Setting and Theme of Waiting for Godot and All My Sons

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The setting of Waiting for Godot is ‘A country road. A tree. Evening.’ This introduction is in itself just a glimpse of the massive absurdity to which the reader will be subjected throughout the whole play. This absurdity is inflicted in each and every aspect of the play. The reader can easily be baffled by the equally weird antics of the characters. This eccentricity is reflected in the themes, characterization, the plot structure and style of writing of the play. The reader cannot escape this eccentricity and might even be repulsed by the repetition and monotony that this play offers, but on deeper understanding, one can be poignantly touched by the actual meaning of this play. The play is very open-ended and has been interpreted in numerous ways by different people. On the contrary, All My Sons is a very straightforward play, with a specified characterization, which also touches upon the humanistic issues of social responsibility and moral conscience. The story is very definite and so are the characters. It is a play in which the past, present and future are linked very closely and one which questions humanity’s ethics, honesty and conscience. The play makes us question ourselves about the choices we make, as often our choices not only affect us, but also others, and the guilt factor which induces when these choices affect others adversely.

The theme of the play Waiting for Godot is better interpreted after considering the background of the time it was written. Beckett reflected the prevailing mindset and conditions of the people living after World War II into this story of Vladimir and Estragon, both waiting hopelessly for a mysterious 'Godot', who seems to hold their future and their life in his hands. Beckett himself was...

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...t for their savior, that is to wait for Godot!

Although both the plays come across to be immensely different, the common thread of choices and their implications comes across well in both the plays, and leaves us with the morals that firstly, we must gather courage and make choices in our life; and secondly, we must always be ready to bear the consequences of our choices rather than live with the horrific illness of self denial.

Works Cited
Miller, Arthur. All My Sons. New York: Penguin Books, 2000. Print.

Samuel, Beckett, Waiting for Godot tragicomedy in 2 acts. New York: Grove, 1982. Print.

"All My Sons (Manchester) - All My Sons - Reviews - Whatsonstage.com." London theatre tickets, discount theatre tickets, What's on in London. Web. 11 Oct. 2009. .

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