Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

 Waiting for Godot

By Samuel Beckett

Does anything happen in waiting for Godot?

Waiting for Godot is the highly controversial play which is praised both as a drama which encompasses the predicaments of human beings since the original sin of man and as an anti-drama in which nothing happens having no story or plot. That is why there is is a line of demarcation between the critics of Beckett. However,if viewed critically and categorically, nothingness is originating something, non-activity is instigating activity and action is stirring from the apparent non-action. Through the cyclic and linear functioning of the plot, Beckett is driving something more extraordinary which enhances dramatic action, the effect of morality figures and change.

Apparently, it seems through the story (believed to be having no plot) that nothing is happening. Two acts seem to be completely photocopy of each other. It happens that two tramps_Estragon and Veladimir_ are caught up in a wicked circle of waiting for certain Godot who does not turn up on the stage till the end.  This tideous and boring waiting causes frustration and agony and does not come up to an end. There seems to be no action as one of the tramps says himself: 

Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it's awfull.

But when we have a deep analysis and we take a cursory glance of Religious, Philosophical, Psychological and political interpretations of the drama, we find stirr, action and plot in a chaotic and plotless world of two tramps who are the protagonist of the drama. Moreover, the relationship of Pozzo and Lucky,the barren tree, dramatic figures of Estrogon and Viladimir, role of hat, shoes and mandrik, and use of different techniques of contrast, similarities and parallelism along with dramatic action and its universal appeal go along way towards making this drama where is only action and action.

The religious minded critics are of the view that the condition of Estragon and Viladimir represents Man in general_ a modern materialistic man deprived of spiritual solace. They say that their halt is the spiritual barrenness. However their waiting for God- whose distorted name is godot- has kept them in action and this activity in guise of non-activity provides them hope that they will be saved. On the other hand, the characters of Pozzo and Lucky are considered to be the mild puff of breeze in otherwise boring and barren land.  Those critics are of the view that Pozzo is actually the saviour who has come on earth to see the condition of earthly bipeds and Lucky stands for Christ who is bearing the burden of the sins of descendant of Adam. Estragon and Viladimir are unable to recognise them. And their wait goes on and on.

They are of the view that the distorted condition of Pozzo and Lucky indirectly shows the action which has taken place in the lives of men symbolically because they show that God has been heart broken on witnessing the more and more sins of man and the load of Christ is increasing day by day. Thus all the four characters show the dramatic action which is apparently appears to be nothing but stagnant water.

On the other hand those who have political and philosophical leaning are of the view that Waiting for Godot dramatizes the scenario of world war and the victory of German over France. They are of the view that the distorted psyche of tramps and slavery along with the themes of boredom and anxious waiting of the saviour, meaninglessness, purposelessness, identity crisis, absurdism, existentialism etc also picturizes the action which is creeping throughout the play. Change occurs but this change seems to be absurd. For instance, clockwise time is going on and on while subjective time is halt but this thing does not affect the pace of the clockwise time. The barren tree grows leaves in the second act. Pozzo and Lucky get affected by time. Action goes on. Even the condition of Pozzo and Lucky in second act shows that the victorious is exhausted now by his atrocities committing on the vanquish people.

Psychological interpretation strikes on the attempts of suicide. Waiting in itself is action which is endless in the drama and creates frustration and abnormality in the behaviour of tramps. This frustration further leads them to commit suicide though they do not attempt it but the play ends with the hope that tomorrow they will find a rope and will commit suicide.

To sum up our discussion, we can assert that Waiting for Godot is replete with different events, incidents and actions but it is the artistic achievement of Beckett that he assigns plot and story to the most absurd situation of waiting.