Meaning in Waiting for Godot Sydney Kramer 12th Grade

In his play, "Waiting for Godot", Samuel Beckett communicates an existentialist perception of meaning as a concept through the interaction between the characters, Vladimir and Estragon. The conversations between the two men reveal various understandings, applications, and questions in regard to what meaning is, and what purpose it serves in human life through the use of repetition, intentional syntax, and connotation within his dialogue.

Beckett urges the audience to ponder the presence of meaning in life through the use of a circular, repetitive structure in the exchange of language between the two protagonists, Vladimir and Estragon. In the beginning of both Acts I and II, Vladimir observes Estragon by stating, "there you are again"(4). Later, the characters ask each other if they "Shall go" in both acts (45,85), yet in both instances they in fact do not go although they claim that they will exclaiming, “Yes, let’s go” (45,85). Beckett ingeniously chooses to end both of the acts in the exact same manner by repeating the dialogue, capturing the attention of the intellectual eyes, or ears for this matter. Both men repeatedly mention their anticipation of Godot's arrival, emphasizing the circularity of their thoughts and...