel Becketts’ “Waiting for Godot”

Metaphor of the machine. The play has shown what is itnlike to wait. Estragon and Vladimir, tried lots of ways to keep themselves busy or rather made things like play games and tell each other stories to avoid boredom.

Organic phase. The whole play evolved in the act of waiting. The act of waiting is never over. It starts up again each day. The action in the story is the same way. It is described like a circle.

Defamiliarization. The language of the play is intense. There are parts wherein religion is included in the conversation of Didi and Gogo. While there one part that tells about a long meaningless speech of Lucky. Lucky probably is a donkey or a horse. In the play, Lucky can think and speak.