Symbols Flashcards
Didi v. Gogo
compare/contrast
Gogo:
- practical, body → feet
- pessimistic
- impulsive (emotional)
- childlike
- external pain
- forgetful
Didi:
- philosophical
- mind → hat
- optimistic
- thinks things through
- adult-caretaker
- internal pain
- remembers
Didi and Gogo support each other emotionally and navigate their shared experiences of waiting for Godot. Gogo is the body, and Didi is the mind . . . that is what makes up the human condition.
- Reflect the human condition’s uncertainty and search for meaning
Pozzo v. Lucky
compare/contrast
Pozzo:
- dominant figure
- egotistical
- manipulative
- symbol for social hierarchy
Lucky:
- submissive figure
- suffers silently
- symbol of oppression
- codependent
Pozzo and Lucky share a symbiotic relationship characterized by dependency, with Pozzo relying on Lucky for service and entertainment, while Lucky depends on Pozzo for direction and purpose.
- Represent different aspects of power dynamics and societal hierarchies.
The Void
The name used to refer to the setting.
- Minimalistic landscape
- Universal (any time, any place)
The void is what remains when all distractions are removed.
Birth → (the void) → Death
- the terminal repetition of waiting with no end in sight except death
How do we mark “the void”?
- daily routines + diversions
- customs
Didi’s Song
“A round!”
Round:
- Dog is born, he suffers cruelly, then dies
. . . we are born, we suffer, we die.
Song ends by winding down.
1x - full verse
2x - full verse
3x - shorter “and dug a dog a tomb” (end dash)
4x - even shorter “and dug a dog a tomb… “ (ellipse)
Dead Voices
Language.
Symbolizes hope, authority, and the absurdity of the characters’ situation.
- They also represent themes of faith and belief (reflecting the human tendency to seek meaning in uncertain circumstances).
The Tree
as a symbol
1. First reference is a silent one
- Didi: “Hope deferred maketh the something sick!” [Hope! Leaves: tree of life]
2. Gallows tree (no hope exists)
- tree of death [Gogo + Didi contemplate suicide]
3. Not sure if it’s even the same tree
- same tree = nope
- not the same tree = no hope
4. Inadequate hiding place
- tree represents Christ’s crucification [salvation for men]
However, Christianity cannot adequately hide our fears.
Names
1. Estragon: (French): tarragon
- Beckett: “He is earthbound - he sits on a mound - identifies.”
- Gogo: go-go / “let’s go”
2. Vladimir (Russian): ruler of the world
- Beckett: “He is oriented towards the sky, he belongs to the tree.”
- Didi: didi → old word for diaper (full of shit)
3. Pozzo (Italian): common use cesspool
- Beckett: “He is weak → identifies with whip.”
4. Lucky (English American): appropriate or ironic
- Identifies with the rope.
5. Godot: (Invented)
- A play on the middle english: goddot
→ meant: “god knows” - Northern Sami language, goddot → meant: “to be killed”
