Waiting for Godot

Author - Samuel Beckett

Year - 1956

Country - France (Although Beckett is Irish)

Originally written in French as En attendant Godot and translated into English by Beckett himself, Waiting for Godot is a tragicomedy in two acts which was first performed in 1953; I have never seen the play but the text is widely available and makes for an interesting read.

The play involves one minimal set, a skeletal tree beside a country road. In the second act‚ the next day, the tree has sprouted a couple of leaves, this change leads the audience hunting for symbolism, is it hope? Is it change? Keeping with the minimalist theme there are only five characters in Waiting for Godot; the main protagonists Estragon and Vladimir, Pozzo and Lucky who at first seem to be master and slave and a boy (or 2 boys) who works for the mysterious Godot.

Godot himself could be considered a character but he never turns up and we are left unsure whether he actually exists or not. Basically nothing happens twice, Estragon and Vladimir wait for Godot, they converse with each other often making little or no sense, sometimes hinting at meaning but always being distracted before any of these suggestions can develop into ideas or answers.

Yes it's absurd, but there is a lot in this play as well as nothing, in the absence of meaning there is much meaning. The only certainty is uncertainty. I'm confused.

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