The Absurdism

In “WAITING FOR GODOT” by Samuel Beckett

:Philosopical Study

By :
Nike Agusningtiyas
11321239
6G

THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH TEACHING

THE FACULTY OF LETTERS AND ARTS EDUCATION

IKIP PGRI MADIUN

2013/2014
BAB I

Background

Absurdism is a philosophical perspective which holds that the efforts of humanity

to find maning or rational explanation in the Universe ultimately fail (and, hence, are
absurd) because no such meaning exists, at least to human beings. The word absurd in
this context does not mean “logically impossible”, but rather “humanly impossible”.
Absurdism implies a tragic tone and feelings of frustation that arise out of the
inaccessibility. Absurdism is related to existentialism and nihilism, and the term has its
roots in the nineteenth century Danish philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard.
Physiological focuses on the relationship between our biological makeup and our
behaviour and experiences. This area of psychology can be very convincing. For
example we do know that the structure of our nervous system (including our brains)
and the action of chemicals can have an effect on our behaviour. However, an important
question is how much does our biologyaffect us? Some physiological psychologists
take a reductionist argument to answer the above question. That is, they argue that
behaviour and experiences can be explained in terms of brain structure and chemicals.
This reductionist argument has lead to such psychologists making great discoveries, for
example, in the affect of drugs on moodand behaviour. However , other psychologists
(including many physiological psychologists) take the view that we cannot explain
complex human behaviour and experience just in terms of brain structures and
chemicals. There are other psychological variables which need to be considered, for
example , such as how we act alone compared to how we behave in groups. The study
by Schacter and Singer (1962) investigates emotions and their two-factor theory argues
that we experience emotions as an interaction between physiological and psychological
variables. Dement and Kleitman’s (1957) study investigates what happens when we
sleep and Sperry (1968) investigates the behaviour and experiences of people who have
had their brains separated into two halves. The study by Raine (1997) attempts to
investigate the relationship between brain structure and fuction and violence.
This drama presents the reader with four different images of the same,
unforeseeable, sudden, fatal, life feeling. Beckett’s plays are like multidimensional
theatrical pictures connecting literary art with visual ones giving us, through the form
of play , evidence about the author’s personal experience. And this is art which has its
own status independent of all of the additional interpretation, as a kind of art which
affects mostly the emotions perception rather than reason.

BAB II
Theory

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those

connected with reality, existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language.
Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical,
generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational argument. The word
“Philosophy” comes from the Greek (philosophia), which literally means “love of
wisdom”.

Albert Camus (1913-1960), a French novelist and essayist, who worked out the
theory of absurdity and who also applied this thesis in his literary writings iv, deals with
the absurd fate of man and literally demonstrates it with the legendary ancient myth of
Sisyphus in his stimulating analysis The Myth of Sisyphus. Camus goes into the
problem what the absurdity is and how it arises. He also gives the characteristics of
human basic ontological categories as the feeling of “denseness” and “the strangeness
of the world”, which are the feelings of the Absurdity of man in a world where the
decline of religious belief has deprived man of his certaities.

An absurdity is a thing that is extremely unreasonable, so as to be foolish or not

taken seriously, or the state of being so. “Absurd” is an adjective used to describe an
absurdity, e.g., “This encyclopedia article is absurd”. It derives from the Latin absurdsm
meaning “out of tune”, hence irrational. The Latin surdus means “deaf”, implying
stupidity.

Absurdity is constrasted with seriousness in reasoning. In general usage,

absurdity is related to extremes in bad reasoning or pointlessness in reasoning;
ridiculousness is related to extremes of incongruous juxtaposition, laughter, and
ridicule; and nonsense is related to a lack of meaningfulness.

Absurdism – philosophy stating that the efforts of man to find meaning in the
universe will ultimately fail because no such meaning exists (at least in related to man).
Absurdism is related to existentialism, though should not be confused with it, nor
nihilism.
In philosophy, “The Absurd” refers to the conflict between the human tendency
to seek value and meaning in life and the human inability to find any. In this context
absurd does not mean “logically impossible”. But rather “humanly impossible”. The
universe and the human mind do not each separately cause the Absurd, but rather, the
Absurd arises by contradictory nature of the two existing simultaneously. Absurdism,
therefore , is a philosophical school of thought stating that the efforts of humanity to
find inherent meaning will ultimately fail (and hence are absurd) because the sheer
amount of information, including the vast unknown, makes certainly impossible. And
yet , some absurdists (such as Camus) state that one should embrace mankind’s absurd
condition and continue exploring and searching for meaning. As a philosophy,
absurdism also explores the fundamental nature of the absurd, should react to it.

Absurdism is very closely related to existentialism and nihilism and has its origins
in the 19th century Danish Philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, who choose to confront the
crisis humans faced with the Absurd by developing existential philosophy.
Absurdismas a beliefsystem was born of the European existentialist movement that
ensued, specifically when the French Algerian Philosopher line of thought and
published his essay The Myth of Sisyphus. The aftermath of World War II provided the
social environment that stimulated absurdist views and allowed for their popular
development, especially in the devastated country of France.

BAB III

Analysis

 Instrinsic element :
I. CHARACTER AND CHARACTERIZATION
a. Estragon : The second of the two main characters. Vladimir calls him Gogo.
He seems weak and helpless, always looking for Vladimir’s protection. It
shows at the beginning of that drama when he can’t take off his boot. He
feel exhauted and give up.
Estragon, sitting on a low mound, is trying to take off his boot. He pulls
at it with both hands, panting. He gives up, exhausted, rests, tries
again.
As before.
Enter Vladimir.
ESTRAGON:
(giving up again). Nothing to be done.
VLADIMIR:
(advancing with short, stiff strides, legs wide apart). I'm beginning to
come round to that opinion. All my life I've tried to put it from me,
saying Vladimir, be reasonable, you haven't yet tried everything. And
I resumed the struggle. (He broods, musing on the struggle. Turning
to Estragon.) So there you are again.

Estragon is type of person that can’t solve his own problem. It shows
when he got a hard problem he choose to sleep than solve it.

ESTRAGON:
We came here yesterday.
VLADIMIR:
Ah no, there you're mistaken.
VLADIMIR:
He said Saturday. (Pause.) I think.
ESTRAGON:
You think.
VLADIMIR:
I must have made a note of it. (He fumbles in his pockets, bursting
with miscellaneous rubbish.)
ESTRAGON:
(very insidious). But what Saturday? And is it Saturday? Is it not rather
Sunday? (Pause.) Or Monday? (Pause.) Or Friday?
VLADIMIR:
(looking wildly about him, as though the date was inscribed in the
landscape). It's not possible!
ESTRAGON:
Or Thursday?
VLADIMIR:
What'll we do?
ESTRAGON:
If he came yesterday and we weren't here you may be sure he won't
come again today.
VLADIMIR:
But you say we were here yesterday.
ESTRAGON:
I may be mistaken. (Pause.) Let's stop talking for a minute, do you
mind?
VLADIMIR:
(feebly). All right. (Estragon sits down on the mound. Vladimir paces
agitatedly to and fro, halting from time to time to gaze into distance
off. Estragon falls asleep. Vladimir halts finally before Estragon.)
Gogo! . . . Gogo! . . . GOGO!
Estragon wakes with a start.
ESTRAGON:
(restored to the horror of his situation). I was asleep! (Despairingly.)
Why will you never let me sleep?
VLADIMIR:
I felt lonely.
ESTRAGON:
I had a dream.
VLADIMIR:
Don't tell me!

b. Vladimir : One of the two main characters of the play. Estragon calls him
Didi, and the boy addressess him as Mr. Albert. He seems to be the more
responsible and mature of the two main characters. Optimist, oldman,
unempoyment, homeless, religious, stubborn, care, helpful. He believe that
Godot will come, from act I he said to Estragon “We’re waiting for Godot”’
then “Let’s wait till we know exactly how we stand”. From act 2 “We have
to come back tomorrow”’ “to wait for Godot”.

ESTRAGON: Why don't you help me?

VLADIMIR:
Sometimes I feel it coming all the same. Then I go all queer. (He
takes off his hat, peers inside it, feels about inside it, shakes it, puts
it on again.) How shall I say? Relieved and at the same time . . . (he
searches for the word) . . . appalled. (With emphasis.) AP-PALLED.
(He takes off his hat again, peers inside it.) Funny. (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.) Well?
ESTRAGON: Nothing.
VLADIMIR: Show me.
ESTRAGON: There's nothing to show.
VLADIMIR: Try and put it on again.
ESTRAGON: (examining his foot). I'll air it for a bit.
VLADIMIR:
There's man all over for you, blaming on his boots the faults of his
feet. (He takes off his hat again, peers inside it, feels about inside it,
knocks on the crown, blows into it, puts it on again.) This is getting
alarming. (Silence. Vladimir deep in thought, Estragon pulling at his
toes.) One of the thieves was saved. (Pause.) It's a reasonable
percentage. (Pause.) Gogo.
ESTRAGON: What?

c. Lucky : Pozzo’s slave, who carries Pozzo’s bags and stool. In act I, he
entertains by dancing and thinking. Symbol of man as a mchine, and the
name is ironic with the fact, exactly he is unlucky person.

d. Pozzo : He passes by the spot where Vladimir and Estragon are waiting and
provides a diversion. Pozzo is unpolite person, because he called her slave
(Lucky) with a hog. Hog is a castrated pig.
POZZO: Who! You know how to think, you two?
VLADIMIR: He thinks?
POZZO:
Certainly. Aloud. He even used to think very prettily once, I could
listen to him for hours. Now . . . (he shudders). So much the worse
for me. Well, would you like him to think something for us?
ESTRAGON: I'd rather he dance, it'd be more fun.
POZZO : Not necessarily.
ESTRAGON: Wouldn't it, Didi, be more fun?
VLADIMIR: I'd like well to hear him think.
ESTRAGON: Perhaps he could dance first and think afterwards, if it
isn't too much to ask him.
VLADIMIR: (to Pozzo). Would that be possible?
POZZO: By all means, nothing simpler. It's the natural order.
He laughs briefly.
VLADIMIR: Then let him dance. Silence.
POZZO: Do you hear, hog?
ESTRAGON: He never refuses?
POZZO:
He refused once. (Silence.) Dance, misery!
Lucky puts down bag and basket, advances towards front, turns to
Pozzo. Lucky dances. He stops.

e. A boy : He appears at the end of each act to inform Vladimir that Godot will
not be coming that night.

ESTRAGON: What do you want?

VLADIMIR: Approach!
The Boy does not move.
ESTRAGON: (forcibly). Approach when you're told, can't you?
The Boy advances timidly, halts.
VLADIMIR: What is it?
BOY: Mr. Godot . . .
VLADIMIR: Obviously . . . (Pause.) Approach.
ESTRAGON: (violently). Will you approach! (The Boy advances timidly.)
What kept you so late?
VLADIMIR: You have a message from Mr. Godot?
BOY: Yes Sir.
VLADIMIR: Well, what is it?
ESTRAGON: What kept you so late?
The Boy looks at them in turn, not knowing to which he should reply.
VLADIMIR: (to Estragon). Let him alone.
ESTRAGON: (violently). You let me alone. (Advancing, to the Boy.) Do
you know what time it is?
BOY: (recoiling). It's not my fault, Sir.
ESTRAGON: And whose is it? Mine?
BOY: I was afraid, Sir.
ESTRAGON: Afraid of what? Of us? (Pause.) Answer me!
VLADIMIR: I know what it is, he was afraid of the others.
ESTRAGON:
How long have you been here?
BOY: A good while, Sir.
VLADIMIR: You were afraid of the whip?
BOY: Yes Sir.
VLADIMIR: The roars?
BOY: Yes Sir.
VLADIMIR: The two big men.
BOY: Yes Sir.
VLADIMIR: Do you know them?
BOY: No Sir.
VLADIMIR: Are you a native of these parts? (Silence.) Do you belong to
these parts?
BOY: Yes Sir.
ESTRAGON: That's all a pack of lies. (Shaking the Boy by the arm.) Tell
us the truth!
BOY: (trembling). But it is the truth, Sir!
VLADIMIR:
Will you let him alone! What's the matter with you?
(Estragon releases the Boy, moves away, covering his face with his hands.
Vladimir and the Boy observe him. Estragon drops his hands. His face is
convulsed.) What's the matter with you?
ESTRAGON: I'm unhappy.
VLADIMIR: Not really! Since when?
ESTRAGON: I'd forgotten.
VLADIMIR:
Extraordinary the tricks that memory plays! (Estragon tries to speak,
renounces, limps to his place, sits down and begins to take off his boots. To
Boy.) Well?
BOY: Mr. Godot—
VLADIMIR: I've seen you before, haven't I?
BOY: I don't know, Sir.
VLADIMIR: You don't know me?
BOY: No Sir.
VLADIMIR: It wasn't you came yesterday?
BOY: No Sir.
VLADIMIR: This is your first time?
BOY:Yes Sir.
Silence.
VLADIMIR: Words words. (Pause.) Speak.
BOY:
(in a rush). Mr. Godot told me to tell you he won't come this evening but
surely tomorrow.
Silence.
VLADIMIR: Is that all?
BOY: Yes Sir.Silence.
VLADIMIR: You work for Mr. Godot?
BOY: Yes Sir.
II. SETTING
Statis :
 Place : In country road, under the barren tree, without leaves in the branch
of that tree. It is same in the begining act 2, that said next day. Same time.
Same place. But the trees has four or five leaves.
 Time : in the evening. It shows at the begining of the drama.

III. PLOT
Cyclical plot
1. Exposition : The drama opens with a description of the setting as a country
road, a tree and the time being evening. Estragon first appears as sitting, in
a desperate attempt to take off his boot. Vladimir enters and the two men
greet each other warmly after being apart for an unspecified amount of time.
2. Rising action : When vladimir and Estragon waiting for Godot, they argue
about anything around them, like boot, hat , the tree.
3. Crisis : The crisis is begin when 2 men come to the Vladimir and Estragon.
Then Vladimir and Estragon estimate that one of them must be the person
that they wait, Godot. But, the fact they are Pozzo and his slave, Lucky.
4. Falling Action : When the boy come and inform message from Godot that
he won’t come this evening, but tomorrow.
5. Climax : When the boy gone after give message from Godot, then Estragon
feel give up because can’t meet with Godot.
6. Resolution : Vladimir feel that the weather so cold and ask Estragon to
move. Estragon agree to go but they do not move.
IV. THEME
Theme of this drama is about hope. Vladimir and Estragon are lowly bums.
Their only material possesions beside their tattered clothes are a turnip and a
carrot. Neverthless, they have not given up on life. They do not descend into
depression, pessimism, cynicism. Eventhough they frequently exchange insults,
they enjoy each other’s company and help each other. Above all, tough, they
wait. They wait for Godot. They do not know who he is or where he comes
from. But they wait just the same, apperantly because he represent hope.
References
samuel-beckett.net/Waiting_for_Godot_html
wikipedia.com