The Wild Duck, written by Henrik Ibsen is an example of tragicomedy which consists of

events concerning Ekdal and Werle families and tragic occurrences both families experience.
Waiting for Godot, written by Samuel Beckett, is an example of the genre of ‘’Theatre of the
Absurd’’, which focuses mainly on the futility and meaninglessness of life. In both plays, spaces
and places used are factors that convey messages for the audience. In this essay, the importance
and the possible meanings that the settings of the two plays might convey will be discussed.
In Act II, young Greger asks to rent one of the spare rooms of Ekdal’s photography
studio in which the Ekdal family lives. The logic behind Greger’s offer is to observe the family
which he believes to be built on a lie. Greger, being an idealist, aspires to disclose the secrets to
Hialmar about his family. Hialmar accepts Greger’s offer and Greger moves to the spare room in
Ekdal’s studio. In Act III, Greger causes havoc in the room he stays in by building a fire in the
stove and the room is filled up with smoke. Greger then pours water on the stove trying to put the
fire out but ending up flooding the whole floor. This smokey room in which the havoc took place
represents the approaching destruction that will be caused by Greger in the Ekdal family, trying
to show Hialmar the truth behind his wife and daughter as an idealist who feels responsible for
others in life.
Also, the setting of the Ekdal family's studio is important because the lighting is naturally
lit by a skylight, and the studio consists of photography equipment. The setting might represent
the lies lying beneath the truth of the family. Photography equipment and photographs might
represent the fact that photographs only demonstrate the reflection of events but not the reality of
them, as is the case in Hialmar’s family.
Also, the dark garret in which the Old Ekdal spends his time hunting the animals there is
a forest-like environment surrounded by old Christmas trees represents the illusion of Old Ekdal.
This garret is stocked with various small animals. Old Ekdal still lives in the ooze of illusion and
tries to imitate his previous life keeping animals and trees in the garret trying to hunt them with a
pistol. This makes him feel powerful like in his old days. This setting represents the ‘’life lie’’ of
Old Ekdal.
In Waiting for Godot, a single setting appears in both of the Acts with little change,
however, it is not mentioned in the play whether it is the same place or not. However, In Act II,
two men are joking about the accents of English people, which might indicate they are not
English. Two men, Estragon and Vladimir are waiting on a country road. The place is unknown,
containing nothing other than a dismal tree. The obscurity of the place remains the same
throughout the whole play, which is a representation itself.
The unknown setting of the play containing just a single tree represents the emptiness of
human life as well as the lack of ‘’belonging’’ of humankind. In the first Act of the play, the
audience observes a single tree, and two men waiting on the road, whilst being engaged in pretty
mundane subjects. Estragon is trying to take his boots off and he keeps continuing this futile
action while Vladimir is staring into his hat. This setting of bare place with only a single dismal
tree with two men standing there of the first opening scene might represent looking for the
meaning of life and purposeless of the continuous cycle of actions which lacks an inherent
purpose. This setting represents the very bleak and futile existence of humankind.
Also, the road by which two men are waiting represents the journey of life. By using the
road, two men could progress or make a change in their continuous monotony. But instead, they
kept waiting for Godot, which seems to never appear in both acts, doing pointless actions to pass
time whilst waiting for Godot. This might represent the fact that people spend their life looking
for purpose and continuously waiting for something hoping that it will make a change, which is
futile and meaningless.
In conclusion, in both The Wild Duck and Waiting for Godot, setting and place are
important themes to look at when understanding the plays. In both of the plays, settings and
place can be observed to understand the underlying representations. In The Wild Duck, the
settings represent the dillusion of the characters and ‘’life lies’’ to maintain their life. Places
represent the duality between truth and lies or illusion and reality. Also, the settings also
represent other subjects such as the possible havoc one can cause by insisting on ‘’idealisim’’,
which is the main concern of the play. In Waiting for Godot, however, the barren setting of two
Acts represent the core of the play, which is the futility and meaninglessness of lifeç The empty
place which contains a tree by the road represents the pointless journey of life, the monotony and
the continuous cycle of occurences.