Where is the comedy? Where is the tragedy in this section? What does Godot mean at this point in the play?
Becket includes elements of both tragedy and comedy in this section. Despite the clear presence of comedy within this passage, the extreme morbidness overshadows most elements of comedy. Becket includes comedy to give the audience an intermission from the intense, harrowing, continuous presence of tragedy in this section.
The passage begins with Vladimir asking the simple question: ‘what do we do now?’, Estragon retorts: “What about hanging ourselves?”, immediately Becket forces us to confront the idea of mortality, not only mortality but suicide. It is an extremely tragic activity for Estrogen to suggest to ‘pass the time’. Estragon could be desperately searching for an escape from the monotonous act of ‘waiting’. Yet, we could perceive this line as comedic, the practicality of ending ones’ life to ‘pass the time’ while waiting for Godot seems utterly absurd; if Estragon and Vladimir did hang themselves, they cease the act of ‘waiting’ and instead are dead.
The interplay between tragedy and comedy continue; Vladimir considers the prospect of suicide and responds: “it’d give us an erection”, Estragon then retorts ‘highly excited’; “An erection!”, this highlights their obsession with bodily functions and the mention of ‘an erection’ likens them to adolescent boys. Additionally, Beckett portrays Estragon and Vladimir as rather naive as they do not seem to know that hanging one selves will result in immediate death- not an erection.
Estragon is ‘highly excited’ about the prospect of arousal, so is Vladimir. They’re both considering the act of ‘erotic asphyxiation’ this act mixes sex (which is pleasure) with death. Becket subverts the idea of death into an act of pleasure. He suggests that the ultimate pleasure is death; this is a plausible interpretation as Becket was an Absurdist who believed life was meaningless.
This line is shrouded with tragedy as Estragon and Vladimir are both willing to sacrifice their life for the mere prospect of an erection.
The passage begins with Vladimir asking the simple question: ‘what do we do now?’, Estragon retorts: “What about hanging ourselves?”, immediately Becket forces us to confront the idea of mortality, not only mortality but suicide. It is an extremely tragic activity for Estrogen to suggest to ‘pass the time’. Estragon could be desperately searching for an escape from the monotonous act of ‘waiting’. Yet, we could perceive this line as comedic, the practicality of ending ones’ life to ‘pass the time’ while waiting for Godot seems utterly absurd; if Estragon and Vladimir did hang themselves, they cease the act of ‘waiting’ and instead are dead.
The interplay between tragedy and comedy continue; Vladimir considers the prospect of suicide and responds: “it’d give us an erection”, Estragon then retorts ‘highly excited’; “An erection!”, this highlights their obsession with bodily functions and the mention of ‘an erection’ likens them to adolescent boys. Additionally, Beckett portrays Estragon and Vladimir as rather naive as they do not seem to know that hanging one selves will result in immediate death- not an erection.
Estragon is ‘highly excited’ about the prospect of arousal, so is Vladimir. They’re both considering the act of ‘erotic asphyxiation’ this act mixes sex (which is pleasure) with death. Becket subverts the idea of death into an act of pleasure. He suggests that the ultimate pleasure is death; this is a plausible interpretation as Becket was an Absurdist who believed life was meaningless.
This line is shrouded with tragedy as Estragon and Vladimir are both willing to sacrifice their life for the mere prospect of an erection.