comparison of The swamp dwellers and waiting for godot, introduction, characters of igwezu and vladimir, characters of pozzo and kadiye, concept of waiting, absense of god, conclusion

1. Comparison of ‘Waiting for Godot’
and ‘Swap Dwellers’
Name: Keraliya Kajal
Roll no: 18
Paper 14 : The African Literature
M.A Sem : 4
Enrolment No. 2069108420180030
Year : 2017-2019
Email id : www.kajalk1@gmail.com
Submitted To: S.B Gardi Department Of English
Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar
University

2. Introduction
• “The Swamp Dwellers” is written by Wole
Soyinka and The “Waiting for Godot” is
Written by Samuel Beckett. Both plays can be
considered as an Absurd play. Absurd theatre
is known for the play which contains
existentialism. Some very famous features of
these kinds of plays are Isolation,
hopelessness, absence of God.

3. Comparison of “Waiting for Godot”
and “The Swamp Dwellers”
Waiting for Godot
• Characters are Waiting
for Godot.
• Godot is not physically
present in the play.
• Character of “Boy” as
messenger.
• Vladimir as thinker.
The Swamp Dwellers
• Characters are waiting
for Awuchike.
• Awuchike is not
physically present in the
play.
• Character of “Beggar”
as messenger.
• Igwezu as thinker.

4. Characters of Igwegu and Vladimir
 Vladimir
• Vladimir is the man of thinker who
plays with his hat all the time and
also reminds everything to Estragon.
• He can be seen as an active man
who speaks some dialogues with
deep meaning and underline satire.
• Vladimir and Estragon talks about
hanging themselves but did not do
that.

5. • Igwezu
• Igwezu understand everything and he is aware
about the situation of both, city as well as
village.
• He is in conflict that which side he should
choose. At last he left the village as well as city
and the way he bangs the door it may possible
that he has committed suicide.

6. The difference is Vladimir does not know
where is Godot? But Igwezu has been
Awuchike and aware with his reality.

7. Character of Pozzo and Kadiye
Pozzo
• Pozzo is a character with mentality of masters
and dominating attitude.
• pozzo controls lucky.
• Vladimir suggests Pozzo to make him free but
he says that Lucky will never leave him.

8. Kadiye
• Kadiye also a character with
mentality of masters and dominating
attitude.
• He is spreading superstition in the
villagers.
• He has taken oath that he will not
take bath until the rain does not
stop.

9. Concept of waiting
• Characters are waiting for
godot
• Godot never come in the
play.
• But there is continues
discussion about him in
the play.
• Characters are guessing
about his appearance,
asking about his nature to
boy and also want to
meet him.
• Igwezu’s mother waiting
for Awucike
• He never come in the
play.
• But all characters are
connected with him in
one or the other way.
• Alu is waiting for him,
Makuri has lost his hopes
from Awuchike and
Igwezu has a hatred and
conflict with him.

10. Absence of God
• In the both play there is absence of
God.
• Not any spiritual power comes to
help characters but they remain in
such awful situation.

11. Conclusion
• There are many Beckettian characteristics in
the play “The Swamp Dwellwers” by Soyinka.
Igwezu is presented as a Beckettian hero. The
comparison of both plays leads to one
observation that both can be considered as an
absurd play with existential crises.