“Next Day. Same Time. Same Place.” Thus, with an assertion of uniformity, begins the second act of the play, titled En Attendant Godot, in English, Waiting for Godot: a Tragicomedy in Two Acts. The play was written by the French dramatist Samuel Beckett and was first performed 1953. One of it’s defining characteristics is it’s complete lack of plot, so much so that the second act of the play is almost an exact replication of the first, wrought with repetitions in the dialogue and stage directions as well as certain differences. While the audience would believe that the second act would bring some change in the action, it does not, it merely elongates the act of waiting that the characters and the audience are, almost unwillingly, engaged in. Act two of the play is relevant because it strengthens the feelings of ambiguity and meaninglessness that is established in the first act.
At the …show more content…
According to David Bradby, “the theme of being in time is experienced by characters and audience alike.” (26) Time seems to be passing naturally in the play in a linear progression and yet there is a discomfort with the progression of time, because it turns into a cyclical progression. According to Esslin, “waiting is to experience the action of time, which is constant change.” (61) Some change is seen in the second act, as mentioned earlier, there is the appearance of leaves on the tree, apart from this change occurs when Vladimir and Estragon meet Pozzo and Lucky. The audience sees how Pozzo and Lucky have aged from the previous encounter, Pozzo is blind and Lucky is dumb, Pozzo also seems to have a failing memory. Vladimir asserts that they all met the previous day, but Pozzo assures him that they hadn’t met before. Estragon also shows a lack of recollection when he asks Vladimir, “and all that was yesterday, you say?” (Beckett 56) When Vladimir questions Pozzo he retorts
At the …show more content…
According to David Bradby, “the theme of being in time is experienced by characters and audience alike.” (26) Time seems to be passing naturally in the play in a linear progression and yet there is a discomfort with the progression of time, because it turns into a cyclical progression. According to Esslin, “waiting is to experience the action of time, which is constant change.” (61) Some change is seen in the second act, as mentioned earlier, there is the appearance of leaves on the tree, apart from this change occurs when Vladimir and Estragon meet Pozzo and Lucky. The audience sees how Pozzo and Lucky have aged from the previous encounter, Pozzo is blind and Lucky is dumb, Pozzo also seems to have a failing memory. Vladimir asserts that they all met the previous day, but Pozzo assures him that they hadn’t met before. Estragon also shows a lack of recollection when he asks Vladimir, “and all that was yesterday, you say?” (Beckett 56) When Vladimir questions Pozzo he retorts