Themes Page

 

Instability and Confusion

The theme of confusion as it relates to the inability to understand motives, decisions and actions. In Haddaway's What is Love, the main author is confused as to what love really is and whether his significant other truly loves him or not. Throughout waiting for Godot, characters are confused about decisions being made. For example, Vladimir and Estragon wait day after day for the character of "Godot" to no avail each time, and since a rationale is not present, a confused state of mind is communicated across to the audience. Additionally, in performing certain contradictory actions, confusion is also noted. Primarily, Vladimir questions why Lucky is unfaithful to his master, and shortly thereafter questions why his master is unfaithful to Lucky.

 

 

Recurrence and Redundancy

The theme of reccurence is omnipresent throughout the play. Vladimir and Estragon constantly contemplate why they don't leave, but one reasssures the other that they aren't because they're waiting for Godot. This is a recurring event, happening day after day. Reccurence is also prominent in Farenheit 451 as characters in the novel live the same lives, performing the same actions day after day. In both instances, repetition determine the action and circumstances of characters in each text.

 

 

Cyclical Behaviour

Pozzo implicitly states that emotions follow a cyclical pattern. In the play, whilst Lucky is crying about Pozzo's hurtful words, Pozzo laughs, and when Lucky stops crying, Pozzo realizes his pipe is gone and begins to get upset. In Hamlet, the cycle of life and death is used as a justification by Gertrude for Hamlet to stop mourning his father's death.

 

 

Existentialism

Existentialism refers to a philospohical theory that essentially states life has no universal meaning, but rather individuals give meaning to their life through their actions and experiences. Though not immediately present in pages 21-22, it is a quintessential aspect to waiting for Godot.

 

In waiting for Godot, Vladimir and Estragon provide no apparent meaning for their own lives. Primarily, they subject themselves to the character of "Godot" and do not allow themselves to perform any significant actions until they meet this potentially ficticious third party. However, the true meaning in their lives lies within the "waiting" for Godot; the hope they attain whilst in this eternal process is what derives meaning in their lives.

 

Marxism

Marxism is a theory that speaks about socioeconomic status, the division of social class and how being increasingly wealthy pertains to a different societal perception and benefits.

 

"A Marxist perspective is described in Waiting for Godot. In Oryx and Crake, the notion of profit is discussed (i.e. above), speaking to the socioeconomic status that Crake, and the compounders had through their unorthodox means of reaching the uper echeolon of society. In Waiting for Godot, Pozzo is within the upper level of socioeconomic status, and shows this off through the procurement of a knook. He ultimately uses this level of wealth to fulfill a certain goal."