Assignment, Paper No:107 Waiting for Godot

Assignment on "Waiting For Godot" Christian

Introduction

“Waiting for Godot” is a play by Samuel Beckett. Waiting for Godot is Beckett's translation of his own original French play, “En attendant Godot”, and is subtitled in English only "a tragicomedy in two acts”. The original French text was composed between 9 October 1948 and 29 January 1949. The premiere was on 5 January 1953 in the Theater de Babylone, Paris. The English language version was premiered in London in 1955. In a poll conducted by the British Royal National Theatre in 1990 it was voted the "most significant English language play of the 20th century".

There are only five characters who appeared on the stage sixth one does not appear on stage. The story is whole around of that sixth person who never comes – Godot. Vladimir and Estragon both are waiting for Godot and while waiting they are trying to kill the time by various acts. In play two more characters are Lucky and Pozzo, who are slave and master. They both come on the stage as giving relief to the audience from only seeing Vladimir and Estragon. The fifth character is the Boy, who come on the stage to give news about Godot that he will not come today but tomorrow he will come. This play has been considered as a absurd play with the theme of existentialism.

This play is open to many ways like existentialism, absurd theatre, autobiographical, political reading, psychological reading, philosophical reading, religious reading, deconstructive reading, Freudian, ethical, sexual, and Christian. We are here trying to interpret this play as a Christian play.

“Waiting for Godot” as a Christian Play

Samuel Beckett, at many places has put the reference of bible and Christianity. Now we will see all the reference which has made to Christianity by Beckett.

In starting of the play it self Vladimir referrers to the thieves. One was saved and one was damned. The story of two thieves are in the version of The New Testament in Gospel of Luck. There are two thieves with Christ on the same day of incarnation of Christ. One was a good thieve who ask Jesus to remember him when he will come to his kingdom and second one is quite ignorant who mocked at Jesus that are you a messiah? Save yourself and us. So the thief asking for remembering him was saved by Jesus and the one who is mocking was damned.

Vladimir : One of the thieves was saved. (Pause.) It's a reasonable percentage. (Pause.) Gogo.

This is the story Vladimir refers at the beginning. They both also have same desire to be saved by Jesus.  We can also see that when Boy comes with the message of Godot that he will not come today but tomorrow, Vladimir ask him to first remember both of them but in second act he tells him to remember only him. This shows the connection between the story of two thieves and desire to be saved.

Vladimir has also refers to the idea of repentance.

ESTRAGON: What?

VLADIMIR: Suppose we repented.

ESTRAGON: Repented what?

VLADIMIR: Oh . . . (He reflects.) We wouldn't have to go into the details.

ESTRAGON: Our being born?

This is shows the Christian idea of repentance. And when Estragon asks that for what they have to repent then Vladimir denies about details. Which shows his blind faith. It is said in the bible to repent so one must have to repent no details no reasons.

There is another Christian myth of goats and sheep which we can find during the conversation with the Boy. The Sheep and the Goats or "the Judgment of the Nations" is a pronouncement of Jesus recorded in chapter 25 of Matthew's Gospel in the New Testament. From Matthew 25:31–46:

"But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.”

This also has been referred in the play.

VLADIMIR: You work for Mr. Godot?

BOY: Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR: What do you do?

BOY: I mind the goats, Sir.

VLADIMIR: Is he good to you?

BOY: Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR: He doesn't beat you?

BOY: No Sir, not me.

VLADIMIR: Whom does he beat?

BOY: He beats my brother, Sir.

VLADIMIR: Ah, you have a brother?

BOY: Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR: What does he do?

BOY: He minds the sheep, Sir.

In bible sheep are at right hand and goats are at left but in this play Godot beats the one who is minding sheep. This biblical reference is for the good people and the bad people. Here we can see Vladimir asking that does Mr. Godot beat him or not and when boy said that he beat his brother Vladimir has said that Crist have mercy on us. This beating shows the punishment given by the God. They both are thinking that if they will not wait for Godot he will punish them. Vladimir also said the boy to tell Mr. Godot that they are waiting for him which shows that he wants salvation and for that they are waiting.

Next is it is clearly indicated in the play that the Godot or God is Christian.

VLADIMIR: (softly). Has he a beard, Mr. Godot?

BOY: Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR: Fair or . . . (he hesitates) . . . or black?

BOY: I think it's white, Sir.

This clear reference shows that Godot is Christian. We can also read him as God as his name suggests “God – ot”. So we can read Godot as God and Vladimir and Estragon both are waiting for God and the salvation.

Next is the tree in the play which has in the background. It is the symbol of cross on which Christ was hanged, and Vladimir and Estragon standing besides each side of the tree again the symbol which shows the thieves and Christ. Some leaves on the tree in second act is shows the idea of hope. They have hope that their wait will give them some results. Or the hope of Godot coming.  The name of the bible is also clearly referred in the play as Vladimir asks Estragon that have he read Bible? And then the description holy lands from bible.

Vladimir and Estragon are keep waiting for Godot. We can interpret as they are waiting for their savior or second coming. As they have hope of getting salvation from that savior. They are waiting for him to resolve all their life’s problem and sorrows. As Christian believes that some day the son of God will come and save them all from the miseries of life. And that is why they are keep waiting for Godot believing that he will gave them salvation.

“Estragon: And if we dropped him? (Pause) If we dropped him?

Vladimir: He’d punish us.

Estragon: And if he comes?

Vladimir: We’ll be saved.”

As I have discussed before the idea and fear of punishment from Godot and the reason behind waiting for so long. If they will stop waiting Godot will punish and if they will keep waiting the Godot will come and save them. But wait for how long is not known. Same everybody is waiting for their savior to come and save them and they believe savior will come and that’s why all keep waiting. Or may be they have fear of punishment and that is why they all are keep waiting.

If we take Lucky and Pozzo in consideration and the relation between both of them is slave and master. If we put this relation between humans and God then humans will be Lucky who is slave and God will be Pozzo who is master. The rode of religion is in our neck and we enslaved on the name of religion. Then when our master go blind then even we don’t try to free ourselves. Because we think this rode as safety or the necessary element for happiness and salvation.

Then we can see Lucky caring too many bags and don’t put it down. When it is asked to Pozzo he says that there is sand in the bags which as per Christianity is symbol of sin. So this wants to show that humans are under the burden of their sin and to get rid of that sin they keep waiting and keep following what master and later on blind master says.

We also can read Boy’s character who passes the message of Mr. Godot to Vladimir and Estragon. We can interpret him as messenger of God. God has send him to passes his message to all humanity. The people around us are also claiming to be the messenger of god. This is also we can read in context of Christianity that they believe in messengers.

Conclusion

After looking at all these points we can conclude this play as a Christian play. Some of its aspects are connected with all religions but we have clear reference to bible and the myths from the bible and by all these references we can say that Samuel Beckett has bring home a bible in some conversation between two tramps which look so meaningless and absurd.

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