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Historical Context of Waiting For Godot

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158 views2 pages

Historical Context of Waiting For Godot

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alexia.akl
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LYCEE LIBANAIS FRANCOPHONE PRIVÉ MEYDAN – DUBAÏ

Teacher : Ana Brandicourt

Class: 12A, 12B

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

The play is set in a strange, unspecified time, and does not take place in the context
of any historical events, but many have seen the widespread suffering and
disillusionment caused by World War II in the background of the play's pessimistic,
nihilistic conception of the world.

Key Facts about Waiting for Godot

Written in 1948 in Paris, published in 1954.

The central idea is waiting, nothing really seems to happen.

Climax: Beckett's play essentially lacks a climax. Vladimir and Estragon spend both
acts waiting for the arrival of Godot, but Godot never comes.

Setting: The side of an unidentified road, near a tree, at an unspecified time.

Genre: Drama, Tragicomedy (a mixture of tragedy and comedy, Theater of the


Absurd – a movement started between 1940 – 1960, the existence is seen as
illogical/meaningless where moral, religious, political and social principles are in
collapse/ human existence is absurd, no purpose. Humankind is seen as hopeless,
anxious, pessimistic. Language use: fragmented, repetitive, repetitive, all that the
characters say may sound like nonsense. This ridiculous, purposeless behavior can
appear comic, but there is an underlying serious message.

Literary Period: Modernism – main features: nihilism, absurdity, alienation,


individualism.

Antagonist: While Vladimir and Estragon speak of an anonymous "they" who


threaten to beat them and from whom they must hide, there is no real antagonist in
the play. Part of the characters' predicament is that there is no precise cause or
origin of the suffering and alienation they feel.

Vladimir and Estragon (main characters) spend the entire play waiting for Godot,
who never comes. As a result of this endless waiting, they are bored to death. They
repeatedly state that ‘’ there is nothing to be done’’, and ‘’ nothing to do.’’
The conversation keeps on revolving about the same subject (nothing at all),
including talking about how they have nothing to talk about.

The boredom of the character on stage also transmits onto the audience. Not only
are the characters waiting for something to happen, but also the audience. The
audience wait for the major event or climax to happen but it never does. However,
they feel compelled to stay in case Godot arrives later in the play.

This atmosphere of nothing contributes to the atmosphere of nihilism, which is a


denial of any significance or meaning in world/ nothing is important, a belief that
nothing in the world has a real existence/ everything is meaningless, pointless/ no
morals, no values.

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