Waiting for Godot (Beckett)
Short Summary
A country road near a tree, presumably evening. Two tramps, Vladimir and Estragon, waited endlessly for Godot, with little to distract them. The intelligent and philosophical middle-aged Vladimir suffered from urinary problems and wore a bowler hat.
His companion Estragon, instinctual and forgetful, faced constant discomfort with his feet and also wore a bowler hat.
Vladimir and Estragon repeatedly talked, argued, forgot events and debated whether they had the right place and time for their meeting with Godot. Seeming trapped in an endless cycle of waiting, they considered suicide but lacked the means and courage. Two passing travelers—a cruel master and his exhausted slave—fascinated them briefly. As the travelers returned later, blinded and weakened, the master mused bitterly on life's futility:
POZZO: They give birth astride of a grave, the light gleams an instant, then it's night once more. (He jerks the rope.) On!
Twice, a young messenger boy arrived, informing Vladimir and Estragon that Godot would surely come the next day, keeping their hope alive but never fulfilled. Each night, the two men pledged to leave but did not move, seemingly bound to their desperate waiting. Finally, after abandoning their plan to hang themselves due to lacking rope, Vladimir and Estragon agreed they would return tomorrow to resume their waiting.
Detailed Summary by Acts
Act titles and their division into scenes are editorial.
Act 1. Waiting by the Road
Vladimir and Estragon Meet and Wait
On a country road beside a tree, Estragon struggled to remove his boot. After several failed attempts, he gave up and declared that nothing could be done. Vladimir entered, walking with short, stiff strides, and greeted Estragon, expressing relief at seeing him again. The two men, dressed in shabby clothes and wearing bowler hats, engaged in disjointed conversation about where Estragon had spent the previous night—in a ditch, where he was beaten—and Vladimir's urinary problems.
ESTRAGON: Nothing to be done.
VLADIMIR: I'm beginning to come round to that opinion. All my life I've tried to put it from me, saying Vladimir, be reasonable, you haven't yet tried everything. And I resumed the struggle.
Their conversation meandered through various topics, including the Bible and the story of the two thieves crucified with Christ. Vladimir pondered why only one of the four Evangelists mentioned a thief being saved, while Estragon showed little interest in the theological discussion. When Estragon asked what they should do, Vladimir reminded him they were waiting for Godot. Estragon questioned whether they were in the right place and on the right day, but Vladimir insisted they continue waiting.
To pass the time, they contemplated hanging themselves from the tree, calculating that the branch might break under Vladimir's weight but would hold Estragon. They decided against suicide, choosing instead to continue waiting for Godot. When Estragon asked what exactly they had requested from Godot, Vladimir explained it was a kind of prayer, a vague supplication. Godot had promised to think about their request but made no definite commitment.
VLADIMIR: What do we do now?
ESTRAGON: Wait.
VLADIMIR: Yes, but while waiting.
ESTRAGON: What about hanging ourselves?
VLADIMIR: Hmm. It'd give us an erection.
The Arrival of Pozzo and Lucky
Their waiting was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Pozzo entered, leading Lucky by a rope tied around his neck. Lucky carried a heavy bag, a folding stool, a picnic basket, and a greatcoat. Pozzo controlled Lucky with a whip and commands. Initially, Vladimir and Estragon mistook Pozzo for Godot, but he quickly corrected them, introducing himself with an air of self-importance.
Pozzo commanded Lucky to set up his stool and prepare his meal. While eating chicken and drinking wine, Pozzo explained that he was on his way to the fair to sell Lucky. Vladimir and Estragon were disturbed by Pozzo's cruel treatment of Lucky, noting the rope had caused a running sore on Lucky's neck. When Estragon asked for the chicken bones Pozzo had discarded, Pozzo granted permission, saying they belonged to Lucky, who surprisingly declined them.
Vladimir expressed outrage at Pozzo's treatment of Lucky, calling it a scandal to treat a human being in such a manner. Pozzo defended himself, explaining that Lucky once served him well but had become a burden. He claimed Lucky performed his duties poorly in hopes that Pozzo would keep him, but Pozzo had decided to sell him at the fair. Vladimir repeatedly asked if Pozzo wanted to get rid of Lucky, to which Pozzo eventually responded that one can't drive such creatures away and the best solution would be to kill them.
To entertain Vladimir and Estragon, Pozzo ordered Lucky to dance. Lucky performed a brief, sad dance that Pozzo called "The Net," explaining that Lucky believed he was entangled in a net. Next, Pozzo commanded Lucky to think. After placing Lucky's hat on his head, Lucky launched into a long, rambling, nonsensical monologue about divine apathy, human suffering, and academic pursuits. The speech became increasingly frantic until Vladimir, Estragon, and Pozzo tackled Lucky to silence him.
After recovering from Lucky's disturbing speech, Pozzo and Lucky prepared to leave. Despite several farewell exchanges, Pozzo seemed reluctant to depart. Finally, with a series of commands and the crack of his whip, Pozzo led Lucky away. Vladimir remarked that their encounter had helped pass the time, though Estragon insisted time would have passed anyway.
VLADIMIR: Let us not waste our time in idle discourse! Let us do something, while we have the chance! It is not every day that we are needed... Let us represent worthily for once the foul brood to which a cruel fate consigned us!
Continuation of the Wait
Left alone again, Vladimir and Estragon resumed their waiting. Vladimir wondered if Pozzo and Lucky had changed since their previous encounter, but Estragon claimed not to remember meeting them before. Their conversation drifted aimlessly as they tried to make sense of their situation and pass the time. Estragon complained of hunger, and Vladimir offered him a carrot, which they shared.
As evening approached, Estragon grew increasingly weary and suggested they leave. Vladimir reminded him again that they were waiting for Godot. Estragon's frustration mounted as he exclaimed that he couldn't continue like this, but Vladimir insisted they had no choice but to wait. Their conversation revealed the circular nature of their existence—waiting endlessly with no resolution in sight.
VLADIMIR: We're waiting for Godot.
ESTRAGON: (despairingly) Ah! (Pause. Despairing.) What'll we do, what'll we do!
VLADIMIR: There's nothing we can do.
ESTRAGON: But I can't go on like this!
The Boy's Message from Godot
As night began to fall, a boy entered timidly. He addressed Vladimir as "Mister Albert" and delivered a message from Godot. The boy explained that Godot would not come that evening but would surely come tomorrow. Vladimir questioned the boy, asking if he worked for Godot and whether Godot was good to him. The boy revealed that Godot beat his brother, who tended sheep, but not him, as he tended goats.
Vladimir asked the boy if he had come the previous day with the same message, but the boy insisted this was his first visit. After instructing the boy to tell Godot that he had seen them, Vladimir dismissed him. The boy ran off, and suddenly night fell. In the moonlight, Estragon removed his boots, deciding to leave them for someone else with smaller feet. Vladimir urged Estragon to come with him to find shelter for the night, but Estragon was reluctant to move.
The act ended with Vladimir suggesting they leave, Estragon agreeing, but neither of them moving from their spot by the tree. They remained frozen in place as the curtain fell, unable to break free from their endless cycle of waiting.
Act 2. Another Day of Waiting
Vladimir and Estragon Reunite
The second act opened with the same setting—a country road with a tree, though now the tree had sprouted a few leaves. Estragon's boots remained where he had left them the previous evening. Vladimir entered, pacing anxiously and singing a circular song about a dog. Estragon joined him, appearing beaten and disheveled. Initially, Estragon was distant and didn't want Vladimir to touch him, but they soon reconciled and embraced.
Vladimir expressed mixed emotions about their reunion, claiming he felt both happy and sad. They discussed whether they were better off together or apart, with Vladimir insisting he would have protected Estragon from the beating he had received. Estragon maintained he hadn't been doing anything to provoke the attack. Their conversation revealed the complex dependency of their relationship—needing each other yet sometimes wishing to be apart.
Attempts to Pass the Time
Vladimir pointed out that the tree had sprouted leaves overnight, but Estragon didn't remember the tree from the previous day. In fact, Estragon claimed not to remember anything about their encounter with Pozzo and Lucky. Vladimir tried to remind him, but Estragon remained confused, insisting they had never been in that location before. Their disagreement about past events highlighted Estragon's forgetfulness and the uncertain nature of their shared reality.
ESTRAGON: All the dead voices.
VLADIMIR: They make a noise like wings.
ESTRAGON: Like leaves.
VLADIMIR: Like sand.
ESTRAGON: Like leaves.
Silence.
VLADIMIR: They all speak at once.
ESTRAGON: Each one to itself.
To pass the time, they engaged in various activities. They exchanged hats in an elaborate routine, tried to converse about abstract topics, and performed physical exercises like tree poses. Vladimir suggested they play the roles of Pozzo and Lucky, with Vladimir imitating Lucky's movements and Estragon playing Pozzo. Their attempts at entertainment were short-lived and ultimately unsatisfying, always returning to the central question of what to do while waiting for Godot.
ESTRAGON: We always find something, eh Didi, to give us the impression we exist?
VLADIMIR: (impatiently) Yes yes, we're magicians. But let us persevere in what we have resolved, before we forget.
The Return of Pozzo and Lucky
Their activities were interrupted by the sound of a fall. Pozzo and Lucky had returned, but with a significant change—Pozzo was now blind and dependent on Lucky, who was mute. The rope between them was much shorter, allowing Pozzo to follow Lucky more easily. When they fell, Pozzo called desperately for help, unable to get up without assistance.
Vladimir initially saw their arrival as an opportunity for diversion, exclaiming that they were no longer alone. Estragon mistook Pozzo for Godot, but Vladimir corrected him. They debated whether to help Pozzo, with Estragon suggesting they should demand payment first. Vladimir worried about the moral implications of such a transaction but was also concerned that Lucky might attack them if provoked.
After philosophical deliberation about the duty to help others, Vladimir and Estragon attempted to assist Pozzo. Their efforts were comically ineffective—when they tried to lift him, they all fell down together. Pozzo revealed he had gone blind and had no concept of time, stating, "The blind have no notion of time." When asked about Lucky's muteness, Pozzo simply stated, "He's dumb," without explaining when or how this had occurred.
In a moment of existential clarity, Pozzo delivered a powerful statement about the brevity of human existence: "They give birth astride of a grave, the light gleams an instant, then it's night once more." After this pronouncement, Pozzo and Lucky departed as they had come, leaving Vladimir and Estragon alone again with their thoughts and their waiting.
The Boy's Second Message
After Pozzo and Lucky's departure, Vladimir woke Estragon, who had fallen asleep. Vladimir was troubled by the encounter, questioning whether Pozzo had truly been blind and whether they had witnessed the same events. He reflected on the nature of reality and memory, wondering if he was sleeping while others suffered.
VLADIMIR: Was I sleeping, while the others suffered? Am I sleeping now? Tomorrow, when I wake, or think I do, what shall I say of today? That with Estragon my friend, at this place, until the fall of night, I waited for Godot?
The Boy entered again with the same message as the previous day: Godot would not come that evening but would surely come tomorrow. When Vladimir asked if the Boy recognized him, the Boy insisted they had never met before. Vladimir also asked if Godot had a beard, to which the Boy replied that it was white. After delivering his message, the Boy ran away, and night suddenly fell.
The Decision to Continue Waiting
In the moonlight, Vladimir and Estragon contemplated their situation. Estragon suggested they go far away, but Vladimir reminded him they had to return the next day to wait for Godot. When Estragon asked what would happen if they dropped Godot, Vladimir warned that Godot would punish them. They noticed that the tree, once bare, now had leaves, though they still couldn't identify what kind of tree it was.
Once again, they considered hanging themselves from the tree but found they had no suitable rope—Estragon's belt broke when they tested it. Estragon suggested they bring a proper rope the next day. He then asked Vladimir how long they had been together, and Vladimir estimated about fifty years. They reminisced briefly about a time when Estragon had attempted to drown himself in the Rhone River and Vladimir had rescued him.
VLADIMIR: We'll hang ourselves tomorrow. (Pause.) Unless Godot comes.
ESTRAGON: And if he comes?
VLADIMIR: We'll be saved.
(Vladimir takes off his hat, peers inside it, feels about inside it, shakes it, puts it on again.)
The play ended as it began, with Vladimir suggesting they leave and Estragon agreeing, but neither making any movement to go. They remained frozen in their eternal waiting as the curtain fell.