Human Life and Characters

¶ … Waiting for Godot' is a story about two apparently homeless men, Estragon and Vladimir, who wait for something or someone called 'Godot'. The two wait on a desolate expanse of the road beside a tree, resulting in a drama woven out of the men's consciousness. The tale takes the shape of an amusing repartee of dreamscapes, poetry, and nonsense, interpreted by scholars as a solemn summary of humanity's endless pursuit of meaning (Goodreads, 2015).

Characters

Vladimir and Estragon

Vladimir is compared to our brain, and frequently attempts to enlighten others on the goings-on in his surroundings, using proofs to back his assumptions. However, these scientific and rational attempts fail to generate any concrete insight -- by the tale's ending, he appears to be less certain than he initially was. Estragon and Vladimir are equally reliant on one another: whenever Estragon goes missing from the scene, even for a short while, Vladimir gets panicky, owing to his strong phobia of desertion and loneliness (Litcharts, 2014).

When Estragon is by himself, he is portrayed as quite helpless. At the story's outset, for instance, he struggles with as simple a task as removing his boots. Unlike Vladimir, Estragon doesn't have any understanding of time. The second act depicts him getting confused about whether it's morning or evening. He repeatedly expresses his desire to leave; however, every time, his companion keeps reminding him of the need to wait for the arrival of Godot. Estragon is the slow-witted counterpoint to Vladimir, but can still match the latter's verbal wit. He, apparently, was a poet at some point in life (Litcharts, 2014).

Obstacle

All through the story, it is indicated that Estragon and Vladimir desire, but fail to achieve grace -- they are forever estranged from it. Frequently having suicidal thoughts, the two are stuck in calm inactivity, in a state between despair and hope, as regards their quest for salvation, a quest that is somehow connected to Godot

Action

Action has no significance in the story. The play's characters are undeveloped, impatiently awaiting the mysterious Godot's arrival. Godot can be anyone, right from a local landlord to a spiritual entity. They nibble carrots, take rest, and carry out other mundane activities. The conversations they engage in, in the meantime, reflect how helpless their situation is.

Godot

Objective

As the name 'Godot' resembles 'God', scholars normally interpret him as God's pessimistic version, in the author's view, a savior who is always absent and never aids the suffering of humanity (Litcharts, 2014).

Obstacle

Godot is, evidently, an ever-present, all-knowing and all-seeing personal God minus any extension, existing outside of the limitations of time. Hence, he cannot assume physical shape for interacting with Estragon and Vladimir. If he actually showed up at any point, this would imply that he was not really Godot -- or not the Godot Estragon and Vladimir define.

Action

Although Godot never takes the stage and has no lines, one may call him a very salient absence within the tale, so important that one may consider him a character in the story. The little that is known of Godot is derived from the discussion of Vladimir, Estragon, and the messenger boy. The latter claims he is tasked with watching over the goats of Godot. In his view, Godot is a rather compassionate master. Whoever he is, Estragon and Vladimir are certain he alone is their savior, and hence, they constantly await his arrival (Litcharts, 2014).

Pozzo

Objective

A raucous, wealthy tyrant, Pozzo is clearly an advocate of Nietzschean principles and worldly ideas. With superior air, he does exert a certain amount of relative authority and power over Lucky, but is anything but powerful.

Obstacle

He gets panicky the moment he loses material possessions (e.g., his watch). He is fated to continue wandering day after day, the same way Estragon and Vladimir await Godot's arrival day after day. The second act, when Pozzo mysteriously becomes blind and cannot get up once he falls down, depicts him as especially helpless. His watch is lost -- he thinks the ticking he hears is his watch, but later understands it is only his own heart beating. He cannot control time anymore, as he now has to compute it based on human life (e.g., the countdown of the heart). The thought is terrifying, as a pumping heart will someday cease pumping (Litcharts, 2014).