Waiting For Godot Essay, Research Paper
Friendships come in many forms. Some friends are extremely close and rely on each other. And others are casual acquaintances that just say hello every time they see each other. In the play Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, the relationships between Vladimir and Estragon and Pozzo and Lucky are similar, yet by their contrast and effect is created.
Vladimir is one of the two protagonists. He retains a memory of most events. However, he is often unsure whether his memory is playing tricks on him. Vladimir is friends with Estragon because Estragon provides him with the chance to remember past events. Vladimir is the one who makes Estragon wait with him for Mr. Godot’s imminent arrival throughout the play.
Estragon is the other protagonist. He sleeps in a ditch where he is beaten each night. He has no memory beyond what is immediately said to him, and relies on Vladimir to remember for him. Estragon is impatient and constantly wants to leave Vladimir, but is restrained from leaving by the fact that he needs Vladimir.
The beginning of the play establishes Vladimir and Estragon’s relationship. Vladimir realizes that Estragon is dependent on him when he tells Estragon that he would be “nothing more than a little heap of bones” without him. Vladimir also insists that Estragon would not go far if they parted. In the play, this is made known by Estragon not being able to take off his boot without Vladimir.
Lucky is the slave of Pozzo. He is tied to Pozzo by a rope around his neck and he carries Pozzo’s bags. Slaves in history had limited education. B
Pozzo is the master who rules over Lucky. He stops and talks to Vladimir and Estragon in order to have some company. In the second act Pozzo is blind and needs their help. He, like Estragon, cannot remember people he has met. Pozzo is blind, not literally, but blinded by certain things. He can be compared to Judas, who was blinded by Jesus actions.
Pozzo and Lucky s relationship is similar to Vladimir s and Estragon. In both, the men rely on each other, and are each other s only companions. In both relationships, the men care for each other and help each other. Their friend takes priority over anyone else. An example of this is when Estragon asks Pozzo if he can have the bones from his chicken, and Pozzo tells him that Lucky gets priority over them. Estragon asks Lucky if he wants the bones, but he does not reply, and Pozzo tells Estragon that he can have the bones. He comments that he has never known Lucky to refuse a bone and hopes that he is not sick.
The characters appear in pairs because the compliment each other. For what one lacks, the other makes up for. These characters need to be in these relationships because it creates one person or one as a whole. The relationships between these characters show that they heavily rely on the each other. Without each other, they would not survive.