Line #87 Theatre/WaitingForGodot


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2	%%[[caption-width-right:310:Caption text here.]]
3
4	->'''Estragon:''' Well, shall we go?
5	->'''Vladimir:''' Yes, let's go.
6	->''(They do not move.)''
7
8	A famously surreal "tragicomedy" by Creator/SamuelBeckett. Probably the best known example of the [[{{Absurdism}} Theatre of the Absurd]]. The story concerns [[ThoseTwoGuys these two guys]], Vladimir and Estragon (Didi and Gogo for short), who spend most of their time hanging out by a tree on a lonely road in a barren and nondescript land, waiting for someone named Godot, [[ItWasHisSled who never comes.]] They have several brief but intense encounters with an UpperClassTwit named Pozzo and his servant, Lucky. During the course of the play they wonder where Godot is, eat carrots, contemplate suicide, wonder where Godot is, discuss [[Literature/TheFourGospels the Gospels]], share dirty jokes, [[RuleOfThree wonder where Godot is]], exchange hats, [[VolleyingInsults volley insults]] with each other, [[OverlyLongGag wonder where Godot is]], and gradually succumb to existential angst and ennui.
9
10	It's wildly hilarious.
11
12	Famously described by one critic as "a play in which nothing happens, twice." Inspired, among other things, ''Theatre/RosencrantzAndGuildensternAreDead'', and (surprisingly) ''Series/{{Bottom}}''. Has no relation to [[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations a certain coffee-loving prosecutor]]. [[ShoutOut/AceAttorney Maybe.]]
13
14	----
15	!!This play provides examples of:
16
17	* {{Absurdism}}: One of the most famous examples of the Theatre of the Absurd, probably rivaled only by ''Theatre/WhosAfraidOfVirginiaWoolf'', ''Theatre/RosencrantzAndGuildensternAreDead'', and ''maybe'' ''Theatre/TheBaldSoprano''. It is also the GenrePopularizer.
18	* AccidentalMisnaming: For reasons which are never explained, the messenger boy always calls Vladimir "Mister Albert".
19	* AerithAndBob: Vladimir is a somewhat exotic name for Western Europe, but still real. Estragon, however, is French for Tarragon, a culinary herb.
20	* AffectionateNickname: Vladimir and Estragon, who call each other Didi and Gogo.
21	* AllThereInTheManual: Possibly a ShoutOut. The play ''The Maker'' (''Le Faiseur'') by the famous French novelist Creator/HonoreDeBalzac features an in debt speculator, Mercadet. His favorite excuse for not paying his creditors was pretending to be waiting for his associate, Godeau (same pronunciation as Godot, in French) to come back from India with a lot of money. As one would expect, Godeau never shows up.
22	* AllThereInTheScript: Vladimir ("Didi") and Estragon ("Gogo") consistently refer to each other by their nicknames and are only named once each in the dialogue.
23	* ArcWords:
24	-->'''Estragon''': Let's go.\
25	'''Vladimir''': We can't.\
26	'''Estragon''': Why not?\
27	'''Vladimir''': We're waiting for Godot.
28	** "Nothing to be done."
29	%%* BlackComedy
30	* BlindSeer: {{Discussed\|Trope}} by Estragon.
31	-->'''Pozzo''': I am blind.\
32	'''Estragon''': Perhaps he can see into the future.
33	* BreakingTheFourthWall:
34	** At one point, the play calls for Estragon to try and escape from an unseen mob. Vladimir recommends he run in front of them (i.e. into the auditorium). Estragon refuses and Vladimir looks out into the auditorium and says "Well, I can understand that."
35	** When Vladimir and Estragon discuss whether they've been in the location before, the line "that bog" is traditionally delivered with a gesture [[TakeThatAudience towards the audience]].
36	* BungledSuicide: Neither of them brought rope.
37	* ButtMonkey: Estragon is the more unfortunate of the main two, getting kicked by Lucky and regularly being beaten by a gang. Lucky is also this due to Pozzo's abuse.
38	%%* CainAndAbel: Discussed. (Zero Context Example)
39	* CharacterFilibuster: When Lucky finally begins to speak, the difficulty is getting him to shut up.
40	* ChromosomeCasting: Vladimir, Estragon, Pozzo, Lucky and the small boy are all male. Even Godot, who never appears onstage, is said to be a man. Some productions avert this, given that "Pozzo" and "Lucky" are decidedly gender-neutral names.
41	* CaptainObvious: Pozzo when Didi gets angry at him and Gogo:
42	-> ''Didi flips the stool''
43	-> Pozzo: He is angry.
44	-> ''Didi puts the stool back''
45	-> He subsides.
46	* CrocodileTears: Pozzo does this to turn the others against Lucky.
47	* DestructiveRomance: Estragon seems to consider himself and Vladimir to have a destructive relationship. He often says they should break up, but never takes any action to actually do so.
48	-->'''Estragon''': You see, you feel worse when I'm with you. I feel better alone too.\
49	'''Vladimir''': ''(vexed)''. Then why do you always come crawling back?\
50	'''Estragon''': I don't know.
51	* DrivenToSuicide: Of course, it is only out of boredom that Didi and Gogo decide to try, though lack of rope prevents them.
52	* {{Foreshadowing}}: During Pozzo's outburst, he mentions not being able to stand the way Lucky "goes on" anymore. Cut later to Lucky thinking...
53	* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Didi, Gogo, and Pozzo's reactions to Lucky's [[WordSaladPhilosophy "think" soliloquy]].
54	%%* TheGayNineties: Briefly alluded to by Vladimir. (Zero Context Example)
55	* TheGhost: Godot is frequently referenced by the main characters but never appears, and may or may not actually exist.
56	* GroinAttack: Didi and Pozzo suggest doing this to Pozzo and Lucky respectively in order to get them to stand up in Act 2.
57	* HaveAGayOldTime: It goes nicely with the HomoeroticSubtext.
58	-->'''Vladimir''': Sometimes I feel it coming all the same. Then I go all queer.
59	* HeterosexualLifePartners: Vladimir and Estragon, though it's intentionally ambiguous whether their relationship is platonic, romantic, sexual, or some mix of the three.
60	* HomoeroticSubtext: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waiting_for_Godot#Sexual Tons of it.]]
61	-->'''Estragon''': Didi...\
62	'''Vladimir''': ''(without turning).'' I've nothing to say to you.\
63	'''Estragon''': ''(step forward).'' You're angry? ''(Silence. Step forward.)'' Forgive me. ''(Silence. Step forward. Estragon lays his hand on Vladimir's shoulder.)'' Come, Didi. ''(Silence.)'' Give me your hand. ''(Vladimir half turns.)'' Embrace me! ''(Vladimir stiffens.)'' Don't be stubborn! ''(Vladimir softens. They embrace. Estragon recoils.)'' You stink of garlic!\
64	'''Vladimir''': It's for the kidneys. ''(Silence. Estragon looks attentively at the tree.)'' What do we do now?\
65	'''Estragon''': Wait.\
66	'''Vladimir''': Yes, but while waiting.\
67	'''Estragon''': What about hanging ourselves?\
68	'''Vladimir''': Hmm. It'd give us an erection.\
69	'''Estragon''': ''(highly excited).'' An erection!\
70	'''Vladimir''': With all that follows.
71	%%* HumanPackMule: Lucky is a canonical example. (Zero Context Example)
72	* HumbleGoal: Didi and Gogo are just waiting for their friend.
73	%%* HypercompetentSidekick: Lucky in many interpretations. (Zero Context Example)
74	* HypocriticalHumour:
75	** At one point in the second act, Vladimir tells Estragon that they should stop discussing things and just act. It takes him half a page of dialogue to say this.
76	** Pozzo, immediately after telling Vladimir and Estragon to stop bothering Lucky so he can rest, shouts at Lucky to take the basket.
77	* {{Improv}}: Most performances include at least ''some'', even if it's only physical comedy, especially when it comes to the cast's reactions to [[TalkativeLoon Lucky's]] speech.
78	* IronicName: Lucky is [[ButtMonkey about as unlucky as a person can be]].
79	%%* ItCantBeHelped: "Nothing to be done" (four times). (Zero Context Example)
80	%%* ItsAllAboutMe: Pozzo, at first. (ZZero Context Example)
81	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Pozzo enjoys Vladimir and Estragon's company immensely. He spends most of it insulting them.
82	* ManChild: Estragon, at times. Pozzo also acts like a spoiled brat most of the time.
83	* MeaningfulName: Godot comes from "Go Deo", meaning "forever". As such, he has Vladimir and Estragon waiting... forever.
84	* MindScrew: Try to watch it (or read it) and not come out confused. {{Lampshaded}}:
85	-->'''Estragon''': I'll go and get a carrot.\
86	''He does not move.''\
87	'''Vladimir''': This is becoming really insignificant.
88	* MinimalistCast: There are only five characters: Vladimir, Estragon, Pozzo, Lucky, and the messenger boy.
89	* MoodWhiplash: A guy takes off his belt to hang himself... and his trousers fall down.
90	* MotorMouth: Lucky... [[TheQuietOne when he bothers to talk]].
91	* NoEnding: Godot never shows up, but Vladimir and Estragon can't bring themselves to leave.
92	* NonIndicativeName: Lucky might be the most unfortunate man on Earth.
93	%%* OldRetainer: Lucky. (Zero Context Example)
94	* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: The character's full names are (almost) never spoken in the text itself.
95	* OnlySaneMan: In the second act Vladimir begins to think he is this.
96	%%* OntologicalMystery
97	* OrphanedSetup: Estragon never does finish telling the story about the Englishman in the brothel.
98	* OverlyLongGag: Lucky's speech, the hat-swapping scene, and arguably the ''entire play''.
99	%%* OverlyPolitePals: The play seems to be an existential version of an Alphonse and Gaston routine.
100	* PottyEmergency: Didi has one while talking with Gogo about Pozzo.
101	%%* PuttingOnMyThinkingCap: Lucky, obviously.
102	* TheQuietOne: Lucky... until you [[MotorMouth tell him to think]].
103	* RandomEventsPlot: Vladimir and Estragon are sitting around, waiting for Godot. While they're waiting, they encounter some strange people in Pozzo and Lucky, along with a messenger boy. However, none of it really speeds up the process of waiting for them.
104	%%* RashomonStyle: Vladimir points out that the gospels contain an early example of this.
105	* RiddleForTheAges: Who or what is Godot? Why are they waiting for him? Will he ever come? We never find out.
106	* SecondaryCharacterTitle: Godot, whomever that may be, isn't the main character. Vladimir and Estragon are the two protagonists of the work. In fact, Godot is TheGhost, as he never shows up.
107	* SeinfeldianConversation: Most of what Vladimir and Estragon discuss.
108	* SesameStreetCred: Amazingly, the play was parodied on ''Series/SesameStreet'' in the "Monsterpiece Theatre" sketch ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksL_7WrhWOc Waiting for Elmo]]'', complete with generous satire of TrueArtIsIncomprehensible. That takes both ParentalBonus and ViewersAreGeniuses up to eleven.
109	* ShapedLikeItself:
110	-->'''Vladimir''': How's the carrot?\
111	'''Estragon''': It's a carrot.
112	* ShoutOut: To Literature/TheBible, among others.
113	** Pozzo's reference to Vladimir and Estragon being timid and standing in "fear and trembling" is a possible three-fer: it's a phrase from Literature/TheBible (Philippians 2:12, to be exact), the name of a book by philosopher Søren Kierkegaard which references the Biblical occurrence, and (separately from both of the above) a phrase from ''The Analects Of Creator/{{Confucius}}'', meaning the attitude one is to take when summoned before the emperor.
114	** The bowler hats that Vladimir and Estragon wear are a ShoutOut to Creator/LaurelAndHardy. (Beckett loved black and white comedy.) The scene where they pass their hats around is based on a similar skit in the Creator/MarxBrothers film ''Film/DuckSoup''.
115	** The HumanPackMule was actually established by Creator/CharlieChaplin in his 1915 installment ''Work'', where The Tramp is seen dragging a cart full of Equipment, while his employer constantly whips him onwards. Beckett could possibly have been inspired for the Pozzo/Lucky-pairing by this movie. Chaplin's employer in this Movie is called ''Izzy'', by the way, ringing close to the name "Pozzo" (and Chaplin is, as always, "lucky" in some ironic way). To stress this a little further, Lucky can only speak/think when he has a particular hat on (as the Tramp was a Silent Era character, he would die when he began to talk, according to WordOfGod, i.e. Chaplin himself).
116	* SmallNameBigEgo: Pozzo is astonished that Vladimir and Estragon have never heard of him.
117	* SpeechCentricWork: Vladimir and Estragon sitting around talking, and sometimes Lucky and Pozzo show up. That's it.
118	* SuckinessIsPainful: Lucky's "think" monologue becomes this to the others as it goes on.
119	* SuicideAsComedy: Vladimir and Estragon want to hang themselves to pass the time.
120	%%* SurrealHumour
121	* TakeThatCritics: During their match of VolleyingInsults, Estragon wins by calling Vladimir "a crrritic!".
122	* ThoseTwoGuys: Vladimir and Estragon are those two guys, occasionally joined by Those Two Other Guys, Lucky and Pozzo.
123	* TitleDrop:
124	-->'''Estragon:''' Let's go.\
125	'''Vladimir:''' We can't.\
126	'''Estragon:''' Why not?\
127	'''Vladimir:''' We're waiting for Godot.
128	%%* UpperClassTwit: Pozzo. (Zero Context Example)
129	* TheUnReveal: To answer your question, no, we never get to see Godot.
130	%%* VagabondBuddies: Didi and Gogo. (Zero Context Example)
131	* VitriolicBestBuds: Vladimir and Estragon, at times. Pozzo and Lucky provide a darker take on the trope.
132	* TheVoiceless: Lucky, most of the time.
133	* VolleyingInsults: Vladimir and Estragon have a nice shouting match like this.
134	%%* WordSaladPhilosophy: Lucky again. (Zero Context Example)
135	%%* WorldLimitedToThePlot
136	----
137	[[TheStinger Godot Was Here.]]

Context Theatre / WaitingForGodot