Samuel Beckett Described His Waiting for Godot as a Tragicomedy. to What Extent Is This Is an Accurate Description? Would You Say There Is More Tragedy Than Comedy or a Mixture of Both?
Samuel Beckett described his Waiting for Godot as a tragicomedy. To what extent is this is an accurate description? Would you say there is more tragedy than comedy or a mixture of both?
Through the use of many linguistic, structural and comic features, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting For Godot successfully places a wayfaring line between the two genres of tragedy and comedy. With the opening showing the two main characters Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo) in a barren setting with useless props such as Gogo’s boot and Didi’s hat and a leafless tree, there is an instant confusion created with a question as to whether this is truly a comedy at all. Estragon’s statement ‘Nothing to be done’ starts the production off very cleverly as it is a true concept through the play; there is actually nothing being done by any character. It all seems to be useless rambling in the wilderness. There is no control in Didi and Gogo’s lives due to the obsession with waiting for Godot. Because of this they never bring themselves to leave. This leads the audience to ask the question. ‘Is this really a tragicomedy or just a Tragedy? Seeing these men are obviously wasting their lives’. Undoubtedly, Godot has comical elements with classic comedic actions such as trousers falling down and the struggle to take off a boot. With events like these in the play it is seen as direct, classic, light-hearted humour but with a deeper understanding we see this light-hearted humour with dark tragedy. The two however placed together do unarguably play essential roles in completing the play.
Tragedy is evident in the play but undeniably there comedy, Comedy that maybe even encourages the tragedy? ‘What about hanging ourselves?’ ‘Hmm. It’d give us an erection!’ here there is definite sexual comedy; the idea of getting an erection would have been uncomfortable yet comical at the time and even now. However, although there is humour in the topic, there are too tragic concepts with the results of the hanging being
Through the use of many linguistic, structural and comic features, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting For Godot successfully places a wayfaring line between the two genres of tragedy and comedy. With the opening showing the two main characters Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo) in a barren setting with useless props such as Gogo’s boot and Didi’s hat and a leafless tree, there is an instant confusion created with a question as to whether this is truly a comedy at all. Estragon’s statement ‘Nothing to be done’ starts the production off very cleverly as it is a true concept through the play; there is actually nothing being done by any character. It all seems to be useless rambling in the wilderness. There is no control in Didi and Gogo’s lives due to the obsession with waiting for Godot. Because of this they never bring themselves to leave. This leads the audience to ask the question. ‘Is this really a tragicomedy or just a Tragedy? Seeing these men are obviously wasting their lives’. Undoubtedly, Godot has comical elements with classic comedic actions such as trousers falling down and the struggle to take off a boot. With events like these in the play it is seen as direct, classic, light-hearted humour but with a deeper understanding we see this light-hearted humour with dark tragedy. The two however placed together do unarguably play essential roles in completing the play.
Tragedy is evident in the play but undeniably there comedy, Comedy that maybe even encourages the tragedy? ‘What about hanging ourselves?’ ‘Hmm. It’d give us an erection!’ here there is definite sexual comedy; the idea of getting an erection would have been uncomfortable yet comical at the time and even now. However, although there is humour in the topic, there are too tragic concepts with the results of the hanging being