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Oxford Reference. Publications Pages Publications Pages. Recently viewed 0 Save Search. Your current browser may not support copying via this button. Vladimir and Estragon, however, frequently feel that they lack control over themselves. It is in the latter sense, that these characters lack self- control. They frequently express the desire to do a particular thing, but are unable to make themselves do it. These instances are almost always tragicomic. In the relationship between Vladimir and Estragon, this inability of the two to control themselves is particularly obvious.
Each frequently expresses a desire to leave the other:. He does not move Beckett 1. Ironically, Estragon says one thing and does another. It is the contradiction between the spoken word and the stage directions that provides the humor. He expresses the desire to leave but lacks the control over himself to actually do so.
There seems to be a disconnect here between mind and body which is further emphasized when they try to discern why they never leave each other:. I feel better alone too. The tragedy of their relationship is that they would be better off without each other.
They are happier alone, but continue their relationship without knowing why. Most can relate to this sentiment, and furthermore, to how painful it is to see the better option and to choose the worst. Vladimir and Estragon state that they do not know why they do not control themselves; however, it seems to be a matter of familiarity.
As human beings, we typically flock towards things that we know because our instinct is to be afraid of unfamiliar things. This is why Vladimir and Estragon remain together and precisely why they are not able to exert control over themselves. When the mind is not conscious of itself, the body defaults to a series of routines that are familiar and do not require mental concentration. Essentially, habits are indicative of a loss of self-control.
Vladimir frequently fiddles with his hat and Estragon with his boots:. He takes off his hat again, peers inside it. He knocks on the crown as though to dislodge a foreign body, peers into it again, puts it on again. Nothing to be done. Estragon with a supreme effort succeeds in pulling off his boot. He peers inside it, feels about inside it, turns it upside down, shakes it, looks on the ground to see if anything has fallen out, finds nothing, feels inside it again, staring sightlessly before him Beckett 1.
It is humorous that they keep checking within their hats and boots as if something might be inside of them. The fact that they never actually find anything within these garments, is the tragic aspect of the scene. They are, in a sense, slaves to their own fruitless habits. Essentially, their lack of self-control sentences them to an existence which produces nothing valuable. All of these moments where Vladimir and Estragon lack self-control are comedic because one should be able to make himself or herself do something, especially when the tasks are as simple as those which the characters propose.
At the same time, they are tragic solely because the characters honestly feel that they have no control over themselves:. They talk almost as if they operate outside of themselves—that they are not present in their own bodies—and therefore, have no control. Furthermore, with these lines, they admit that they are resigned to this lack of control because they feel it is useless to try—things will not change.
Essentially, Vladimir and Estragon cannot control neither themselves nor the outside forces that act upon them. When one cannot control anything, it seems as if nothing one says or does can have any effect on the world. Essentially, the world becomes an isolated entity and our presence in it meaningless. See the Theatre of the Absurd page for a more in-depth discussion of these theories. They give movement to the heavy, hard-hitting themes of the play. Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot: A tragicomedy in 2 Acts.
New York: Grove, Bloom, Harold. Esslin, Martin. The Theatre of the Absurd. New York: Vintage, Gussow, Mel. Image from Waiting for Godot courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Background Information Waiting for Godot is the most well-known play from the Theatre of the Absurd movement. Death Most human beings adopt a passive stance and see themselves as powerless in the face of death.
Time Whereas death can be controlled to a certain extent, time is something which no one can exert any control over.
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