Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett: Known The Purpose of Life

In Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett shares his insight into the meaning, or lack thereof, in life. Beckett uses the stage, each character, each word, each silence, and every detail in the play to create an uncomfortably barren atmosphere, devoid of color and life. Vladimir and Estragon are waiting for Godot, a man who will supposedly save them by giving them plenty of food and a place to sleep. A life spent waiting not only applies to Vladimir and Estragon but to all human beings, who each wait for his or her own Godot. Life, at least for these characters, is what happens while waiting. Godot may not come before their time passes; he may not ever come, but they will continue to wait nevertheless. Vladimir and Estragon's affectionate yet tense relationship speaks to the overarching themes of the play, that life is spent expecting something grander to come and that meaning can only be found in relationships, if at all.
The best way to describe who Vladimir and Estragon are as characters is in relation with each other. Vladimir enjoys telling and analyzing stories, like whether one of the two thieves crucified with Christ was saved, while Estragon prefers to share his dreams and nightmares with Vladimir (Beckett 4-5, 8). One thing in common is that neither wants to listen to what the other wants to say; each would like the other to keep his stories or nightmares to himself. Vladimir is more willing to express his need for Estragon in his life. When Estragon finally falls asleep, Vladimir does not let him sleep long before waking him up because he "felt lonely" (Beckett, 8). The silence of the surroundings deafens Vladimir, as does Estragon when he goes out on his own and is the reason he always returns. Estragon is more reserved a...

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...cause of one another. Despite not knowing the day, month, or year, what they did the day before, whether Godot will ever come, or whether or not they even exist, their relationship remains strong as they try entertain and prevent themselves from being suffocated by the silence.
Why do Vladimir and Estragon try hard to avoid thinking too much? Their situation is already gloomy and barren that if they think too much about things, it would become unbearable. In the state they are in right now, they at least have some semblance of purpose: "to wait for Godot." However, as Vladimir becomes more aware of their situation, he loses the last thread of certainty in his life. He is no longer blessed with knowing his purpose because he could be waiting for Godot or he could truly merely be waiting for night to fall (70).

Works Cited

Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot.