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Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.
Religious Allusions
Throughout the play, Estragon and Vladimir both make numerous allusions to Christianity and biblical narratives, albeit in rather ridiculous scenarios. From Vladimir’s interrupted musings on the Gospels to Estragon’s game of calling Pozzo by different biblical names, each reference transforms traditional representations of religion into a farce. They express little genuine reverence when discussing Christ or other religious symbols, and this lack of a serious attitude challenges the assumed authority of Christian narratives. Beckett seems to push back against the idea that constructs like religion are stable and reliable sources of meaning within Western culture, a position which enhances the play’s overall argument about the futility of human existence. One of the first religious allusions that Vladimir makes is to the Gospels, and the ensuing exchange that he has with Estragon emphasizes the questioning approach that Beckett takes toward Christianity throughout. Beyond the fact that Estragon continuously interrupts Vladimir’s attempt to tell the story of the two thieves, their discussion concludes with a surprisingly poignant question about why only one version prevails when the Bible hints at others. This moment highlights the hypocrisy of subscribing to a rigid belief system when life is inherently uncertain and void of meaning. Other moments that challenge the dominance of Christian narratives include Estragon’s assertion that he has compared himself to Christ “all [his] life,” an association which appears demeaning given Estragon’s flighty and nonsensical character, as well as his exaggerated pleas for God’s pity. By the end of the play, this motif implies that religion is just another empty and unreliable construct.
Waiting for Godot
The exchange of lines between Estragon and Vladimir about their need to wait for Godot to arrive appears countless times throughout the play, always with the exact same phrasing. While this dialogue is important because it gives the play its title, it also derives meaning from the fact that Estragon and Vladimir repeat it over and over again. Estragon continuously forgets that they are waiting for a particular reason and suggests that they leave, and this reaction to their situation emphasizes the link between memory and meaning. His inability to remember their motivation, or even the fact that Godot exists, renders his entire experience pointless as memories are key to informing future action. Estragon has no hope of moving forward in his life because he is unaware of what is happening in the present. Repeating the exchange about waiting for Godot emphasizes the idea that they are trapped, illuminating the cyclical nature of the plot as a whole.
The back and forth between Estragon and Vladimir also offers a hint into the nature of their rather ambiguous relationship. Vladimir, the more thoughtful of the two, continuously looks out for Estragon by reminding him of their shared goal. At the same time, Estragon’s willingness to continue waiting for Godot represents his inherent support of Vladimir’s desire to find a sense of purpose. Despite the arguments and confusing moments that occur between them, this motif suggests that they do have some degree of companionship, albeit undefinable. The repetitive dialogue serves as a steady undercurrent for their otherwise chaotic and nonsensical interactions with one another.
Pairing Humor and Tragedy
Beckett defines Waiting for Godot as a tragicomedy, a genre which combines elements of both tragedy and comedy, and he often combines comedic tones or situations with darker dialogue in order to take advantage of the genre’s unsettling effect. Pairing humor and despair challenges the audience by inviting them to experience conflicting emotions simultaneously, thus adding to the confusing nature of the play as a whole. These moments also work to highlight the ridiculousness of the characters, and hints at the insignificance of their experiences. In Act One, for example, Estragon and Vladimir gleefully discuss hanging themselves from the pitiful, bare tree where they are supposed to meet Godot. Given that they view this behavior as a mere activity to occupy their time, Estragon and Vladimir’s lighthearted talk of suicide reflects the insignificance of their lives. Only after debating the logistics of hanging themselves do they consider the implication that their deaths might have, and even then, they only dismiss the plan so that they can see what Godot has to say. Other moments which emphasize the tragicomic nature of the play include the casual depiction of the abuse Lucky endures from Pozzo in Act One and the banter between Estragon and Vladimir about the “dead voices” of the “billions of others” who have been killed in Act Two. Glossing over the gravity of these topics by pairing them with physical comedy or comedic pacing allows Beckett to emphasize the lack of meaning in the world of the play, an uncomfortable quality that he forces his audience to confront.
