Symbolism in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot

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Symbolism in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot Symbolism is an important characteristic of Waiting for Godot, a crucial feature that contributes to a great extent to the greatness of the drama. Beckett uses several symbols, even Biblical ones, which represent life, death, mankind, good and evil. A very important symbol is the tree near the road. Estragon and Vladimir have to wait for Godot by the tree (this is the only tree in sight). It symbolizes ‘the tree of life’, the link between heaven and earth, having its roots in the ground and its branches pointing to the sky. Here this tree is a willow and it seems to be dead, it has no leaves. “No more weeping” (6), says Estragon ironically. ‘The tree of life’ has dried out, the link between heaven and earth might be dead. “Or perhaps is not the season” (6), suggests Vladimir. We cannot know for certain. However, in act two, four or five leaves appear on it indicating that there still might be hope for it to be alive. Beckett uses Biblical symbols and stories as well. For instance at the beginning of the play Vladimir muses about the thieves who were crucified with Christ: “One of the thieves was saved. It’s a reasonable percentage.” (3) There is 50 percent chance that they will be saved. But the problem is that only one of the Evangelists writes about the saved thief, which decreases the chances of salvation more. Later in the play the names Adam, Abel and Cain are mentioned, which are also Biblical symbols. Estragon calls Pozzo Abel and Lucky Cain, but Pozzo answers to both. “He’s all humanity”, says Estragon. Previously in the play Estragon called himself Adam. Being the first men on earth, they do symbolise humanity. Furthermore, Cain and Abel can also symbolise good and evil for Cain killed his brother Abel (committing the very first homicide). The messenger boy (or boys) can be (an)

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