Waiting for Godot

The tragicomedy Waiting for Godot, written by the Irish playwright Samuel Beckett, is one of the pioneering pieces of literature which were a part of a new genre, called Theatre of the Absurd. Upon reading it, one can easily infer why this is the case- throughout the 2 acts the play consists of, there is virtually no plot. Two vagrants, Vladimir and Estragon, loitering around a rather vague setting- a country road next to a tree- with only a passer-by every now and then, wait for a certain Godot, who never arrives. Despite this uneventful storyline, Waiting for Godot has somehow managed to keep the audiences glued to their seats ever since its premiere in 1953. Dealing with the issues of sollitude and meaninglessness of our lives in such an obscure manner, Beckett left much room for interpretations. While Vladimir and Estragon have bulit a strong bond througout the years they have spent on their tedious quest for a faceless stranger, much of their communication is based on habits, patterns and meaningless banter. Yet, given the fact that both of them are nescient of whether their exertions will be worthwhile or not, their relationship might just be the only significant element of their lives. A number of existential questions can be derived from such a problematic situation and it is the aim of this essay to investigate the possible answers to Beckett's intriguing, yet evasive view of man's eternal search for true purpose and companionship.

Vladimir and Estragon are a couple of friends brought together by the same fate some 50 years ago, waiting for a person named Godot. But for the name, none of them know much more about this individual. Yet, it is through this lenghty process that the two men revealed their different personalities and developed a somewhat co-dependent relationship. Vladimir, the more logical and analytical of the two, provides both mental and physical protection to the feeble and more inferior Estragon. But, this dependence