This commercially successful production starred Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, both of whom occupy a major seat in the Hollywood industry. In this production, the same scene of the two thieves story emphasizes the friendly connection between the two characters, and leads to the broader understanding for Waiting for Godot as a reflection of personal relationships. However, this interpretation is challenged by another production in the same year of 2013, a broadway play directed by Sean Matthias. All of this leads to the interpretation of Waiting for Godot as a play of human’s subjection to the metaphysical delegates in life, such as faith or nature. Therefore the performance presents the scene as a futile struggle of the two character to discuss a religious story and fail to arrive at a conclusion, while they are placed in a oppressive space as if manipulated by unnatural forces. Meanwhile, the entire play is about the unescapable wait that the two character must withstand for a mysterious person. The discussion seems to point to the unreliability of the documentary evidence on which the Christian faith is based. The performance of this scene is serious, if not dispiriting. In contrast is the intensity of the silence and emptyness around them, as Estrogen sits still throughout the conversation, and voices his question with indifference.
In addition, the pace of Vladmir’s speech is very fast compared the normal speech of everyday life conversations, which suggests his frustration with Estragon’s ignorance.
#WAITING FOR GODOT CHARACTERS SERIES#
For instance, when Estrogon raises a series of questions such as “who?”, “why”? and “well what of it?”, Vladmir bows down to stick his face close to Estrogen’s, which suggests his attempt to make a strong impression on Estragon. As Vladimir explains the story to Estragon, he makes his statement with apparent excitement that is akin to bitterness.
However, once the actors start speaking, there’s a sense of unsettleness in their tone. The two actors are dressed in appropriate clothing, both wearing tall hats, looking like two 40 years-old common men. This setting delivers a sense of post-apocalyptic desolation, which is intensified by the physical distance between the audience and the actor that adds a detached feeling to the performance. In the film, Vladmir, played by Tom Rooney, and Estrogen, played by Stephen Ouimette, were placed in an isolated space of no escape: The foreground is a wasted land of rocks and dirt, and the background is entirely empty. In a film production in 2013, directed by Jennifer Tarver, the scene of the two thieves story is a clear display of human’s vulnerability with regard to religion and nature. While the text may be slippery and fails to suggest a clear purpose of this scene, the visual presentation can be much more interpretive. Is it just like what Estragon says in the play:“Nothing to be done”? In fact, such sporadic pattern of topics can be found throughout the play’s dialogue, thus the reader maybe as unsure about this scene as they are about Waiting for Godot in general. It almost seems as if the two characters randomly jump into this religious story just to left it to be forgotten. The context of this scene gives no prior suggestion of a religious theme, neither does the following dialogue connect with this discussion. Although this discussion explicitly refers to religious stories, it is impossible to pin down a religious interpretation of this play. Take one scene for example, where Vladimir questions Estrogen whether he has read the Bible, and proceeds to introduce the story of four thieves of whom only one was saved. Although the plot is simple-Vladimir and Estragon are waiting for Godot, and during the endless wait they met Pozzo, his slave Lucky, and the messenger boy-the simplicity is what complicates the play.
Widely acknowledged as a classic tragicomedy, it is written by Samuel Beckett in 1954, and has inspired numerous productions of theatre performance and films ever since. It is without doubt that Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett, is a perplexing play. They have being waiting for more than 50 years, and they are waiting still. Vladmir and Estragon are waiting for Godot, with a tree next to them and nothing else.
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