Here is one of my essays that I wrote in my first year at university. In this one I used other sources also in order to support my argument. At the end in the work cited section you will find details of them as organized according to MLA style. Hope it helps.
Waiting
for a Savior
Samuel
Beckett wrote the most famous play of absurd theatre Waiting for Godot. In this play, we can see the, psychological situation
of theWestern people after World War II. Having seen many people killed, having
lost many lovers and parents, forced people to think about the meaning of life,
especially the existence of God. In twentieth century, people tasted deep
sufferings of life because of that, then perceived, absurdity of existence in
terms of religion. Also Beckett was influenced by this circumstance and he
reflected his feelings on the play. “Beckett who witnessed both World Wars and
experienced the second one and felt the misery of modern man with all his
senses aired his own idea and philosophy in his works in a time when art was
expected a mission more important and factual than ‘art for art's sake’” (Ghanbari
735). When the play was staged, everybody was surprised because it was an
unprecedented story in order to regularity. In the play, there are two main characters,
Estragon and Vladimir, who always wait for somebody or something. Many people
who read or watched the play, thought that Godot is God but Beckett refused
this opinion. Actually, the play has many signatures which belongs to God
however, the author did not accept that, even though the play has many symbols referring
to religion and the author focused on the act of waiting. In this point of view,
Godot refers to God. In Christianity and other celestial religions, God
promised people to send them a savior in order to relieve them from their
suffering and invite them to the waiting.
First
of all, the play has two main characters but the of them are just one human
being actually. Vladimir symbolizes the
mind by thinking, deciding and choosing. On the other hand, Estragon symbolizes the body via moving and acting.
The characters in the play are waiting and they do nothing except waiting. However,
they want to do something like going away but do not. Whenever Estragon wants
to go, Vladimir keeps him and reminds him that they are waiting for Godot. In
this perspective, people want to do
something but they cannot in order to conform with the norms of the religion.
Why cannot people do anything? What
keeps people’s mind? In Christianity and other celestial religions, people have
to comply with many rules to live andt to behave by. All of these are imposed to
people’s minds by birth.
It looks like, people do not have to do what religions
dictate them to do. but still, people
feel obliged, because if they do not conform with the norms, the society may
refuse and isolate them. In this term people have two choices to be faithful
and hopeful about saving or finish their lives. The play focuses this dilemma
of people. ” In such a condition which has been emphasized by the lack of
communication and individuality, man has two choices, either to bear the
condition, live and be hopeful about the arrival of the savior and a better
future, or to commit suicide and put an end to his miserable life” (Ghanbari
736) . In twentieth century, belief in God or to be faithful decreased in the West
so Beckett tried to bring attention to that.
“Waiting for Godot expresses the living condition of the Western
people who have been out of contact with God and shows their effort to get rid
of the situation” (Wang 200).
The
author of the play defended existentialism so we can see how affects existentialist
theory the play is. “Like other existentialists, he comes to focus on the
absurdity of human life and doubt the long-time believed religious matters”
(Ghanbari 735) .Whereas, all celestial
religions tell in their scriptures promise savlation for people who has belief
and be faithful during his life.
As far as religion is concerned, during
their missions all the prophets and apostles
have emphasized the fact that a savior will arrive at the end of the time who
will implement the government of justice over the globe. This news has been
heard since human beings appeared on earth. Allah has indicated this promise in
all the early scriptures and commanded humans throughout ages to expect the
manifestation of the kingdom of Allah on earth.(Ghanbari 735)
Waiting of the
characters refers that, waiting faitful people for salvation by a savior, God
or prophet. This is the one of the religious symbols of the play. Another
symbolic thing is mentioned in the Bible
There
are descriptions about Godot similar in God in spirit. In the play, Godot can
save, or punish, or try or take
care of man. The tramps in the play think that as long as Godot comes, they
will be saved. If they do not waiting for Godot, they would be punished by him.
The messenger boy said he and his brother keep sheep for Godot. His brother keeps
the sheep and he raise the goats. (Wang 197)
All in all, the play shows absurdity of
waiting for a savior in order to live a meaningful life. Actually, the main
characters of the play are hopeless people and the play full of emptiness,
pointless and repetition. In this case, Beckett makes criticism people life who
belives God and cannot make own choices. According to existentialist theory,
people make own decisions and are responsible for all their acts so Estragon
and Vladimir are not existentialist people because there is no act and no
desicion they just wait, they have not got the courage to make a choice. Godot is
their savior and they do not do anything except waiting. All the time is same
for them because of that they cannot notice what time it is, how long they have
been waiting. Of course they cannot remember that if their all days to be same.
Godot promises them to come but he never comes also he sends a messenger boy to
tell them he will come absolutely. In this case, Godot referes God because in
all heavenly religions God promises that one day people will save all
sufferings and be happy forever so many prophets had come to tell God’s messages
to people and invite them to wait for salvation.
Works
Cited
Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. London: Faber and
Faber, 2006. Print.
Ghanbari, Mohammad Reza. “A
Comparative Study of the Notion of Waiting for a Savior
in Religion and in Waiting for Godot.” World
Applied Sciences Journal. 3.5
(2008): 733-37. International Digital Organization for Scientific Information. Web.
18 Apr, 2013.
Wang, Jing. “The
Religious Meaning in Waiting for Godot.” English Language Teaching. 4.1 (2011): 197-200. Canadian
Center of Science and Education. Web. 27 Apr, 2013.
Best.
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