The Relevance of Religion in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting For Godot
Word Count: 1344
English A: Literature HL
Part 1 Written Assignment
Session: May 2016 Reflective Statement for Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett’s
How was your understanding of cultural and contextual considerations of the work developed through the interactive oral?
During our interactive oral I was able to gain an increased understanding of the some of the symbolism portrayed by the characters in one of the novel’s theme of a critique on religion. Before the oral, I knew that the novel was written right after the end of World War Two, where many were accepting the ideas of existentialism and absurdism. Since the discussion, I now have a new perspective on the play.
During the discussion, we discussed the ways existentialism and absurdism influenced the play. We spoke about the significance of Beckett’s utilization of religion in all aspects of the play. First, we talked about the idea that the tree in the background of the play may represent the cross in the christian religion. We talked about how the tree is a source expectations. Next we connected the characters Vladimir and Estragon as devote followers to religion, because both are used to critique religion. With Godot being the savior for their sins, which may or may not arrive. We then connected the boy with the serpent in the story of Adam and Eve, because he arrives to reassure the pair that Godot will eventually arrive just as the serpent tempts Adam and Eve that eating the apple will be okay in their future making their wait never ending and meaningless. Next, we expanded on the idea that Godot may actually be represented by the character Pozzo. Pozzo being Godot, of his characteristics of being somewhat all-powerful in the first act, and being helpless in the second act. Because in the first act, he is powerful and strong as some believe god to be such. Yet in the second act is weak as absurdist would view the notion of god to be such. Then, we discussed why the characters may have not recognized Pozzo as Godot, because they have expectations of something different due to the boy’s description, they may never meet Godot making the wait meaningless.
Because the interactive oral explained the interactions of religion in the novel, I wondered if Beckett intended to allow the audience to be able to discover the theme of the play easily. I believe now that although the play has clear and constant references to biblical references, Beckett wants the audience to know absurdism. Beckett argues that people should be able to find meaning in the absurd
Word count: 395
The Relevance of Religion in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting For Godot
Religion is a way to combat despair, tragedy, trauma, or the everyday life; it is essentially a wonderful means of hope. However many people after World War Two began to question the importance of religion. Samuel Beckett was one of these skeptics and was a famous contributor to the theater of the absurd. He eventually wrote the play, Waiting For Godot, during the twentieth century and it became a major work of the absurd. The absurd being a cynical vision of humanity endeavor towards purpose and their control of fate. The basic plot of the play is that two protagonists, Vladimir and Estragon, are waiting for Godot. While they are waiting, they are basically doing nothing but waiting. Throughout the play, religion became a theme to communicate his message that religion is needed for people to find meaning in life and combat the absurdity in life.
Godot himself is an indication that there is religious allusions in the play. The beginning of the name and the pronunciation alludes to god. The protagonist’s have some sort of commitment toward Godot and continue to wait for him for the entire play and possibly beyond. Godot, who the audience and the characters never physically see, holds a religious implication that suggests a relationship between the protagonists and Godot suggests a relationship between God and man. Another relation is the pronunciation of Godot which is similar to God, which may trigger the audience's idea with God. Additionally, other descriptions of Godot can make the readers consider him to actually be the God of Christianity. While Godot never actually appears on stage or speaks off-stage, he is such a significant aspect, in the play that he may practically be recognized as a character. From the description of his appearance, Godot has similarities with God according to the boy, because he is the only one who has allegedly seen what Godot looks like. The protagonists once asked him what color Godot’s beard is, “Has he a beard, Mr. Godot? Yes, sir. Fair or… or black? I think it’s white, sir” (Vladimir & boy, 82). The fact that Godot has a white beard that is similar to images of god, it can be inferred that Godot represents god. There are also descriptions about Godot being similar to god spiritually. The protagonists believe that as long as Godot comes, they will be saved from the waiting; if they do not wait for Godot, they would be punished by him and forever be stuck in the nothingness around them.
In the play, Beckett utilizes biblical allusions to illustrate religious importance in the play. The tree in the setting of the play can be seen to have importance because it is the only thing that standing out against the empty scenery. The tree gives the impression that it is a cross because generally the tree has two branches. Therefore, this connects the concept that the tree represents resurrection. Hidden in the text both protagonists consider hanging themselves from the tree but decide against it because the tree’s branches will not support them. Within Catholicism, the salvation promised through the cross does not support those who commit suicide. So Beckett argues that since society has control over the situation of its lives with the option of suicide, the majority continues to live old and aim to find meaning and happiness in their lives. The lone tree may be seen as the tree of life from the bible, which can be explained early in act one when Vladimir states, “Hope deferred maketh the something sick, who said that?” which alludes to the biblical proverb of,”Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12). The tree sprouts begin bare without leaves or any form of life in act one but in act two suddenly gains some leaves, “The tree has four or five leaves”(47). At an initially glance it would not be a clear indication of religion in another play, however in Waiting for Godot due to the bleakness that of the setting the leaves play a larger role for the audience. The leaves have a connotation of being a sign of hope juxtaposed against the despair in the play and the death-like state of the tree in act one. The tree is the only thing that truly changes in the play. Beckett may be implying that even in the most absurd and hopeless situations, good and life can still come out in the end. The leaves are the only indication that there was actually a change between acts one and two. If the leaves are the only sign of change, then Beckett may be implying the idea that despite all the despair of waiting for Godot to not arrive caused was not in vain because the leaves are a sign of life and hope. Since leaves are a symbol of life, it can be seen that with absurdity in the play and in society Beckett believes that having hope in god or Godot can actually provide meaning and hope. The meaning being added to the play would be that there actually is a change between the first and second acts even though it is a small change, it is a change nonetheless. he wilting tree in spring bears some hope for the boring waiting. Human beings’ waiting is no longer hopeless. Waiting gives significance to existence. The play illustrates the living condition of society which has been out of contact with their faith and displays their effort to gain meaning in life. Beckett critiques that society should be patient to wait for the arrival of Godot, and to wait for their salvation against the struggles in life.
One aspect of the play that was utilized to illustrate the importance of religion was the seemingly endless timeline of the play. Despite the two acts that the play has, there is no real resolution for the characters or the plot. The end of each act is the same for each act, with both ending the same way with the boy coming to the two protagonists and informing them that Godot will not be coming that day. Structurally, the two acts do not necessarily have to be in that order to make coherent sense to the audience. If you switch the order of the two acts the play still maintains its fluidity. The end of the first act ends with Vladimir questioning if what is currently happening has occurred before to him outside of the play’s script, “It wasn't you came yesterday?” (Vladimir 41). The second act includes the same question as well, “It wasn't you came yesterday?” (Vladimir 81). Both the quotes and the characters’ actions only need to be done twice to illustrate the absurdity of their situation. The characters want to give up on waiting as seen in their questioning of how long they have been waiting for, yet they continue to preserve and wait. Beckett implies the idea that despite the characters’ and the audiences' fruitless waiting is worth the wait for the coming of Godot or hope. Waiting is a process that Beckett critiques that God added for man path toward salvation. Suffering means experiencing the reality that is human existence. Due to the suffering, humans are driven to rely on the chance of the future, or else they will be subject to despair of the meaningless situation that is life. But for the protagonists, the hope of Godot, is giving them the drive to wait and go through with the absurdity. They choose to wait.
Therefore, it is evident that throughout the play Beckett with religious allusions calls for the importance of religion to combat the absurdity of life. Religion allows for society to move throughout life because it allows them to have meaning. Despite the absurdity of the play, religion allows for the audience to have hope. Regardless of the absurdity of the play, religion has major relevance in the play allows for society and the audience to have hope.