Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot as an Existentialist Play

Waiting for Godot as an Existentialist Play The play, Waiting For Godot, is centred around two men, Estragon and Vladimir, who are waiting for a Mr. Godot, of whom they know little. Estragon admits himself that he may never recognize Mr. Godot, Personally I wouldnt know him if I ever saw him. (p.23). Estragon also remarks, †¦ we hardly know him. (p.23), which illustrates to an audience that the identity of Mr. Godot is irrelevant, as little information is ever given throughout the play about this indefinable Mr. X. What is an important element of the play is the act of waiting for someone or something that never arrives. Western readers may find it natural to speculate on the identity of Godot because of their†¦show more content†¦This is also similar to the idea of meditation, an almost motionless activity, allowing the individual to think with clarity. Camus, and other existential writers, suggested that attempting to answer these rhetorical questions could drive someone to the point of insanity. The tramps con tinually attempt to prove that they exist, in order to keep their sanity: We always find something, eh Didi, to give us the impression that we exist? (p.69). Waiting in the play induces boredom as a theme. Ironically Beckett attempts to create a similar nuance of boredom within the audience by the mundane repetition of dialogue and actions. Vladimir and Estragon constantly ponder and ask questions, many of which are rhetorical or are left unanswered. During the course of the play, certain unanswered questions arise: who is Godot? Where are Gogo and Didi? Who beats Gogo? All of these unanswered questions represent the rhetorical questions that individuals ask but never get answers for within their lifetime. Vis a vis is there a God? Where do we come from? Who is responsible for our suffering? The German existentialist philosopher Martin Heidegger expressed clearly that human beings can never hope to understand why they are here. The tramps repetitive inspection of their empty hats perhaps symbolizes mankinds vain search for answers within the vacuum of a universe. Jean Paul Sartre, the leading figure of French existentialism declared that human beingsShow MoreRelated Sartre’s Existentialism in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot1572 Words   |  7 PagesSartre’s Existentialism in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot Critics often misunderstand the quintessence of Sartre’s philosophy. Jean-Paul Sartre, in his lecture â€Å"Existentialism is Humanism,† remarks that â€Å"existence precedes essence† (2), that is, man first materializes and then searches for a purpose – an essence. Samuel Beckett, through his play Waiting for Godot, affirms Sartre’s core argument. 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