“…man cannot tolerate the absence of meaning for long. And meaning, in its most fundamental sense, is a pattern. If man cannot find a model in his world, he will try by all means at his disposal to create it, or at least to imagine it” (Webb 55). Aristotle originally expressed this idea, which manifests itself throughout Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot, to the extent that the protagonists, Vladimir and Estragon, impose on themselves an unsuccessful and pitiful pattern: waiting for Godot. Even though Godot is a vague character and would never live up to the protagonists' expectations if he made an appearance, he offers Vladimir and Estragon the illusion of meaning in their lives. Vladimir and Estragon (or respectively Didi and Gogo) do everything possible to maintain this pattern of expectation which, as Aristotle said, gives them the impression that their life does not have an “absence of meaning” – that, indeed whether they are poor and homeless (deplorable features of society), these are existential successes (Webb 55). All Didi and Gogo have to do is wait; they have essentially lost everything else, or never had any to begin with, like money, prestige, memory, protection, happiness, etc. Through this pattern of absurdity and futility, both satirize the desire for meaning of the universal person within. life and further reveal the illusory patterns that seem to indicate meaning. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay The beginning of the play echoes the sadness and futility of Godot. The scene contains only a tree and two men, while the first words spoken express the futility of the action: Estragon declares, after forgetting to put on his boot, "Nothing to do" (Beckett, Waiting for Godot 1.1. 7). This concise statement sums up the entire piece; it expresses their actions, their thoughts, and essentially their lives by beginning the piece with feelings of futility – a feeling that never diminishes but rather returns intermittently throughout the work. Shortly after the futility of Estragon's thought comes the futility of his action: he declares indignantly: "I'm going." (He doesn't move)” (Beckett, Waiting for Godot 1.1.9). This threat, however, is not plausible; Estragon and Vladimir live in a very fragile world, carefully designed to create the illusion that they, two neglected tramps, have meaningful lives and that they do not exist simply for the sake of existing. They base this illusion on waiting for Godot – without under any circumstances leaving their dark environment, which is why their multitudes of threats to leave are not credible. Shortly after, Vladimir explains the purpose of their wait to Estragon, who appears to be suffering from amnesia, the first depiction of fleeting abilities in the play. In an oft-repeated dialogue with the forgetful Estragon, Vladimir explains: “We are waiting for Godot” (Beckett, Waiting for Godot 1.1.10). He continues by stating:Vladimir: He didn't say for sure that he would come.Estragon: What if he doesn't come?Vladimir: We will come back tomorrow.Estragon: And then the day after tomorrow.Vladimir: Maybe. Estragon: And so on. (Beckett, Waiting for Godot 1.1.10) Godot, however, shows no signs of appearing; it is doubtful whether Godot exists or not, which, ironically, is the point of the entire play: to define his existence by someone who might not exist. Even Vladimir himself displays uncertainty about Godot's existence and his importance, or relevance, to himself and Estragon. The two discuss: Estragon: What exactly was asked of him? Vladimir: You weren't there? Estragon: I can't have listened. Vladimir: Oh. . . Nothingvery precise. (Beckett, Waiting for Godot 1.1.13) For Vladimir, however, Godot's goal is of little importance; Godot, even if he is a figment of his imagination, offers him and Estragon a reason to wake up in the morning: a model. Literary critic June Schlueter notes that “…waiting has been their entire existence, and they cannot recognize that it is worthless” (Schlueter 51). Therefore, Vladimir is aware of the futility of his expectation, but, as mentioned above, he neglects the veracity of Godot's existence to engender an illusion of meaning for him and Estragon. In Waiting for Godot, the entire play consists of Didi and Gogo waiting, but a good majority of their waiting involves simple games that the protagonists play to make each day go by faster. The literary critic Schlueter explains that "each of their games is, however, short-lived: there are a few lines of dialogue, the game is over, then there is silence" (Schlueter 49-50). They tell stories, reminisce, curse each other, and discuss suicide—virtually anything to, as Vladimir puts it, “pass the time” (Beckett, Waiting for Godot 1.1.31). However, literary critic Andrew Kennedy states that “Estragon and Vladimir's expectations seem both limitless and irrational; and the various climaxes and pseudo-climaxes, or non-arrivals, do not change their state...", it is in fact the stagnation of the play – the absence of a climax or common progression of the plot – which echoes and satirizes Beckett's message of passive waiting. the universal man. And these ploys work in a play that Schlueter describes as devoid of “plot progression…[having] no coincidental relationship between events, no linear sequence” (Schlueter 50). Moreover, Vladimir understands his character; he does not have “unlimited and irrational” expectations: he simply convinces himself that Godot is real and that his arrival is imminent in order to establish an illusion of meaning in his life. Additionally, Vladimir is by no means a stupid character; he understands the power he has bestowed on Gidit and knows that he is, in fact, waiting in vain - although spending time with Estragon and convincing him that they are waiting for Godot helps alleviate the futility and gives him a sense of 'importance. Despite literary critic Kennedy's statement that "the risk of waiting in vain is emphasized from the beginning of the play", it is evident that Vladimir understands his situation. He corroborates this statement in his sort of epiphany, where, after asking many questions of a boy servant who delivers a message to Godot, he realizes Godot's power:Vladimir: (quietly). Does he have a beard, Mr. Godot? Boy: Yes sir. Vladimir: Right or. . . (he hesitates). . . or black?Boy: I think it's white, sir.Silence.Vladimir: Christ, have mercy on us! (Beckett, Waiting for Godot 2.1.13) Critic Eugene Webb notes that Vladimir's passionate exclamation concluding their dialogue is explained by: "...[Vladimir realizing] the painful truth that the Godot he transformed with his imagination in a kind of God, in a figure, that is, representing absolute power and ultimate meaning, is a God as empty as the traditional God 'with a white beard…'” (Webb 64). However, even though Vladimir somewhat fears the power that Godot exudes, he does not allow himself to fully see the truth that Godot, as a "white-bearded" God, may not be real - because the illusion is far too important in one's life to be shattered by reality. Although the comparison between Estragon and Vladimir to the common or universal person may seem absurd due to Godot's ridiculous settings and characters, the characters successfully embody the obsession of a being., 2001. 54-64.