Comedy in Comedy in Waiting for Waiting for

GodotGodot

Waiting for Godot is a dramatic enactment of Waiting for Godot is a dramatic enactment of the the unrecognized absurdityunrecognized absurdity in the world. The in the world. The drama is absurd in two senses. In the first drama is absurd in two senses. In the first place, it is ridiculously place, it is ridiculously funnyfunny. Placed in the . Placed in the perspective of eternity. In the shadow of perspective of eternity. In the shadow of death that the living can never forget (“Where death that the living can never forget (“Where are all these corpses from?” p.64), the antics are all these corpses from?” p.64), the antics with which the characters fill their short span with which the characters fill their short span are ridiculous. All are levelled down to the are ridiculous. All are levelled down to the same laughable status, Estragon’s lament same laughable status, Estragon’s lament over his aching feet, Vladimir’s complaints of over his aching feet, Vladimir’s complaints of his friend’s sweaty socks, games of losing, his friend’s sweaty socks, games of losing, finding, swapping hats and boots, suicide finding, swapping hats and boots, suicide attempts, debates on damnation.attempts, debates on damnation.

That particular translation of ‘absurd’ as comic is Beckett’s That particular translation of ‘absurd’ as comic is Beckett’s translation of its other, philosophical sense. His black, translation of its other, philosophical sense. His black, obscene, pantomine humour is an attempt to being life-obscene, pantomine humour is an attempt to being life-preserving preserving detachmentdetachment into a situation so atrocious that to into a situation so atrocious that to view it view it head-onhead-on could only produce a formless cry of could only produce a formless cry of despairdespair. An absurd world is a frightening one. It has in . An absurd world is a frightening one. It has in itself no norms, no absolutes, no consoling certainties, and itself no norms, no absolutes, no consoling certainties, and no direction. Nothing and nobody living in it has any pre-no direction. Nothing and nobody living in it has any pre-ordained sense or purpose. To say that life is ordained sense or purpose. To say that life is absurdabsurd is to is to challenge head on the two great acts of faith on which challenge head on the two great acts of faith on which Western culture is founded- Western culture is founded- reason and religionreason and religion. . Confidence in reason is the basis of belief in the human Confidence in reason is the basis of belief in the human ability to control the material world. Religion, especially ability to control the material world. Religion, especially Christianity and its personal God whose providence directs Christianity and its personal God whose providence directs history, gives an over-arching history, gives an over-arching assuranceassurance that everything is that everything is in control. These are the two languages with which in control. These are the two languages with which Vladimir and Estragon must make sense of their world, Vladimir and Estragon must make sense of their world, and they would seem just empty words.and they would seem just empty words.

Waiting for Godot illustrates the tensions between Waiting for Godot illustrates the tensions between pathos and comedy, negation and affirmation, inertia pathos and comedy, negation and affirmation, inertia and liveliness. The stage directions opening the first and liveliness. The stage directions opening the first act embody such contradictions: ‘Estragon tried to take act embody such contradictions: ‘Estragon tried to take off his boot, tugging with both hands, panting with off his boot, tugging with both hands, panting with effort. He gives up exhausted, and tries again. As effort. He gives up exhausted, and tries again. As before. The repetition of the action emphasizes its before. The repetition of the action emphasizes its importance. ‘ Beckett has said that this is a mime of importance. ‘ Beckett has said that this is a mime of what the play is about, what the play is about, monotonymonotony. Such unsuccessful . Such unsuccessful action helps Vladimir and Estragon pass the time as action helps Vladimir and Estragon pass the time as they they persistpersist in waiting for in waiting for something bettersomething better, hoping the , hoping the waiting is not in vain. Beckett subtitled ‘Waiting for waiting is not in vain. Beckett subtitled ‘Waiting for Godot’ a tragicomedy’ because his clown heroes will Godot’ a tragicomedy’ because his clown heroes will notnot accept their fate as ‘true tragedy heroes would, accept their fate as ‘true tragedy heroes would, and here lies the and here lies the comedycomedy of the human condition. of the human condition.

The tone of Waiting for Godot is The tone of Waiting for Godot is skeptical and skeptical and defiantdefiant, the humour , the humour ironicalironical. The notions of . The notions of resignation, apatheia, are firmly resisted, in resignation, apatheia, are firmly resisted, in this celebration of man’s insistence on using this celebration of man’s insistence on using his own will, however circumscribed, and his own will, however circumscribed, and determination to persistdetermination to persist in his efforts. When in his efforts. When Vladimir asks the blind Pozzo what he does, Vladimir asks the blind Pozzo what he does, when he falls far from help: the answer is when he falls far from help: the answer is “We wait till we can get up. Then we go on”. “We wait till we can get up. Then we go on”. Here the waiting and determination to go on Here the waiting and determination to go on are combined, Waiting for Godot catalogues are combined, Waiting for Godot catalogues the ploys men use to combat the ploys men use to combat heroic heroic discouragement and doubtsdiscouragement and doubts, which makes , which makes them them comic and heroiccomic and heroic..

The heroes of Waiting for Godot, Vladimir and The heroes of Waiting for Godot, Vladimir and Estragon, are down on their luck, but have seen Estragon, are down on their luck, but have seen better days. They are better days. They are complementarycomplementary, one , one responsiveresponsive, the other , the other aggressiveaggressive, one , one selflessselfless, , the other self-absorbed. They the other self-absorbed. They relaterelate to each to each other, yet long to be other, yet long to be freefree, , understandunderstand each each other, yet are other, yet are opposedopposed. From their wranglings . From their wranglings and changes in mood comes the ambivalent and changes in mood comes the ambivalent comedy. For example, Vladimir remembers comedy. For example, Vladimir remembers landscapes and scenery. The sceptical Estrgon landscapes and scenery. The sceptical Estrgon scoffs: “You and your landscapes. Tell me about scoffs: “You and your landscapes. Tell me about worms.:worms.:

Waiting for Godot has become a Waiting for Godot has become a universal metaphoruniversal metaphor for for existential tediumexistential tedium that that cannotcannot be be escapedescaped, and , and comic comic mileagemileage is got from criticisms not only of is got from criticisms not only of existence, but of the play itself . For existence, but of the play itself . For example when Vladimir and Estragon example when Vladimir and Estragon break off at a hiatus in the development break off at a hiatus in the development of the Lucky/Pozze theme, to criticize the of the Lucky/Pozze theme, to criticize the inconsequentiality and vulgarity of the inconsequentiality and vulgarity of the action, which is a metaphor for life:action, which is a metaphor for life:

V: Charming evening we’re having.V: Charming evening we’re having. E: Unforgettable.E: Unforgettable. V: And it’s not over.V: And it’s not over. E: Apparently not.E: Apparently not. V: It’s only the beginning.V: It’s only the beginning. E: Its awfulE: Its awful V: Worse than the pantomine.V: Worse than the pantomine. E: The circus.E: The circus. V: The music hall.V: The music hall. E: The circusE: The circus

Beckett’s humour Beckett’s humour nevernever takes the form of comic takes the form of comic relief. It is relief. It is nevernever a way of punctuating the horror, of a way of punctuating the horror, of giving the audience a giving the audience a breakbreak from pervasive despair. from pervasive despair. It exists, rather, right at the heart of Beckett’s It exists, rather, right at the heart of Beckett’s vision. Beckett is a purveyor of vision. Beckett is a purveyor of thrilling bleaknessthrilling bleakness, , beating his breast about the beating his breast about the sorrow of the worldsorrow of the world and and the the awfulness of existenceawfulness of existence. His real interest is in the . His real interest is in the endless ways we think up to endless ways we think up to stave off despairstave off despair, the , the fabulous, perverse energy we bring to the task to fabulous, perverse energy we bring to the task to keep going. The words and gestures with which his keep going. The words and gestures with which his people people defydefy darkness, because they are darkness, because they are pointlesspointless, be , be utterly utterly tragictragic. But, because they can have . But, because they can have nono effect, effect, they are also free and loose light, utterly they are also free and loose light, utterly gratuitousgratuitous and gloriously and gloriously excessiveexcessive and therefore, and therefore, funnyfunny..