Religion In Godot

Central to Beckett’s work is the notion of religion and the exploration of its relationship with the common people. Beckett incorporates numerous representations and allusions emanating from the religious world, criticising its tactics and ideas. The writer uses language to introduce the audience to absured concepts and the characters themselves to pass various messages, including his potential interpretation of religion. The present essay discusses such examples and examines the ways with the religious aspect is interwoven to the interactions between the heroes, ultimately leading to the understanding of the greater conceptual framework of the play. The examples employed are the protagonists and their thoughts revealed from dialogue, Godot

Godot, depending on punctuation is reminiscent of ‘God’ suggesting a direct connection between the two. In the text, Godot has the function of God with the characters hoping to be saved by him. The physical appearance of Godot for which we learn about from the boy also matches the image created by religion for God as an old man with ‘white beard’ , symbolising wisdom. Eventually, Godot never appears on stage and the only way he comes into view is at the end of each Act 1, through his messenger, the boy. The boy initially appears to be reluctant and afraid to approach the two protagonists. Vladimir thinks he has ‘seen the boy before’ suggesting the repetition of everyday life events and especially the repetition of the (non) action of waiting for Godot . His inability to confirm that he has experienced this situation before prompts the audience to the issue of uncertainty raised by Beckett. The message the boy bears is always the same: ‘Mr Godot will not come this evening but surely tommorrow’ and aims to the reassurance of Vladimir and Estragon that they do not suffer in vain, waiting for the salvation. This event is used by Beckett to reinforce the idea of false hope created by religion. From the stichomythia between Vladimir and the boy the audience extracts important information about an another issue connected to the religious aspect of the play. Concerning salvation and

Pozzo is presented at a superior position, holding the lash of Lucky. The slave-like role of Lucky could allude to the characterisation of people as ‘slaves of God’, and although Pozzo could not allude to God (he does not have the power of God & human things happen to him -he eats, is frustrated, blinded, in need of company and in a journey), he has a superior position (between God and ‘slaves’), just like church and religion (religion between common people and God). The master-slave relationship suggested takes different dimensions and could be interpreted symbolically at various levels. To start with, Lucky’s name directly prompts the audience to positiveness unlike the neutral and meaningless Pozzo(many times mocked by the protagonists’ dialogues as «Bozzo»). Secondly, Lucky is many times given power: through his speech and especially through Pozzo’s need to bring him around after the speech. Pozzo’s dependence on Lucky assigns him power he cannot conceive (?) and that could allude to the relationship of church/religion and common people. Many times, people do not understand their true power and just like Lucky, are left to cater for their superiors. Symbol of power imposed is the lash Lucky wears . It is not by chance that as soon as the lash is taken off from Lucky’s neck he engages in a long, intense and quite abstract speech. In his speech he does not have