by Logan Turner
It’s all in the name, as well as the description/action.
Aside from the Godot/God name connection, Godot is also referred to look similarly to standard images of God (long white beard), have had the same ‘profession’ as God (both were shepherds), and like God, Godot seemed to have supremacy over all characters in the play (as God does over all things, because He is a supreme being). Also, it is said that Godot has all the answers to unasked questions (they don’t remember the question they asked him, or even if they did, yet both Estragon and Vladimir feel like Godot has an answer for them). And in information that one of the messenger boys gives (about being nice to his goatherd and beating his flock of sheep), it shows that Godot is selective in his punishments and rewards, like God himself was.
All of this, and Estragon and Vladimir’s knowledge of Godot show that man will never have a relationship or understanding with God and His ways (because neither of them can grasp anything about Godot, even from either of the messenger boys. And that which they do glean is not significant enough to make any deductions about the man). As a species we don’t grasp what we need to, to comprehend a supreme being.
Now, I also don’t believe that this is the ONLY thing that the play is about. It’s merely one more idea to add to those of my counterparts. And I must say that I agree wholeheartedly with Geoffrey about how the play is about how monotonous human life can be. I think that Amy’s idea of live vs death may be a stretch and a twisting of words, but I like her other ideas.