Godot Act 2 Allusions 4h1c45

Dilip Rathinakumar Act 2 Allusions Religious Allusions from Symbols Tree:   

Only distinct piece of setting. Jesus was crucified on a cross which is sometimes referred to as a “tree” – “Jesus was nailed to the tree”. Connects to Vladimir/Estragon hanging themselves from the tree – reference to the crucifixion. This also connects with Estragon comparing himself to Christ in Act 1.

Religious Allusions Quotes VLADIMIR (stopping) Your turn. Estragon does the tree, staggers. ESTRAGON Do you think God sees me? VLADIMIR You must close your eyes. Estragon closes his eyes, staggers worse. ESTRAGON (stopping, brandishing his fists, at the top of his voice.) God have pity on me! VLADIMIR (vexed) And me? ESTRAGON On me! On me! Pity! On me! Enter Pozzo and Lucky. Pozzo is blind. Lucky burdened as before. (2.451-6)

VLADIMIR I tell you his name is Pozzo. ESTRAGON We'll soon see. (He reflects.) Abel! Abel! POZZO Help! ESTRAGON Got it in one! VLADIMIR I begin to weary of this motif.

Estragon demands for pity. Pozzo enters as a savior. But he is a blind tyrant (not useful) so this is a mockery of the idea of a “saviour”. Estragon pretends to be the tree. The tree is an allusion to the cross (Jesus’ crucifixion) “Do you think God sees me” – Allusion to poem by William Blake ;Tiger Tiger in the Night.  Much of the poem talks about an omniscient figure (god) with an “immortal hand”.  Poem asks questions like “did he smile his work to see? Did he who made the lamb make thee?” much in the same way Estragon asks if God sees him.

Pozzo responds to both Cain and Abel who are the sons of Adam and Eve. Cain/Abel make sacrifices to god but god accepts only Abel’s which leads Cain to killing Abel – God punishes Cain.

Dilip Rathinakumar ESTRAGON Perhaps the other is called Cain. Cain! Cain! POZZO Help! ESTRAGON He's all humanity. (2.619-626) VLADIMIR (He looks again at Estragon.) At me too someone is looking, of me too someone is saying, He is sleeping, he knows nothing, let him sleep on. (2.795) VLADIMIR (softly) Has he a beard, Mr. Godot? BOY Yes Sir. VLADIMIR Fair or . . . (he hesitates) . . . or black? BOY I think it's white, Sir. Silence. VLADIMIR Christ have mercy on us! (2.823-27) ESTRAGON And if we dropped [Godot]? (Pause.) If we dropped him? VLADIMIR He'd punish us. (2.848-9)

While looking at Estragon, Vladimir thinks someone is looking at him. This “someone else” could be god.

Vladimir concludes that Godot is God. He fears the consequences of missing a meeting with Godot (which is why the last line is so emotional for him).

Vladimir/Estragon don’t know much about Godot (nothing about appearance, who he is, and even sometimes uncertain about his name. But they know his power due to “He’d punish us”. Similar to God’s power.