Waiting for Godot
How does the author of a prescribed text explore the idea that passionately holding onto a belief can both sustain and destroy?
In Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, a play from the theatre of the Absurd, main characters Estragon and Vladimir are shown to have been sustained as well as destroyed, meaning they have something to live for but also that something is destroying them. They are shown to have been both sustained and destroyed by holding onto the belief that their saviour, Godot, will come and save them. Beckett does this through his use of dialogue, stage directions and most importantly, text type.
Playwright, Samuel Beckett, uses a play as his text type to illustrate the idea that Estragon and Vladimir are sustained but also destroyed by what sustains them. By using a play, Beckett has the ability to visually and vocally depict his message to us as an audience. By only having two acts in his play, Beckett can turn the focus toward his characters. We, as the audience can visually see Estragon and Vladimir being destroyed because they are forever waiting on stage. “Be reasonable, you haven’t yet tried” and “let’s hang ourselves immediately!” show the destroying of the two characters in their hope to have a life. However, they still wait for a chance, “I’m curious to hear what he has to offer. Then we’ll take it or leave it”, “we’re waiting for Godot,” They are waiting for the man, Godot, to give them their chance, hence the title of the play, Waiting for Godot. The playwright uses a play so that he can use both visual and vocal techniques to portray his message to us as the audience.
Samuel Beckett in Waiting for Godot uses dialogue to illustrate that both main characters are sustained and destroyed by passionately holding onto the belief that Godot will come. The dialogue of waiting for Godot consists of short, punchy sentences and repeating words and phrases. “Estragon: let’s go. Vladimir: we can’t. Estragon: why? Vladimir: we’re waiting for Godot.”
In Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, a play from the theatre of the Absurd, main characters Estragon and Vladimir are shown to have been sustained as well as destroyed, meaning they have something to live for but also that something is destroying them. They are shown to have been both sustained and destroyed by holding onto the belief that their saviour, Godot, will come and save them. Beckett does this through his use of dialogue, stage directions and most importantly, text type.
Playwright, Samuel Beckett, uses a play as his text type to illustrate the idea that Estragon and Vladimir are sustained but also destroyed by what sustains them. By using a play, Beckett has the ability to visually and vocally depict his message to us as an audience. By only having two acts in his play, Beckett can turn the focus toward his characters. We, as the audience can visually see Estragon and Vladimir being destroyed because they are forever waiting on stage. “Be reasonable, you haven’t yet tried” and “let’s hang ourselves immediately!” show the destroying of the two characters in their hope to have a life. However, they still wait for a chance, “I’m curious to hear what he has to offer. Then we’ll take it or leave it”, “we’re waiting for Godot,” They are waiting for the man, Godot, to give them their chance, hence the title of the play, Waiting for Godot. The playwright uses a play so that he can use both visual and vocal techniques to portray his message to us as the audience.
Samuel Beckett in Waiting for Godot uses dialogue to illustrate that both main characters are sustained and destroyed by passionately holding onto the belief that Godot will come. The dialogue of waiting for Godot consists of short, punchy sentences and repeating words and phrases. “Estragon: let’s go. Vladimir: we can’t. Estragon: why? Vladimir: we’re waiting for Godot.”