the theatre of the absurd and "waiting for godot"

8/13/2019 The theatre of the absurd and "Waiting for Godot"

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The Theatre of Absurd and Waiting for

Godot by Samuel Beckett (1906-1989)

Samuel Beckett

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IRISH - Born in Dublin (Anglo-Irish parents)

Graduated in Modern Languages (Frenchand Italian) at Trinity College, Dublin

1928 Paris (lecturer at Ecole Normale)

Influenced by EXISTENTIALISM (Camus,Sartre)

Met Ionesco andAdamov in Paris

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Back to Ireland: Teacher at Trinity CollegeDublin

1931 (25 years old) vagabond years across

Europe

World War II fought in theResistanceMovement



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1945 definitelyinParis (met Joyce)

Wrotein Frenchand English, indifferently

En Attendant Godot =Instantsuccess

Hewrotenotonlyplays(includingradioplays) butalsocriticalessays.

1969 NOBEL PRIZE forLITERATURE



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Waiting for Godot (written in

French in 1952 and

translated into English in

1954)

Endgame (1958)

Krapps Last Tape (1959)

Happy Days (1961)

Breath (1970)

Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) Plays

Samuel Beckett



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Contents

Historical andsocial context

Existentialism

The Theatre ofthe Absurd

Wait ing for Godot

The plot

Time

Setting

Structure

The CharactersThemes

Samuel Beckett

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After World War II people feltcynical about life.

The Nazis had committedatrocities in the

concentration camps. The Allies had dropped the

atomic bomb in Japan.

Britain had been reduced to a

second-class power after thedissolution of the Empire.

Historical and social context

The nuclear bombing of Hiroshima, 1945

The infamous entrance to Auschwitz.



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Man was thought to beinclined to evil and the power

of scientific knowledge was

believed to be destructive.

Religious faith weakened.

There was disillusionment

with economic and social

progress theories.

People no longerbelieved in

the power of reason.

These factorsled to a sense

of anguish andhelplessnessespecially

among the

young

Historical and social context



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Existentialism saw mantrapped in a hostile world.

The universe was not rational

and defied any explanation.

Existentialists presented theabsurdity of human condition

by means of rational languageand logical reasoning.



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existenceprecedes essence

Man as theexistent individual

in his relationshipto the universe aswell as to others:The Other.

Sartre, J-P.Being andNothingness.

Jean-Paul Sartre1905-1980



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He was the mainexponent of thisphilosophical current.

Human life wasmeaningless and thiscreated a sense of

confusion, despair andemptiness.



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SrenKierkegaard1813-1855

The single

individual



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My life becomes meaningful whenI raise myself to the universal

Through faith the single individual

is higher than the universal

Subjectivity is the truth

Kierkegaard, S. Fear and Trembling



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Martin Heidegger1889-1976

To exist is tobe historical

I mustunderstand my

choice in lightof the potentialwholenessofmy existence

Heidegger, M.Being andTime.



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A termappliedtoa groupofdramatists:Beckett (the most representative),RoumanianIonesco, RussianAdamov

(Beckett met them in Paris)

However itwasnot a school (each

workedon hisown)



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Camus andSartre (existentialism) had a stronginfluence on The theatre of the Absurd

After 2 world wars, in a world with no religion,with no belief People are lost

Portrayal of a pessimistic view of existenceNo purpose at all in life, which is totally absurd

?

A BIG existential questionWHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF HUMAN EXISTENCE?



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The theatre of the AbsurdNO MEANING AT ALL

Becketts playswant to represent

the absurdity and irrationality of

human existence

At the basisthereisa tragicsituation

Torepresent thishecould not usea realistic form ofdrama

INNOVATIVE FORM



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Peoples alienation.

The cruelty in human life.

The absence of objectives.

The meaninglessness of mans struggle.



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The Theatre of the Absurd: main features

Absence of a real story or plot.

No action since all actions are insignificant.

Vagueness about time, place and thecharacters.

Incoherent babbling makes up the dialogue.



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The Theatre of the Absurd: main features

The value of language is reduced: whathappens on the stage transcends, and oftencontradicts, the words spoken by the

characters.

Extensive use of pauses, silences, mimingand farcical situations which reflect a senseof anguish.



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First writtenin French and performedinParis En At tendant Godot(1953) (writtenin a foreignlanguagetomaintainthelanguage assimple and detachedas

possible)

Thentranslated (byBeckett himself) intoEnglish (1954) andperformedin London

Wait ing for Godot(1955)



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Figure: Set for Wait ing f or Godot, Creative Time, NewOrleans, 2007

BECKETTS TRAMPS

Figure: Frame fromCharlie Champ, TheLittle Tramp,

KeystoneComedy(1915)



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No Setting: a desolatecountry road and a baretree.

Time:evening. Characters:two tramps,

Vladimir and Estragon,bored by a day ofnothingness;Pozzo andLucky, aboy, andGODOT!

Poster for a staging of Waiting for Godot.



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Waiting for Godotis a piece of theatre of the absurd by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait

endlessly and in vain for someone named Godot to arrive. Godot'sabsence has led to many different interpretations since the

play's premiere.Waiting for Godotwas voted

"the most significant English language play of the 20th century"



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TRADITIONAL DRAMA

There isa story

developing in time

Portrait of society

through realistic

characters who move

in adefinite period oftime

WAITING FOR GODOT

NO STORY, NO PLOT It is a static

work where nothing happens

The characters performmenialactions: they quarrel, put on or offboots (Estragon) or hat (Vladimir).

They interact to fill up their time,pauses andsilences are asimportant as words.

They speakjust to avoid silencebut do not communicateanything.



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TRADITIONALDRAMA

theaudiencecan identifywiththecharacters

WAITING FOR GODOT

Emphasis on INNER

REALITY (A DRAMA OFTHE MIND)



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TRADITIONALDRAMA

Eventsnarrated

inchronologicalorder, thereis

adevelopment, aclimax, aconclusion.

WAITING FOR GODOT

No development in time

No past, no future =thecharactersdo not remembertheirpastor figure out theirfuture

One day similar to thefollowing, and the first act isalmost identical tothesecond(circular structure)

No beginning no end (a sortofnightmare)



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Estragon: We came too soon.Vladimir: Its always at nightfall.Estragon: But night doesnt fallVladimir: Itll fall all of a sudden,like yesterday.Estragon: Then itll be night.Vladimir: And we can go.Estragon: Then itll be day again.[Pause. Despairing]Whatll we do, whatll we do!Vladimir: Were waiting for

Godot(...)

Waiting for Godot, p.63.

Time/Waiting



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TRADITIONAL DRAMA

= Realistic settingand scenery

WAITING FOR GODOT

A country road, a baretree (everywhere)

Expressionism asymbolical settingisusedtoportraytheminds existential

desolation anddespair.



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The play has a circularstructure it ends almostexactly as it begins.

The two acts are symmetricallybuilt the stage is divided into

two halves by a tree, the humanraces into two, Vladimir andEstragon, Pozzo and Lucky.

The play is pervaded by agrotesque humour.

Its tone is tragic and desperate.

Waiting for Godot: structure

Waiting for Godot, London, Peter Hall Co.



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Vladimir and Estragon

Pozzoand Lucky

The Boy

Godot



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Vladimir and

Estragon are

complementary.

The two tramps

are waiting for

Godot

Characters

Waiting forGodot, London, Peter Hall Co.



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Lucky and Pozzo

are linked by a

relationship of

masterandservant.

Characters

Waiting for Godot, London, Peter Hall Co.



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TRADITIONAL DRAMA

Realistic characters

withtheirpersonalities

Belongingtoaspecific social class



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WAITING FOR GODOT

Tramps - No defined personality or social class

(symbolical of an existential situation)

COMPLEMENTARY (two different aspects of the same

personality =body (gogo) and mind (didi) they need each other

Vladimir (didi dt dt he speaks) he is more intellectual, heplays with his hat.

Estragon (gogogo,go problems with his boots) he has to do

with corporal activities: he is angry, sleepy, he always complainshe is beaten by someone during the night.



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Vladimirand Estragon

Two friendswho are stucktogetherwaiting forsomethingbetter to come;

Each day intheir lives is a

repetition of aprevious day.

National Theatre, Warsaw



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WAITING FOR GODOT

Pozzo is the oppressor/the power of the body.Lucky is the slave / the power of the mind, he

can speak when he has his hat on.


Pozzoand


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PozzoandLucky

The masterand the slaveare dependenton each other;

Though theycould separate,they choosenot to.

Theatre Royal, Bath



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WAITING FOR GODOT

Theyarecomplementary, too =Theyare linked

toeachotherbya rope, keptbyPozzo.In the secondact rolesare reversed: Pozzo is

blindand needsLuckywhohasbecome

dumb.



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Who is Godot?

CouldGODOT be

the saviour orthe savingeventthat nevercomes?



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Godot

Is he aninsignificantcharacter?

He may or

may notarrive. Is itimportant?

Who is he

really?

Characters



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There are biblical allusions in this namewhichmayrecall the idea ofGod

(In French=Little God)

Go + (dot)(theywant togo but theydo notmove)

N.B.: Beckett neversaid it wasGod



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Thisiswhat the charactersdo:theyjust WAITFOR GODOT

(main theme)

HoweverGODOTNEVER COMES



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Human impotence in the face of lifesmeaninglessness.

A static world where nothing happens.

Absence of a tradi tional t ime there is no past,present and future, just a repetitive present.

Disintegration of language absurd exchanges,broken and fragmented dialogues.

The lack of communication use of para-verballanguage: mime, silences, pauses and gags.

Some themes



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Religion/God

Estragon: (...)God have pityon me.Vladimir:

[Vexed] Andme?

Waiting forGodot

The University of Georgia Drama Department


Religion/God


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Religion/God?????????????

Estragon: Letsgo.Vladimir: Wecant.Estragon: Whynot?

Vladimir: Werewaiting forGodot.

Waiting forGodot

Photo By David Meistrich



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TRADITIONALDRAMA

Language isrealistic

Characters speak

to communicate

WAITING FOR GODOT

Incoherent babbling, puns, gags,language loses its meaning

Many PAUSES, MIMING, SILENCES

What happens on the stage is often contradicted by the words spoken by the protagonists

Vladimir Well, Shall we go?Estragon Yes, lets go

[they do not move]



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Language?

Silence ispouring intothis play likewater into a

sinkingship.

SamuelBeckett



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Finally some silence!ThankGod!Or thank Godot?

Classical Theatre of Harlem

Blah, blah,blah, blah,

blah, blah,blah.

THE END.

the theatre of the absurd and "waiting for godot"

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