Existentialism and Absurdism in Waiting for Godot

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Introduction

Waiting for Godot is said to have both absurd as well as existentialist traits at its disposal. Samuel Beckett himself did not belong to any of the previously said "schools" of thoughts. Because there was no obvious movement behind absurdism and existentialism. The work is classified as an existential or absurd play by the people who tried to make a meaning out of the play. Let's dive deeper into the absurd and existential crisis in Waiting for Godot.

Existentialism and Absurdism in Waiting for Godot

Traits of Absurdism in the Play

l Beckett is said to have the most influence in the so-called Theatre of the Absurd, notes Martin Esslin in his book also titled "Theatre of the Absurd" which was published in 1961. There is no direct definition for the factors that can contribute in the construction of the absurd theatre. However, Martin Esslin clearly hints at the chief characteristics of an absurd play as thus,

If a good play must have a cleverly constructed story, these [plays of absurd] have no story or plot to speak of; a good play is judged by the subtlety of characterization and motivation, these are often without recognizable characters and present the audience with almost mechanical puppets; a good play has to have a fully explained theme, which is neatly exposed and finally solved, these often have neither a beginning nor an end; if a good play is to hold the mirror up to nature and portray the manners and mannerisms of the age in finely observed sketches, these seem often to be reflections of dreams and nightmares; if a good play relies on witty repartee and pointed dialogue, these often consist of incoherent babblings.

So, the Absurd Plays are a clear deviation from what was already established among the playwrights. Here, Martin Esslin lays the foundation of the absurd plays and which elements constitute an absurd play as listed below:

No plot
Minimal or no Characterization
No proper beginning or ending
Unexplained themes
Dialogues that make no sense

Waiting for Godot checks the required boxes for being an Absurd play. We see no obvious traces of a strong plot. There is no sequence of events. Because there is only one event that is the event of waiting. The characterization in Waiting for Godot is minimal. There is no character development. Two tramps, Estragon and Vladimir remain the same in the end as they were in the beginning; trying to give up the idea of waiting but "they do not move".

Another absurdian characteristic in Waiting for Godot is the lack of flow. There is no proper beginning or ending of the play. It will be right to say that the play ends at the beginning. Which means the situation of the play remains the same. Absurd plays usually exhibit unexplained themes. That is due to the lack of happenings. But Waiting for Godot, despite waiting for happening to occur, has themes that are well-explained by the critics and readers alike. Lastly, absurd plays are run on absurd dialogues. In Waiting for Godot, we can easily trace out the use of cross-talk like the jesters in Waiting for Godot. Thus proves that Waiting for Godot has the traits of absurd dramas in it.

Existential Crisis in the Play

Waiting for Godot is said to be a shining example of an existential play. Yet it is considered to have the roots of nihilism in its core. Existentialism is a theory that is presented by Martin Heidegger and Jean Paul Sartre. The theory asserts that mankind is thrown into a meaningless universe in which their lives have no (inherent) purpose. Humans are put on an absurd situation by an unknown force. While Nihilism demonstrates that humans exist, that is enough. They should not do anything in this world of meaninglessness. Waiting for Godot has the shades of both existentialism as well as nihilism, probably to show the significance of existentialism over nihilism.

In Waiting for Godot, existentialism is present in two versions. One is without God (General concept of existentialism) while the second is Christian Existentialism that does believe in the existence of God. Keeping in view the general conception of existentialism, we find Estragon and Vladimir trapped in waiting with mental suffering and agony exactly like the mental pangs we find in the demonstration of the Theory of Existentialism. The agony of tramps can be found in this line:

Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it’s awful.

The Christian version of existentialism is also present in Waiting for Godot that involves in the discovery of God in the end. The particular point is asserted by Estragon as thus,

We always find something, eh Didi, to let us think we exist.

The question of "who we are" and "why we are here in this world" has always been knocking through the minds of every person. Similarly, the tramps are thrown away into a pointless situation to waiting and they have no exact clue of their past and they are not certain about their future as well. This has been a problem for all of us too.

Nihilism in Waiting for Godot is illustrated through the inaction of the tramps. Existentialism favours work to add a meaning to one's meaningless life. Both Estragon and Vladimir are seen doing nothing to add a meaning to their waiting. If they were serious about Godot, they should have searched for him. Or they should have given up the idea of waiting and readied themselves for some work to change their condition. But their tendency for reliance on someone to change their lives is what nihilism preaches to do.

Conclusion

Waiting for Godot showcases the absurd existentialism that is affected by the nihilism of the tramps.

Existentialism and Absurdism in Waiting for Godot

Introduction

Traits of Absurdism in the Play

Existential Crisis in the Play

Conclusion

Sources and Suggested Readings

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