Discuss Waiting for Godot from the perspective of the theatre of the Absurd Absurd
Waiting for Godot from the perspective of the theatre of the
Absurd Absurd : The Theatre of the
Absurd is a post–World War II designation for particular plays of
absurdist fiction written by a number of primarily European playwrights in the
late 1950s. It is also a term for the style of theatre the plays represent. The
plays focus largely on ideas of existentialism and express what happens when
human existence lacks meaning or purpose and communication breaks down. The
structure of the plays is typically a round shape, with the finishing point the
same as the starting point. Logical construction and argument give way to
irrational and illogical speech and to the ultimate conclusion—silence. Waiting for Godot from the
perspective of the theatre of the Absurd
Waiting for Godot from the perspective of the
theatre of the Absurd Absurd
The phrase ‘Absurd Drama’ or ‘The
Theatre of Absurd’ gained currency after Martin Esslin’s book ‘The Theatre of
Absurd’ was published in 1961. Esslin points out that there is no such thing as
a regular movement of Absurd dramatists. The term is useful as “A device to
make certain fundamental traits which seem to be present in the works of a
number of dramatists accessible to discussion by tracing the features they have
in common.”
By ‘Absurd’, Camus meant a life
lived solely for its sake in a universe which no longer made sense because
there was no God to resolve the contradictions. In other words, what Camus
called ‘absurd’, Kierkegaard called ‘Despair’. And it is on this philosophy
that Beckett created his famous play ‘Waiting for Godot’. Before the genre of
Absurd Drama gained popularity in the hands of Beckett, Adamov, Ionesco and
Gennet, plays were characterized by clearly constructed story and subtlety of
characterization and motivation.
However, the absurd plays were
characterized by non specific unrecognizable characters who are presented
almost like mechanical puppets. These dramas speak to a deeper level of the
audience’s mind. It challenges the audience to make sense of non-sense, to face
the situation consciously and perceive with laughter the fundamental absurdity.
Samuel Beckett’s ‘Waiting for
Godot’ belongs to the tradition of the Theatre of Absurd. It is unconventional
in not depicting any dramatic conflicts. In the play, practically nothing
happens, no development is to be found, there is no beginning and no end.
The entire action boils down in an
absurd setting of a country side road with two tramps Vladimir and Estragon who
simply idle away their time waiting for Godot, about whom they have only vague
ideas. They have nothing substantial to tell each other and yet they must spend
the time, for they cannot stop waiting. Two other characters, a cruel master
called Pozzo and his half-crazy slave called Lucky appear. Eventually a boy
arrives with a message that Godot will arrive the next day. The two tramps
decide to go away, but they do not move and the curtain falls, eventually
nothing happens. The second act is the replica of the first act, but Pozzo is
now blind and Lucky is dumb. The wait of Vladimir and Estragon continues but in
despair. Waiting for Godot
from the perspective of the theatre of the Absurd
The Absurd theatre delt with a
deeper layer of absurdity--- the absurdity of the human condition itself in a
world where the decline of religious belief has deprived man of certainties.
Like the waiting between birth and death in Gelber’s plays, Beckett’s ‘Waiting
for Godot’, is also about an absurd wait.
According to Martin Esslin, the
Theatre of Absurd projected a situation where it was “no longer possible to
accept simple and complete systems of values and revelations of divine
purpose.” Life was projected to face its “ultimate stark reality.” What the
existential philosopher Kierkegaard believed that “we are thrown into existence
here and there”, is reflected in the theatre of absurd. And Beckett’s ‘Waiting
for Godot’ reveals this stark reality of human existence through the characters
of the two tramps. Waiting
for Godot from the perspective of the theatre of the Absurd
Beckett very tactfully highlighted
some religious references to figure out God as whimsical, partial and
capricious. The Biblical story of salvation of one thief and damnation of the
other is although narrated as babblings by Vladimir to while away the time,
actually raises question on God’s partial nature. The messenger who works for
Godot, lets Vladimir know that Godot executes physical tortures to his brother,
a shepherd, for no reasons. This episode of the play instantaneously draws the
readers’ attention to the Biblical story of Cane and Able. And pathetic enough
one of the brothers receives the Lord’s grace without any rational explanation.
However, at the same time, Beckett in his play projected the supremacy of Godot
and the futile dependence of man on a supreme power. Waiting for Godot from the perspective of the
theatre of the Absurd
Conclusion
Waiting for Godot depicts time as a
circular reality. Time is related to the tramps’ hope and despair. We have the
impression that the tramps are nothing but the instruments of killing time.
Time is a “Double-headed monster of damnation and salvation.” Waiting for Godot from the
perspective of the theatre of the Absurd
Everything in normal human
experience is subjected to tampus fugit (time flies). But time as recorded in
this drama is perpetually present; no past and future: “They all change, only
we can’t.”
The lack of characterization is the
hallmark of any absurd drama. In Waiting for Godot, Estragon, Vladimir, Lucky,
Pozzo and the non-existence Godot, do not Grow during the course of the play.
They cannot be treated as proper character. Their cross-talks reflect the very
idea of nothingness as they have nothing to communicate – just to be in a
static position perpetually. “Here form is content and content is form.” At the
end of the play we are at the same position as we were at the beginning. The
trajectory of nothingness develops in between.
Habit, boredom, monotony, ignorance
and impotence which enveloped the world after the wars and created an absurd
existence, is recreated by Beckett in “Waiting for Godot.” Beckett captured this
situation and depicted it through the deadening condition of the two tramps in
a null and void state without any real action. Waiting for Godot from the perspective of the theatre of the
Absurd The play
has often been interpreted as a parable where Godot stands as God, or for a
mythical human being or for the meaning of life, death or something eventful.
Waiting for Godot from the perspective of the theatre of
the Absurd
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