• Waiting For Godot by Samuel Becket

• Introduction
• Short Summary
• Detailed Summary
• Summary Act I-Part I
• Summary Act I, Part II
• Summary Act II,Part I
• Summary Act II, Part II
• Characters in "Waiting for Godot"
• Estragon, the tramp
• Vladimir, another tramp
• Lucky: the slave
• Pozzo, the master
• Godot, the saviour
• Waiting for Godot Themes and Topics
• University Questions & Answers
• Top 10 Quotes from Waiting for Godot
• Best Quotes from Waiting for Godot

Character of Godot in Waiting for Godot by Samuel Becket

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Among all the characters of "Waiting for Godot" no other character is as confusing and as interpretable as the character of Godot. We know him to be a sort of person that has promised some kind of help to the two tramps of which only Vladimir remembers. A meeting has been promised by him for the tramps but he cannot reach them despite his promise; therefore, he sends them a message that he would come the next day which never comes at least within the scope of this play. The way Vladimir hopes for the meeting with Godot and tells Estragon that:
"Ah Gogo, don't go on like that. Tomorrow everything will be better"

shows that Vladimir has been considering him some sort of Messiah who would rescue them from their current state of loss and chaos. However, they wait for him; this wait never ends within the play. The strong belief and the continuous wait for the character of Godot make him mysterious character. The messenger of the Godot is a boy who describes the white beard of Godot. This shows old age, wisdom and knowledge of Godot. But the interesting fact is that Vladimir has not seen Godot, he asks the description of Godot from the messenger of Godot.


Analysing on symbolical levels, the mysterious character of Godot is attributed to the role of God who has promised to rescue man from every affliction and miserable situation, provided man turns to God. Further, the name of Godot is quite near to the name of God which could have been a result of the loss of memory of the humans. Since the characters are hoping aid and some sort of help which no one else can give them; therefore, it may be considered that either they have confused God with someone or they are waiting for God to intervene and help them out of the miserable plight they are in.

The relationship established between Godot and the tramps fulfills the need and presence of God in the overall scheme of the play. Though the wait for the help of God is always on, yet in "Waiting for Godot" the actual support never comes but always imminent and expected. This situation is also highlighted and contrasted by the relationships between the characters of Vladimir and Estragon; they are always quitting but never quit. They are always breaking off the relationship but they don't.