Noelle‌‌Spitz‌ 

Art‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Play‌  ‌

Professor‌‌Richards‌  ‌

October‌‌26,‌‌2016‌  ‌

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Theater‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Absurd‌  ‌

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For‌‌society‌‌oddities‌‌are‌‌alluring‌‌and‌‌attractive.‌‌The‌‌oddity,‌‌no‌‌matter‌‌how‌‌strange‌‌it‌‌is‌‌can‌‌ 

captivate‌‌an‌‌audience‌‌making‌‌them‌‌not‌‌want‌‌to‌‌tear‌‌their‌‌eyes‌‌away.‌‌This‌‌genre‌‌in‌‌theatre‌‌is‌‌
 

referred‌‌to‌‌as‌‌what‌‌Martin‌‌Esslin‌‌named‌‌it‌‌“The‌‌Theatre‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Absurd”‌‌(Crabb).‌‌This‌‌genre‌‌is‌‌ 

categorized‌‌by‌‌existentialism.‌‌The‌‌tradition‌‌of‌‌the‌‌genre‌‌can‌‌be‌‌traced‌‌all‌‌the‌‌way‌‌back‌‌to‌‌the‌‌ 

Greeks‌‌and‌‌their‌‌plays.‌‌One‌‌very‌‌popular‌‌play‌‌that‌‌falls‌‌under‌‌this‌‌genre‌‌is‌W
‌ aiting‌‌for‌‌Godot‌‌‌by‌‌ 

Samuel‌‌Beckett,‌‌who‌‌originally‌‌wrote‌‌the‌‌show‌‌in‌‌French‌‌and‌‌later‌‌translated‌‌it‌‌into‌‌English.‌‌The‌‌
 

cast‌‌of‌‌his‌‌two‌‌act‌‌play‌‌consist‌‌of‌‌five‌‌characters‌‌and‌‌one‌‌who‌‌is‌‌only‌‌ever‌‌talked‌‌about.‌W
‌ aiting‌‌ 

for‌‌Godot‌‌‌is‌‌about‌‌two‌‌men,‌‌Vladimir‌‌and‌‌Estragon‌‌who‌‌are‌‌also‌‌called‌‌Didi‌‌and‌‌Gogo‌‌ 

respectively.‌‌They‌‌are‌‌waiting‌‌to‌‌meet‌‌a‌‌man‌‌named‌‌Godot‌‌and‌‌he‌‌supposedly‌‌going‌‌to‌‌save‌‌
 

them‌‌in‌‌some‌‌way,‌‌but‌‌he‌‌never‌‌ends‌‌up‌‌coming.‌‌As‌‌per‌‌the‌‌genre‌‌the‌‌play‌‌is‌‌rather‌‌bleak‌‌and‌‌ 

depressing‌‌which‌‌is‌‌heightened‌‌by‌‌the‌‌lack‌‌of‌‌a‌‌plot‌‌for‌‌the‌‌protagonists‌‌Didi‌‌and‌‌Gogo.‌‌The‌‌men‌‌
 

meet‌‌in‌‌the‌‌same‌‌spot‌‌every‌‌day‌‌and‌‌attempt‌‌to‌‌amuse‌‌themselves‌‌while‌‌they‌‌wait‌‌for‌‌someone‌‌ 

who‌‌is‌‌never‌‌going‌‌to‌‌come‌‌until‌‌nightfall‌‌when‌‌they‌‌decide‌‌that‌‌tomorrow‌‌will‌‌be‌‌the‌‌day,‌‌thus‌‌ 
starting‌‌the‌‌cycle‌‌over‌‌again.‌‌The‌‌biggest‌‌factor‌‌I‌‌feel‌‌on‌‌this‌‌play‌‌is‌‌the‌‌role‌‌of‌‌decision‌‌making‌‌
 

because‌‌they‌‌are‌‌what‌‌aid‌‌the‌‌process‌‌of‌‌repetition‌‌of‌‌the‌‌show.‌  ‌

Choices‌‌are‌‌a‌‌necessary‌‌part‌‌of‌‌daily‌‌life‌‌because‌‌the‌‌choices‌‌that‌‌people‌‌make‌‌affect‌‌
 

their‌‌lives‌‌both‌‌short‌‌term‌‌and‌‌long‌‌term.‌‌There‌‌are‌‌times‌‌when‌‌it‌‌appears‌‌that‌‌there‌‌is‌‌only‌‌one‌‌ 

choice‌‌in‌‌a‌‌situation‌‌and‌‌that‌‌there‌‌is‌‌no‌‌getting‌‌out‌‌of‌‌what‌‌is‌‌to‌‌come.‌‌Once‌‌a‌‌choice‌‌is‌‌made‌‌ 

the‌‌consequences‌‌of‌‌that‌‌choice‌‌need‌‌to‌‌be‌‌dealt‌‌with.‌‌In‌W
‌ aiting‌‌for‌‌Godot‌‌‌Didi‌‌and‌‌Gogo‌‌make‌‌
 

the‌‌decision‌‌to‌‌keep‌‌coming‌‌and‌‌waiting‌‌for‌‌Godot‌‌even‌‌though‌‌deep‌‌down‌‌they‌‌know‌‌that‌‌he‌‌ 

will‌‌never‌‌come.‌‌What‌‌I‌‌believe‌‌is‌‌that‌‌both‌‌men‌‌feel‌‌in‌‌a‌‌way‌‌“tied‌‌to‌‌Godot”‌‌because‌‌they‌‌are‌‌
 

supposed‌‌to‌‌eventually‌‌meet‌‌him‌‌(Beckett‌‌14).‌‌Morally‌‌they‌‌feel‌‌obligated‌‌to‌‌be‌‌there‌‌in‌‌case‌‌he‌‌
 

does‌‌come,‌‌even‌‌though‌‌he‌‌won’t.‌‌For‌‌them‌‌there‌‌is‌‌“nothing‌‌to‌‌be‌‌done”‌‌about‌‌their‌‌situation‌‌ 

because‌‌they‌‌are‌‌there‌‌now‌‌purely‌‌out‌‌of‌‌routine‌‌(Beckett‌‌14).‌‌They‌‌see‌‌no‌‌reason‌‌to‌‌be‌‌free‌‌from‌‌ 

their‌‌routine‌‌because‌‌in‌W
‌ aiting‌‌for‌‌Godot‌‌‌as‌‌seen‌‌from‌‌the‌‌Bible‌‌story‌‌in‌‌the‌‌opening‌‌of‌‌act‌‌one‌‌
 

freedom‌‌is‌‌arbitrary‌‌and‌‌without‌‌logic.‌‌Vladimir‌‌and‌‌Estragon‌‌actively‌‌choose‌‌to‌‌stay‌‌in‌‌their‌‌ 

situation‌‌because‌‌they‌‌don’t‌‌see‌‌the‌‌point‌‌of‌‌being‌‌free‌‌from‌‌the‌‌waiting,‌‌but‌‌also‌‌because‌‌they‌‌
 

feel‌‌that‌‌they‌‌cannot‌‌change‌‌as‌‌Estragon‌‌says‌‌on‌‌page‌‌32.‌‌For‌‌them‌‌they‌‌feel‌‌that‌‌there‌‌is‌‌no‌‌ 

other‌‌choice‌‌but‌‌to‌‌wait,‌‌even‌‌though‌‌in‌‌reality‌‌they‌‌do‌‌not‌‌have‌‌to.‌‌   ‌

Vladimir‌‌and‌‌Estragon’s‌‌choice‌‌to‌‌continue‌‌waiting‌‌forms‌‌the‌‌habits‌‌of‌‌their‌‌daily‌‌life.‌‌ 

The‌‌waiting‌‌has‌‌become‌‌so‌‌habitual‌‌that‌‌it‌‌has‌‌begun‌‌to‌‌affect‌‌their‌‌memory.‌‌Each‌‌character‌‌in‌‌ 

the‌‌play‌‌in‌‌some‌‌way‌‌states‌‌that‌‌their‌‌“memory‌‌is‌‌defective”‌‌in‌‌one‌‌way‌‌or‌‌another‌‌(Beckett,‌‌25).‌‌
 

I‌‌theorize‌‌that‌‌the‌‌cause‌‌for‌‌memory‌‌loss‌‌as‌‌well‌‌as‌‌the‌‌general‌‌loss‌‌of‌‌time‌‌is‌‌due‌‌their‌‌choice‌‌of‌‌ 

habit.‌‌The‌‌waiting‌‌is‌‌a‌‌routine‌‌much‌‌like‌‌getting‌‌dressed‌‌in‌‌the‌‌morning,‌‌the‌‌routine‌‌itself‌‌has‌‌
 

become‌‌ingrained‌‌that‌‌it‌‌is‌‌not‌‌thought‌‌about.‌‌As‌‌readers‌‌or‌‌play‌‌goers‌‌we‌‌only‌‌see‌‌two‌‌cycles‌‌of‌‌ 

the‌‌routine‌‌which‌‌is‌‌why‌‌their‌‌day‌‌to‌‌day‌‌memory‌‌loss‌‌peculiar,‌‌but‌‌for‌‌them‌‌this‌‌has‌‌been‌‌going‌‌ 
on‌‌for‌‌years,‌‌so‌‌naturally‌‌they‌‌are‌‌not‌‌going‌‌to‌‌remember‌‌because‌‌it‌‌is‌‌the‌‌same‌‌every‌‌day.‌‌ 

Although‌‌the‌‌slight‌‌changes‌‌such‌‌as‌‌Pozzo‌‌going‌‌blind‌‌that‌‌cause‌‌Vladimir‌‌to‌‌question‌‌whether‌‌
 

he‌‌“is‌‌sleeping‌‌now”‌‌or‌‌if‌‌he‌‌is‌‌awake‌‌(Beckett,‌‌58).‌‌Although‌‌he‌‌then‌‌acknowledges‌‌the‌‌cycle‌‌ 

they‌‌have‌‌been‌‌stuck‌‌in‌‌he‌‌ignores‌‌it‌‌and‌‌wants‌‌to‌‌“come‌‌back‌‌to-morrow”‌‌starting‌‌the‌‌routine‌‌
 

again‌‌(Beckett,‌‌60).‌   ‌ ‌

Waiting‌‌for‌‌Godot‌‌‌is‌‌certainly‌‌an‌‌interesting‌‌show‌‌to‌‌say‌‌the‌‌least‌‌and‌‌it‌‌is‌‌very‌‌much‌‌the‌‌ 

epitome‌‌of‌‌the‌‌“Theatre‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Absurd”‌‌because‌‌of‌‌how‌‌it‌‌questions‌‌the‌‌point‌‌of‌‌life‌‌itself.‌‌I ‌‌

thought‌‌the‌‌play‌‌although‌‌very‌‌grim‌‌did‌‌have‌‌many‌‌moments‌‌of‌‌humor.‌‌I‌‌see‌‌the‌‌potential‌‌for‌‌it‌‌
 

to‌‌be‌‌played‌‌out‌‌as‌‌a‌‌comedy‌‌or‌‌a‌‌serious‌‌drama‌‌much‌‌like‌‌Chekov’s‌T
‌ he‌‌Cherry‌‌Orchard‌.‌‌The‌‌ 

comedy‌‌between‌‌Didi‌‌and‌‌Gogo‌‌almost‌‌reminded‌‌me‌‌of‌‌the‌‌stupidity‌‌of‌‌Rosencrantz‌‌and‌‌
 

Guildenstern‌‌from‌‌William‌‌Shakespeare’s‌‌Hamlet.‌‌‌Still‌‌looking‌‌at‌H
‌ amlet‌‌‌I‌‌felt‌‌that‌‌Waiting‌‌for‌‌ 

Godot‌‌was‌‌just‌‌a‌‌longer‌‌version‌‌of‌‌Hamlet‌‌contemplating‌‌the‌‌quintessence‌‌of‌‌dust.‌‌Overall,‌‌
 

Waiting‌‌for‌‌Godot‌‌‌is‌‌an‌‌alright‌‌play‌‌about‌‌five‌‌characters‌‌stuck‌‌in‌‌their‌‌obscure‌‌routines.‌‌
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 Works‌‌Cited‌  ‌

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Crabb,‌‌Jerome‌‌P.‌‌"Theatre‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Absurd." ‌Theatre‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Absurd‌.‌‌Theatre‌‌Database,‌‌3‌‌Sept.‌‌ 

2006.‌‌Web.‌‌24‌‌Oct.‌‌2016.‌‌
 

<http://www.theatredatabase.com/20th_century/theatre_of_the_absurd.html>.‌ 

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Beckett,‌‌Samuel.‌‌"Waiting‌‌for‌‌Godot.‌‌1954."‌‌(1982).‌  ‌

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