Waiting for Godot

Waiting for Godot is a two-act play by Samuel Beckett, translated from Beckett’s own French script. First performed in English in 1953, it has been heralded as one of the most important plays of the 20th Century. It is a central work of absurdism, though it was not originally received with much acclaim. In fact, the play’s frank treatment of the body provoked some horror in its initial audiences. 

The play begins with two friends, Vladimir and Estragon, waiting outdoors. Estragon’s feet ache, and he struggles to remove his boot. Vladimir ponders Estragon’s complaints while Estragon tries to remember the previous night. They bicker and argue to no end; when Estragon announces that he is leaving, Vladimir reminds him that they are waiting for a man named Godot. However, they cannot agree on how they are to meet Godot other than to wait beside a tree.

Estragon falls asleep and is woken by Vladimir, who begins to tell a joke but cannot finish without urinating. Whenever he laughs, his kidneys hurt. Growing weary, Estragon asks Vladimir whether suicide should be an option. Estragon satiates his hunger by eating a carrot Vladimir offers him.