Mary Beth says:
“The indefinite arrival of Godot is the largest evidence of the play's purposeful absence of measured time.”
Very valid argument. Time is normally conceived by hours and minutes which seem irrelevant in this play.
But it doesn’t mean time doesn’t pass. Every day there is a new day, the twilight indicates a shift from day to night, the tree is alive then dead, meaning that time passes. It passes because there are changes, and different actions. These actions, might not be perceived as meaningful.
We, for I include myself, question the “existing (or non-existing) action of the play”, when it is clear that things do happen.
When Pozzo’s watch suddenly disappears during twilight, for example, something happens –an action. The fact that it directly contributes to ‘distort’ the perception of time, while generating a sense of confusion, speaks of an action but not of an actor!
“but behind this veil of gentleness and peace, night is charging (vibrantly) and will burst upon us (he snaps his fingers) pop! Like that! …just when we less expect it.
That’s how it is on this bitch of an earth.”
Nobody to blame!
This is definitely different from reality, and it is so because things don’t just disappear.
Very true—
I’d like to take a closer look at exactly how time seems to pass at different points in the play.