The essay which I am now going to write about is the theme of being bound in Waiting for Godot and its historical relevance now and then as a dramatic impact.
You may want to know what this play is about. Waiting for Godot is only really a play focussed on two main characters, one called ‘Vladimir’ and the other called ‘Estragon’. Throughout the whole play, the two characters just continue to wait and wait for someone who they haven’t met or known before but still wait, this makes a lot of people including myself want to see and reveal who Godot actually is. It also makes me ask this question: ‘Even if Godot really does walk pass the two characters, will they even notice that it is Godot?’ In one of the scenes, we meet two new characters who also plays quite a big part in this play, ‘Pozzo’ and ‘Lucky’. The two people are bound together by slave and master, Pozzo being the master and Lucky being the slave. Without Lucky, Pozzo wouldn’t be there and without Pozzo, there wouldn’t be Lucky. Just like without day, there wouldn’t be night and without love, there wouldn’t be hate. Lucky is treated badly by Pozzo. “Think pig!” Both Vladimir and Estragon struggle more then Pozzo and Lucky but they still have nice thing to say about each other “Estragon: don’t touch me! Don’t question me! Don’t speak to me! Stay with me! Vladimir: Did I ever leave you?” They argue with each other a lot but no matter what, they still stay together throughout the whole play!
This play may look very complicated, but to many people, it is a very interesting play, but do they really understand what ‘being bound’ actually means?
Throughout the whole play, a lot of emotions are being shown, from sad to happiness and from entrapment to loneliness “Vladimir: I’m glad to see you back! I thought you was gone for ever!” “Estragon: Why won’t you let me sleep? Vladimir: I felt lonely” “Estragon: lets hang ourselves, Vladimir: you first, Estragon: no you first!”
As you can see, Samuel Beckett really expresses a lot of emotions and feeling in the play.
Loneliness is one of the most important feelings throughout the play. Estragon and Vladimir are bound together, they stay with each other and had never left each other. They contemplate it, “Estragon: Lets hang ourselves, Vladimir: you first, Estragon: no no, you first!” As long as they are both together, they do not care what’s around them or where they are. They may not realise this, but all the characters are bound together by choice, no-one would like to be alone. I would rather live with friends and family and be poor then be very rich but don’t have a friend at all “Lonely”.
Everything that happens in this play relates to Samuel Beckett’s life and tramps. Tramps have no-one to rely on and no-one rely’s on tramps, “Estragon: but what Saturday? Or is it Saturday? Is it not Sunday or Monday or Friday?” All they have been doing was wait, wait and wait, waiting so long that they don’t even know what day it is!
People can say that there is also a plus side in being a tramp, is there really? Maybe there is since they have no worries! They don’t need to worry about time, friends, work or clothes. Tramps also have to put up with public humiliation, no shelter, loneliness, poverty and hard conditions day after day but one thing they do have is freedom!
Does the play show us anything? I think it teaches us that we should learn to have more hope, faith and give respect.
Vladimir and Estragon are two very inspirational characters who show lots of emotions in this play. The play its self is very powerful to many people who watch. I find it very boring but interesting to watch,
Samuel Beckett is a great play writer and very creative. He uses great ways of expresses this as well, he uses symbols to symbolise opposites in life.
