Salim Damerdji

April 2, 2017

INT 184ZX

Prof. Norris

Waiting for Godot

Estragon and Vladimir wait for Godot to know exactly how [they] stand with respect to

his decision to pray with them or not (10). In other words, the two are waiting for a judgment day

of sorts. Estragon complains that supplication requires them to beg on their hands and knees

which implies they have lost [their] rights (11). Implicitly, Estragon means they have lost their

rights to God; who else would they and Godot pray and supplicate to? Vladimir cynically replies

that We got rid of them, i.e. their rights (11). Estragon retorts that they are not tied down to

anything. After a distraction, they return to this discussion but talk of being tied down to Godot,

not God. That they unwittingly make this mental association suggests parallels do exist between

God and Godot. This reading seems confirmed by the not-so-subtle hint in how Beckett named

Godot.