Waiting for Godot: Characters

Characters

1- Estragon (Gogo):

He is helpless. In the beginning of the play, he struggles to take his boots

out. He has no understanding time and so confused whether it is evening or
morning. Also he has poor understanding of people's identities. He does not
recognize Lucky and Pozzo. He thinks that Pozzo's name is Abel. He cannot
even remember his own past telling Pozzo that his name is Adam. He is
concerned with ordinary things, his feet, his boots and his stomach. He even
does not know anything about religion.

2-Valdimir (Didi)

He seems more rational. He has a sense of direct time realizing that events
are repeated. He has the ability to remember people's identities unlike
Estragon and Pozzo who forget each other. He is the only one who outraged at
Pozzo's horrible treatment of Lucky but he does nothing to help him. He tries
to explain what happened in the world, where and when they are. He is more
religious than Estragon. This is shown through his discussion about the Bible
and the savior. At the end he becomes less sure than he does at the beginning.
He relies on Estragon as the latter relies on him.

3-Godot
 While Godot never appear on the stage, his absence has significant
meaning. Through the conversation of Vladimir and Estragon, one hears
about the coming of Godot. Also the boy he sends to deliver his message. The
boy describes Godot as a kind master. Whoever Godot is, the two tramps are
convinced that Godot alone will save them so they decide to wait endlessly for
his arrival that might never come. Because his name resembles to God, Godot
is regarded as pessimistic kind of God, an absent saviour who never comes to
save those who suffer in this world.

4-Pozzo

As a master, Pozzo abuses his servant Lucky and treats him as a slave.
He pulls him with a rope tied around his neck and making him carry all his
things. He used to beat him with whip. While he exercises some power and
authority over Lucky and acts superior to the other characters, he is far
from powerful himself. He becomes panic when he loses his watch and is
doomed to repeat his wandering every day just like the two tramps who
repeat their waiting for Godot. After being blind, he cannot get up when he
failed to the ground. The strong Pozzo has become helpless. This means that
time has stopped and he is just like the two tramps.

5-Lucky
 His name is ironic for in fact he is not lucky because he is abused. He is
Pozzo's servant whom Pozzo treats horribly and continually insults,
addressing him only as pig. He is mostly silent. He is treated like animal. At
the same time, he is considered lucky because he has someone ,Pozzo who
gives him food and shelter. He is aware of his position as a slave unlike the two
tramps who are equally enslaved to their concept of Godot. Lucky's suffering
is worse than the two tramps as he is forced to do everything in silence.

6- Boy

The unnamed boy brings a message from Godot in both acts. Both times
he tells Vladimir and Estragon that Godot is not coming but will come the
next day. It is unclear whether the same boy comes in both acts or whether
these are two different characters. In act two, the boy claims to be different
from the boy of act one. Then Pozzo claims in act two that he did not meet
Vladimir and Estragon in act one.
The boy describes working under Godot as if on a farm where he watches
over God's animals. When the boy asks Vladimir if he would like to send a
message to Godot, Vladimir asks him to tell Godot simply that he saw
Vladimir. This emphasizes that even if they meet Godot, they do not know
what to ask him.