Waiting for Godot - Samuel Beckett
Context and Influences
● Historical - After WW2 (written in 1952)
● Social - People were depressed, hopeless, had no sense of meaning, sense of
abandonment; no faith in humanity
● Political - Beckett comments on the futility of existence and existential philosophy;
reaction against realism
Intentions
● Highlight futility - show that life was futile, absurd, and chaotic
● No solution - does not give an answer to the absurdity (Godot never comes);
encourages the audience to find their own meaning (existentialism)
● No preconceived notions of the play (subjective meaning)
Genre
● Tragicomedy - funny and serious; subjective interpretation; rejects conventional
theatrical practices; not clearly categorised; mankind’s experiences are equally
serious and ludicrous
Style
● Absurdism - influenced by existential philosophy; expressive, bizarre; language can
be illogical; rejection of well-made play
● Comedy - makes use of; pratfalls, music hall, vaudeville comedy, crude physical
humour, farce, contradicting speech/action, rapid speech
● Black comedy - comedy generated pain; clowning represents dark comedy
Dramatic Action
● Act 1 and Act 2 are almost identical
● Plot - vladimir and estragon, then pozzo and lucky join, pozzo and lucky leave, the
boy comes, then vladimir and estragon
Structure
● Rejection of the well-made play structure
● Limited information of plot/character
● Recurring motifs (relates to cyclical nature)
● No central conflict
● No definite conclusion
● Dramatic action progresses through question-answer
Staging
● Bare; unspecific location
● Set - road; mound; tree; moon
● Props - rope; carrot; bowler hats etc.
● Costumes - tramp clothing (non-specific); hat and boots; symbollic of wanderers
● Light and Soundscape - reflective of mood (change in daytime)
Context and Influences
● Historical - After WW2 (written in 1952)
● Social - People were depressed, hopeless, had no sense of meaning, sense of
abandonment; no faith in humanity
● Political - Beckett comments on the futility of existence and existential philosophy;
reaction against realism
Intentions
● Highlight futility - show that life was futile, absurd, and chaotic
● No solution - does not give an answer to the absurdity (Godot never comes);
encourages the audience to find their own meaning (existentialism)
● No preconceived notions of the play (subjective meaning)
Genre
● Tragicomedy - funny and serious; subjective interpretation; rejects conventional
theatrical practices; not clearly categorised; mankind’s experiences are equally
serious and ludicrous
Style
● Absurdism - influenced by existential philosophy; expressive, bizarre; language can
be illogical; rejection of well-made play
● Comedy - makes use of; pratfalls, music hall, vaudeville comedy, crude physical
humour, farce, contradicting speech/action, rapid speech
● Black comedy - comedy generated pain; clowning represents dark comedy
Dramatic Action
● Act 1 and Act 2 are almost identical
● Plot - vladimir and estragon, then pozzo and lucky join, pozzo and lucky leave, the
boy comes, then vladimir and estragon
Structure
● Rejection of the well-made play structure
● Limited information of plot/character
● Recurring motifs (relates to cyclical nature)
● No central conflict
● No definite conclusion
● Dramatic action progresses through question-answer
Staging
● Bare; unspecific location
● Set - road; mound; tree; moon
● Props - rope; carrot; bowler hats etc.
● Costumes - tramp clothing (non-specific); hat and boots; symbollic of wanderers
● Light and Soundscape - reflective of mood (change in daytime)
