Introductory
Lucky's speech, though a bunch of verbal gibberish, still assumes the shape of a valuable asset in Waiting for Godot because of a certain theological theme it carries. It is worth noting that the speech is delivered by someone who does not speak on usual accounts and his speech is a result of his "thinking". According to Beckett, "The threads and themes of the play are being gathered together [in this speech]. " And there is a reason why has Beckett said so. As this play mainly highlights the absurdity and uncertainty of life, Lucky's incoherent speech throws a spotlight on such senselessness yet in a structure that makes sense. Before diving deep into the structural exploration of Lucky's speech, it is important for us to know what exactly is spoken by the silent Lucky.
What's inside Lucky's Speech?
Lucky's speech is initiated as a result of the tramps' disdain for Lucky's dance which, according to Pozzo, looked like someone trapped in a net. Lucky begins his speech or thinks as Pozzo commands him to "Think, pig! " [Maybe Beckett, here, is satirizing the mantra, Think big. ] His speech is three pages long but is repetitive. Therefore, a condensed version of his speech is written below,
Acknowledging the existence of a personal God, one who exists outside of time and who loves us dearly and who suffers with those who are plunged into torment, it is established beyond all doubt that man, for reasons unknown, has left his labors abandoned, unfinished.
The most repeating words from Lucky's speech are "for reasons unknown" and "time will tell", signalling at the unknown uncertainty (of the results of Man's actions as influenced by God). His rapid firing of words agitates everyone else present on the stage and his hat is snatched under a graphic stage direction to "put an end to his thinking".
Theological Significance
The speech, upon its first surface reading, looks like a religious sermon. But it is unlike any religious sermon. The speech hints at the existence of not a God but a "personal God". What is personal God exactly? According to the interpretation of Lucky's speech at Owlcation, personal God means a God whose authority is derived on an individual level. The speech moves further with the quote, "God loves us dearly with some exemptions for reasons unknown". The word, "with some exemptions" is the key here that unlocks the divine apathia, athambia and aphasia (divine indifference and divine silence [both in the meaning of athambia and aphasia]). Lucky is indirectly asserting that God is indifferent to the plight or hardships of humanity. Lucky's 'religious' sermon ends with the phrase, "time will tell", signifying an uncertain time for either the salvation or damnation of a person.
An Attack on Modern Humans and The Foreshadowing of a Grim Future
Lucky's speech is not limited to theological aspects of life but also to the shortcomings of modern-day humans. Beckett, through the mouthpiece of Lucky, satirizes the modern humans' attempts to make this world a better place but all of their efforts result in the "alimentation and defecation" with their "labours left unfinished". This portion of the speech serves as a satirical allusion to the Enlightenment project as, which lead to two devastating world wars.
The final section of Lucky's incoherently coherent speech serves as a foreshadowing of an apocalyptic world where the running cycle of Nature has reached its time and the earth is engulfed in darkness. The imagery of stones and skulls further reinstate the idea of human extinction.
The last word of Lucky's speech is "unfinished". On one hand, it explicitly directs at the [forcefully] unfinished state of Lucky's speech. On the other hand, it gives us hope that even after the apocalyptic extinction of humanity, someone or something better shall emerge from the rubble and the wheel of life will continue to spin.
Concision
The incoherently coherent sermon of Lucky, in concision, not only highlights the theological scepticism, but also serves as a caveat for our apocalyptic demise. His speech begins with pessimism but ends in obscure optimism.
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