The Endless Wait of Estragon and Vladimir Under the Tree

Waiting for Godot

The scene from opens with the two men (Estragon and Vladimir) waiting for a mysterious person under a tree. While Estragon gets up and looks around, Vladimir looks in Estragon's boot but doesn't find anything. Estragon then suggests to go somewhere else, but Vladimir tells him that they can't, because they are waiting for someone named Godot. Estragon asks if Vladimir is sure that they are in the right place, and Vladimir says that it must be, because of the tree at the side of the road.

What are the doubts and uncertainties?

Then they talk about the tree that has no leaves and for that Vladimir supposes it is dead. Vladimir doubts whether Godot will really come. Estragon asks what they will do if he doesn't come, and Vladimir says they'll come back to the same place the next day, and the next day, and so on, until Godot arrives. (Vladimir's plan to wait for Godot shows how he and Estragon are trapped there in a kind of prison of their own making: they are free to leave but kept there by their hope for Godot's arrival.).

Estragon says they came to this place yesterday, but Vladimir disagrees. Estragon starts doubting about what day it is and worries that maybe Godot came yesterday and they weren't there to meet him.

The two then take a break from talking and Estragon falls asleep but he’s woke up by Vladimir bc he felt lonely. Estragon says he had a dream and begins to tell Vladimir about it, but he shouts at him not to describe the dream and tells him to keep his nightmares private.

The boy's message

This extract is the conclusion of the play, when a boy arrives and give the two men, Godot’s message and it says that Godot will not come this evening, but he will come tomorrow. Vladimir asks if the boy saw others two men but he didn’t.

Vladimir asks the boy what Mr. Godot does. And he says Godot does nothing. Then Vladimir starts asking about Godot and the boy tells him that he a white beard. The boy asks if Vladimir would like to send a message to Godot and he tells to tell Godot that the boy saw him (vladimir).

The final decision

Estragon wants to go away, but Vladimir says they can't go far, because they have to come back tomorrow to wait for Godot. Estragon asks what would happen if they "dropped" Godot and Vladimir says he would punish them. (so Vladimir is compelled to come back every time just to wait even bc V thinks that G will save them).

At the end of the play Vladimir asks if Estragon is ready to go. He says, "Yes, let's go," but neither of them move.