Day 28 - Waiting for Godot The title of this text refers to a famous play written by Samuel Beckett. Beckett wrote this play when he already had fame and recognition from his peers, but the play came to cement his talent. Beckett also wrote other notable pieces, however, Waiting for Godot remains the main milestone in his prolific career. The play was written in French, a language that Beckett spoke perfectly, in fact, he lived in Paris most of his life to the point of identifying himself with the French culture. To this day, Samuel continues to be one of the main referents of the “Theatre of the absurd”, a term used to talk about those plays whose plot is unclear, bordering on absurdity, comedy, and also with tinges of realism. A great example of this style of theatre is indeed Waiting for Godot. The play revolves around two middle-aged men, a pair of friends who are in the middle of nowhere. As soon the play begins it’s clear that both characters are lost, they don’t know where they are, or where they come from, let alone where they are going. In this sense, the play mirrors the ageless philosophical questions Who am I? Where do I come from? and Where am I going?. In fact, the author intended to replicate on the stage these existential questions by using the irony of the absurd, so that the audience can relate to the characters in an indirect way. As for the script, Beckett resorts to illogical dialogues that reveal nothing in regards to the characters’ backgrounds or motivations. At this point, the play is sublime because even though the spectator can understand nothing about what’s going on the stage, it’s still possible to relate to the dialogues, sentiments, and agonies of the characters. Perhaps, this is due that we the same as Vladimir and Estragon live our lives without really comprehending why we are here, or what is the sense of it all. This is precisely the point of existentialism, and this play portrays this internal crisis masterfully. Nonetheless, Beckett always refused to answer any question related to the meaning of the play. He used to say that the play was there to be interpreted by each spectator according to their beliefs. For some, Godot refers to a God that would come to give meaning to their lives, for others Godot is just a supreme reason that keeps them alive. Whatever the case, the play is fantastic.