Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot as an Existentialist Play Essay

delay for Godot as an Existentialist Play The throw, waiting For Godot, is centred around two men, Estragon and Vladimir, who are waiting for a Mr. Godot, of whom they love little. Estragon admits himself that he may n eer recognize Mr. Godot, Personally I wouldnt know him if I ever saw him. (p.23). Estragon also remarks, we simply 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 close this indefinable Mr. X. What is an important divisor of the play is the act of waiting for someone or something that never arrives. horse opera readers may find it natural to speculate on the identity of Godot because of their unwarranted need to find answers to questions. Beckett however suggests that the identity of Godot is in itself a rhetorical question. It is possible to stress the for in the waiting for to see the purpose of reach in two men with a mission, not to be deflected fro m their arbitrary task. Estragon Lets go. Vladimir We cant. Estragon Why not? Vladimir Were waiting for Godot. (p.14). The essence of existentialist philosophy concentrates on the concept of the individuals freedom of choice, as opposed to the belief that man are controlled by a pre-existing omnipotent being, such as God. Estragon and Vladimir have made the choice of waiting, without instruction or guidance, as Vladimir says, He didnt say for sure hed come (p.14), but decides to wait till we know exactly how we stand (p.18). Albert Camus, an existentialist writer, believed that boredom or waiting, which is basically the breakdown of routine or habit, caused people to think seriously about their identity,... ...h other or from their situation in general. The optimistic view of the play shows a range of human emotion and the need to share experiences alongside the suffering of finite existence governed by the past, acting in the present and uncertain of the future. Works Cit ed and ConsultedAlvarez, A. Samuel Beckett. New York Viking, 1973.Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot A Tragicomedy in Two Acts. New York Grove, 1953.ClassicNote.com by GradeSaver. J. N. Smith. Aug. 1999. Web. 27 March 2015 Gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/WaitingForGodot/Analysis.htmlGraver, Lawrence. Waiting for Godot. fifth ed. New York U of Cambridge P, 1999.Hugh Kenner, A Readers Guide to Samuel Beckett, London 1973.http//www.britannica.com/eb/print?tocId=9014042Wikipedia. Waiting for Godot. Web. 27 March 2015 http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waiting_for_Godot