Roll no:- 34
Subject:- The Modernist literature
Topic:- Waiting for Godot- dialogues
behind philosophy of life.
Sem -3 part 2
Email id- nupurvyas1995@gmail.com
Introduction:
Waiting for Godot, Beckett's first
play, was written originally in French in 1948 (Beckett subsequently translated
the play into English himself). It premiered at a tiny theater in Paris in
1953. This play began Beckett's association with the Theatre of the Absurd,
which influenced later playwrights like Harold Pinter and Tom Stoppard.
The most famous of Beckett's subsequent plays include Endgame
(1958) and Krapp's Last Tape (1959). He also wrote several even more
experimental plays, like Breath (1969), a thirty-second play. Beckett
was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1969 and died in 1989 in Paris.
The whole play is about philosophical reading of
existentialism and absurdity.Beckett is considered to be an important figure
among the French Absurdist’s. “Waiting for Godot” is one of the masterpieces of
Absurdist literature. Elements of Absurdity for making this play are so
engaging and lively. Beckett combats the traditional notions of Time. It
attacks the two main ingredients of the traditional views of Time, i.e. Habit
and Memory. We find Estragon in the main story and Pozzo in the episode,
combating the conventional notions of Time and Memory. For Pozzo, particularly,
one day is just like another, the day we are born indistinguishable from the
day we shall die.
It is very clear from the very word “Absurd” that it
means nonsensical, opposed to reason, something silly, foolish, senseless,
ridiculous and topsy-turvy. So, a drama having a cock and bull story would be
called an absurd play. Moreover, a play having loosely constructed plot,
unrecognizable characters, metaphysical called an absurd play. Actually the
‘Absurd Theatre’ believes that humanity’s plight is purposeless in an
existence, which is out of harmony with its surroundings.
This thing i.e. the awareness about the lack of purpose
produces a state of metaphysical anguish which is the
central theme of the Absurd Theatre. On an absurd play logical construction,
rational ideas and intellectually viable arguments are abandoned and instead of
these the irrationality for experience is acted out on the stage.
The above mentioned discussion allows us to call “Waiting
for Godot” as an absurd play for not only its plot is loose but its characters
are also just mechanical puppets with their incoherent colloquy. And above than
all, its theme is unexplained. “Waiting for Godot” is an absurd play for it is
devoid of characterization and motivation. Though characters are present but
are not recognizable for whatever they do and whatever they present is purposeless.
So far as its dialogue technique is concerned, it is purely absurd as there is
no witty repartee and pointed dialogue. What a reader or spectator hears is
simply the incoherent babbling which does not have any clear and meaningful
ideas. So far as the action and theme is concerned, it kisses the level of
Absurd Theatre. After the study of this play we come to know that nothing
special happens in the play nor we observe any significant change in setting.
Though a change occurs but it is only that now the tree has sprouted out four
or five leaves.
“Nothing happens, nobody comes … nobody goes, it’s
awful!”
The beginning, middle and end of the play do not rise up
to the level of a good play, so absurd. Though its theme is logical and
rational yet it lies in umbrage.
Moreover, “Waiting for Godot” can also be regarded as an
absurd play because it is different from “poetic theatre”. Neither it makes a
considerable use of dream and fantasy nor does it employ conscious poetic
language. The situation almost remains unchanged and an enigmatic vein runs
throughout the play. The mixture of comedy and near tragedy proves baffling. In
act-I we are not sure as to what attitude we should adopt towards the different
phases of its non-action. The ways, of which the two tramps pass their time,
seems as if they were passing their lives in a transparent deception. Godot
remains a mystery and curiosity still holds a sway. Here we know that their
endless waiting seems to be absurd. Though the fact is that they are conscious
of this absurdity, yet is seems to imply that the rest of the world is waiting
for the things, which are more absurd and also uncertain.
“Waiting for Godot” is an absurd play for there is no
female character. Characters are there but they are devoid of identity. These
two Estragon and Vladimir are old acquaintances, but they are not sure of their
identity. Though they breathe, their life is an endless rain of blows. They
wait for the ultimate extinction, but in a frustrated way. This thing produces
meaninglessness, thus makes the play absurd.
Moreover, what makes the play absurd is its ending. We
note that the ending of the play is not a conclusion in the usual sense. The
wait continues; the human contacts remain unsolved; the problem of existence
remains meaningless, futile and purposeless. The conversation between the two
tramps remain a jargon, really a humbug and bunkum speech. So all this makes
the play an absurd play.
Absurd Theatre is a term applies to a group of dramatist
in the 1950’s. Martin Esslin was the first to use this term ‘Absurd’ in his
book “The Theatre of the Absurd”. Eugene Ionesco, Arthur Admor, Harold Pinter
and Jean Garret are the writers who belong to this category.
Now let’s understand dialogues behind philosophy of life:
1.
Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it’s
awful.
The play starts with Vladimir and Estragon are waiting for godot. And
the play end with similar waiting for godot. In between they are passing their
time through different activity. The philosophy of life is that when you
constantly waiting for someone or when you are in adverse situation, that seems
that time has become static. Whereas, the play is also static. Nothing changes
in the play except tree. It is very much connected with existential meaning of
life. In life, we are doing things for some purpose. Example like; We are
earning money for our livelihood and for our future safety. When time comes,
nothing remains to us. Sometimes we don’t know our meaning of life. We
constantly are doing the same things for sake of life. Theory of time is and
how time passes is very important in the play.
2.
People are bloody ignorant apes.
In these play, reference
of Christ savior and the two thieves. Religious scriptures told that one of the
thieves was saved from hell. It is satire on religious scriptures and as well
as people, who easily believe when things comes to them. People are very much
ignorant to the truth. They don’t question to authority. Whatever comes they
accept it without examines the things.
3.Pozzo: I don’t seem able…..(long
hesitation) to depart
Estragon: Such is life
Meeting and departing is a
part of life. In life we met many people in life and when time passes we depart
also. It is called life. We can’t hold the time. Life is constantly go on
changing each and every second. We have to move with time.
4.
Let’s us not waste our time in idle discourse,
let’s us do something, while we have chance.
Becektt uses satirical
sentence for modern and post-modern human being. People are wasting time in
talking the present matter of life, rather than doing the things. When people
have chance to do the things but they wasting time in talking about trivial
things.
5.
A habit is a great deadener.
When you have habituated
with something, it is very difficult to come out from that. Habit is a thing
that you don’t know about your habit, whereas others can see your habit.
Example: Breathing is a habit. Without breathing anyone can’t live. Everyone
can’t free from their habit. Bad habit leads to bad life.
6.
Nothing simpler, its natural order.
Life is not easy. Nature
is very cruel. We make life easy through technology. Nature is very harsh. In,
nature things are always chaotic. We make life easier through things. Life is
all about sorrows and suffering. We are conditioned that life is good and happy
but reality is life is difficult.
7.
Tell
him to think:-
As result of two world wars people become unemotional human
being. People have lost the sense of emotion and thinking capability. In war
there were no values like humanity and spirituality. There were only bloodshed
and disaster. People were thirsty for one or another blood. That why Beckett
used interrogative sentence ‘’you thinking’’?
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