This document discusses existentialism in Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot. It begins with an overview of existentialism and its key philosophers like Soren Kierkegard. It then analyzes how existentialist themes of absurdity and purposelessness are portrayed in the play through the characters Vladimir and Estragon who do nothing as they wait endlessly for someone named Godot. The repetition in the play highlights the meaninglessness of life according to existentialism. Overall, the document examines how Waiting for Godot explores existentialist ideas about individuals needing to take responsibility for creating meaning in their own existence.

1. Existentialism
in ‘Waiting for
Godot’

2. Personal Details
● Name:- Payal Bambhaniya
● Paper no. :- 107
● Paper Name:- The Twentieth Century Literature: From World
War II to End of the Century
● Roll no. :- 15
● Enrollment no. :- 4069206420220002
● Submitted to:- SMT S. B. Gardi Department of English, MKBU.
● Batch :- M.A. Sem. 2 ( 2022-2024 )

3. Points to Ponder
■ What is Existentialism
■ History of Existentialism
■ Soren Kierkegard
■ Existentialism in Waiting for Godot
■ Conclusion

4. What is Existentialism?
■ Existentialism is a philosophical theory or
approach which emphasis the existence of
the individual person as a free and
responsible agent determining their own
development through acts of the will.
■ It is associated with 20th century.
■ It is the view that humans define their own
meaning in life, and try to make rational
decisions despite existing in an irrational
universe.
■ Existentialism as a movement is used to
describe those who refuse to belong to any
school of thought, beliefs or system.

5. History of Existentialism
■ Existentialist-type themes appear in early Buddhist and Christian
writings.
■ In 17th century, Blaise Pascal suggested that, without a God, life
would be meaningless, boring and miserable, much as later
Existentialists believed, although, unlike them, Pascal saw this as
a reason for the existence of a God.
■ Existentialism in its Currently recognisable form was inspired by
the 19th or 20th Century Philosophers.
■ Soren Kierkegard
■ Friedrich Nietzsche
■ Jean Paul Sartre
■ Martin Heidegger
■ Albert Camus
■ Simone de Beauvoir

6. Soren Kierkegard
■ Soren Kierkegard is known as the “Father of
Existentialism”.
■ He was born in Denmark in 1813.
■ He stressed importance of the individual and is credited
with creating the ideas of “Subjectivity” and the “leap of
faith”.
■ He wrote critical texts on organized religion, Christianity,
morality, ethics, psychology, and the Philosophy of
religion.
■ His Notable works:-
■ Existential Philosophy
■ The Absurd
■ Leap of faith
■ Authenticity
■ Existential Philosophy

7. Existentialism in ‘Waiting for Godot’
■ Waiting for Godot is a play.
■ Written by Samuel Beckett.
■ Published in September,1952.
■ Tragicomedy
■ Devided into Two Act.
■ Waiting for Godot present the conflict between
religious or spiritual beliefs and living by an
Existential Philosophy. Which asserts that it is
up to the individual to discover the meaning of
life through personal experience in the world.
■ In the play Dialogues and Action are very
important to understand.

8. ■ In the play Vladimir and Estragon put
themselves into a absurd situation. They both
doing nothing meaningful. In the play Estragon
says,
■ “Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody
goes, it's awaful.” He knows that their situation
is awaful.
■ They repeate the same actions in the both
Acts.
■ In the whole play they do nothing to change
their condition. Existentialism’s concept is
doing something and creating a purpose of
life.

9. Vladimir:- well, what are we to do now?
Estragon:- let us not do anything at all. It is safer that way.
Vladimir:- Let's wait and see what he has to say.
Estragon:- who do you mean?
Vladimir:- I mean Godot.
Estragon:- That is a good idea.
Vladimir:- we should wait till we know what our position now is.
■ Estragon suggests that they do not have time to wait for someone.
They have to make the move in their own present life or existence
before their time runs out.
■ It also suggests that they are doing nothing. They are waiting for
Godot. But they don't know who is Godot? Is male or female?
Waiting is hope and deals with problem of Existentialism. It
present the purposelessness of life.

10. ■ The structure of the play centers on the repetition of habitual
actions. And this repetition signifies the meaninglessness of
Life.
■ The play shows that the individual must take action in life as
they exists instead of waiting.
■ The play focuses on the question of human existence, and
the feeling that is no purpose or explanation at the core of
existence.
■ It holds that, as there is no god or any other transcended
force, the only way to counter this nothingness is by
embracing existence.

11. Conclusion
■ According to Jean Paul Sartre, “Man is
nothing else but what he makes of
himself.”

12. Work Citation
Abbagnano, Nicola. "existentialism". Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Jan. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/existentialism. Accessed 12 March
2023.
Chawhte, Thlamuanpuia, "Existentialism in Waiting for Godot". Academia.Edu,2021,https://www.academia.edu/26347279/Existentialism in
Waiting for Godot.
http://www.philosophybasics.com/branch_existentialism.html.
samuel, beckett. resources.org,2021,https://resources.saylor.org/wwwresources/archived/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Waiting -for-
Godot.pdf.
Westphal, Merold. "Søren Kierkegaard". Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Feb. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Soren-Kierkegaard.
Accessed 12 March 2023.

13. Thank you