What is Absurd Theatre ? "Waiting For Godot" as Absurd play.

 

ASSIGNMENT

Modernist Literature

• Dabhi Rita A.
• M. A Sem :- 3
• Roll no. :- 20
• Topic :- What is Absurd Theatre ? "Waiting For Godot" as Absurd play.
• email : dabhirita1198@gmail.com
• Enrollment no. :- 2069108420200007
• Submitted : Department of English , 
• Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.

💠What is Absurd theatre? Justify "Waiting For Godot" as Absurd play.

◾Keywords : Introduction , What is Absurd Theatre , Waiting For Godot as absurd play, Conclusion.

💠Introduction :

                         The play "Waiting for Godot" written by Samuel Beckett (April 13, 1906 - December 22, 1989). This play written in French 1948, is a play dedicated to the absurd. This work is based on the belief that the universe is irrational and meaningless and the search for order brings the individual into conflict with the universe. "Waiting for Godot" is the best example of absurd literature where leafless tree and no development of plot show human condition. So, this play totally deals with the life of a modern man and it's purposeless life. “Waiting for Godot” is one of the masterpieces of Absurdist literature. Elements of Absurdity for making this play are so engaging and lively. Beckett combats the traditional notions of Time. It attacks the two main ingredients of the traditional views of Time and Memory. 

                   So, first let's discuss what is the meaning of Absurd theatre.

💠 What is Absurd theatre :-

              The phrase ‘The Theatre of Absurd’ or ‘Absurd Drama’ gained currency after Martin Esslin’s book ‘The Theatre of Absurd’ was published in 1961. Esslin points out that there is no such thing as a regular movement of Absurd dramatists. The Theatre of the Absurd delineates the insoluble problem called “identity crisis” though humans put in vigorous effort in searching for an answer to the question, “who am I?” (Esslin 53). Here we can not find any clear definition of theater of absurd. However, Martin Esslin provided an informal definition of absurd plays and “absurd theater” in following words:

          "If a good play must have a cleverly constructed story, these [plays of absurd] have no story or plot to speak of; a good play is judged by subtlety of characterization and motivation, these are often without recognizable characters and present the audience with almost mechanical puppets; a good play has to have a fully explained theme, which is neatly exposed and finally solved, these often have neither a beginning nor an end; if a good play is to hold the mirror up to nature and portray the manners and mannerisms of the age in finely observed sketches, these seem often to be reflections of dreams and nightmares; if a good play relies on witty repartee and pointed dialogue, these often consist of incoherent babblings.”

💠 Characteristics of the absurd play :-

                      Here we can find out some characteristics of the absurd play which plays a vital role in the absurd play. 

• No story or plot
• Neither a proper beginning nor ending
• No characterization and motivation
• Unexplained themes
• Useless dialogues
• Imitation of dreams or nightmares instead of nature

💠“Waiting for Godot” as an Absurd Play :

                      Samuel Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot’ belongs to the tradition of the Theatre of Absurd. In the play, practically nothing happens, no development is to be found, there is no beginning and no end. In the play we find out that the entire action boils down in an absurd setting of a country side road with two tramps Vladimir and Estragon who simply idle away their time waiting for Godot, about whom they have only vague ideas. 

◾No story or plot :

                       The play "Waiting For Godot" is divided into two acts, but there is no beginning and no end. The play does not tell any story nor does it has a plot. The play starts with waiting and ends with it. Characters do not go anywhere. They stand still in front of the audience and do nothing except passing the ball. They talk and pass the time. The play lacks action.Vladimir and Estragon wait for Godot and the audience perceive that perhaps the real story of the play will start after Godot’s arrival but Godot does not appear on stage nor is he introduced to the audience. 

◾ “Waiting for Godot” is Absurd Play due to Lack of Characterization :

                    Beckett’s deliberate efforts result in displaying the presence of Vladimir and Estragon on the bare stage stripped of any social position or historical context. We don't know past of the characters. The barren stage stands symbolic to the universe where the two tramps are thrown to confront with the basic situations of their existence and undergo through the dilemma of choices and expectations. And this situation ultimately makes Vladimir and Estragon passive and impotent before time.We know only their names and their miserable situation. Their motifs are unclear. Thus they surrender themselves to the ‘absurd waiting’ for Godot. Often they grow tedious of the wait and decide to go but they fail as they say : 

Estragon:- I’m tired! Let’s go. 

Vladimir:- We can’t 

Estragon:- why not 

Vladimir:- We are waiting for Godot. 

(Act 1 )                   

◾No Beginning and End:

                      "Waiting For Godot" has no beginning and no end.It starts with a waiting and ends with it. Both acts start and end in the same way. It is a journey from nothingness to nothingness. Vladimir and Estragon, show the condition of modern men and they live a meaningless life. They are waiting for a person whose name is Godot and they do not know about Godot who Godot is and will he come or not.They say they are waiting but Godot does not come and the act ends with waiting. Valdimir and Estragon’s dialogues also revolve around one thing. tructurally the play is of two acts and the second act is the replica of the first. 

 “Nothing happens, nobody comes … nobody goes, it’s awful!”.

◾Useless Dialogues Make “Waiting for Godot” as an Absurd Play:

                      Dialogues create action in every play. Action looses its importance without worthy dialogues. In case of “Waiting for Godot ”, no action has been presented, therefore, dialogues are boring and they are written just to pass the ball. Thus, they are meant to pass the time. Word “nothing” has been repeated numerously in the play. It actually indicates nothingness in it. Thus, dialogues of the play are nothing but incoherent babbling. “Waiting for Godot” can be called an absurd play due to this trait of absurd theater. Vladimir and Estragon’s dialogues also revolve around one thing. They repeat the same dialogues in whole drama like,the play concludes with a famous exchange:

 Vladimir: Well Shall We Go

Estragon: Yes Let’s Go.

But they don’t move.  

◾Unexplained Themes:

                          Beckett combats the traditional notions of time. The principal theme of the play is "waiting", to wait means to experience the action of time "waiting for Godot " is a dramatic statement of the human situation itself.In fact Godot is nothing but the name for the fact that the life ,which goes on pointlessly is wrongly interpreted as "waiting for Something", what appears to be the positive attitude of the tramps amounts to be a double negation of their existence. They are unable to recognise the pointlessness of their existence. Apart from this Samuel Beckett who used various important themes like , human condition, absurdism and nihilism, and friendship. The human condition: The hopelessness in Vladimir and Estragon's lives demonstrates the extent to which humans rely on illusions—such as religion, according to Beckett—to give hope to a meaningless existence.

💠 Conclusion :-

               So, This play “Waiting for Godot ” is a masterpiece of the absurd literature. It focuses on the absurdity of life. It describes all the elements of the absurdity through the two main characters “Vladimir” and “Estragon”. This play totally deals with the life of a modern man and discuss the useless existence of a human beings and also discuss that how a modern man live a meaningless and purposeless life. The play has often been interpreted as a parable where Godot stands as God, or for a mythical human being or for the meaning of life, death or 

something eventful. Waiting for Godot deals with the absurdity of man’s existence in this universe. 

💠work cite :

Ahmed, Anwaar. “ANWAAR AHMED.” "Waiting for Godot" as an Absurd Play | Absurd Theater Characteristics, 3 Sept. 2019, www.askliterature.com/drama/samuel-beckett/waiting-for-godot/waiting-for-godot-as-an-absurd-play/. 

Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot: a Tragicomedy in Two Acts. Faber & Faber, 2015. 

Esslin, Martin. Theatre of Absurd. Penguin Books, 1968. 

Trivedi, Naveen. Waiting for Godot as an Absurd Play. www.scribd.com/doc/137677751/Waiting-for-Godot-as-an-Absurd-Play.