![]() After the simple phrase, “waiting for Godot”, is repeated numerous times, the reader begins to pursue meaning of the phrase and after each consecutive time the reader sees the phrase, the reader sees more meaning in the phrase. ![]() When the reader sees the phrase for the first time, the reader does not try to find significance and meaning because the phrase has only occurred once. Beckett does not tell, but show the reader the concept of Eternal Return through the repetition of the text. The phrase, “waiting for Godot”, is repeated numerous times throughout the novel, which, in Eternal Return, yields a greater meaning each consecutive time the phrase is presented. Another phrase that Vladimir consistently mentions eternally is “We’re waiting for Godot” (Beckett 10), which is mentioned for the first time on page 10. Beckett attempts to portray to the reader that after the Eternal Return has occurred, the repeated dialogue will only continue to increase in meaning. The second time the dialogue was mentioned, the dialogue was much more emotional and meaningful. “Tell him that you saw me ” was repeated more times in Act 2 than it was in Act 1 when the boy comes. In the instance in Act 2, Estragon is asleep while the boy confronts Vladimir, but when the boy asks what he should say to Godot, Vladimir replies “Tell him you saw me and that… that you saw me… (With sudden violence) You’re sure you saw me, you won’t come and tell me to-morrow that you never saw me!” (Beckett 59). You did see us didn’t you?” In Act 2, the sequence is repeated, although with slightly altered dialogue and actions. When the boy asks Vladimir what he should say to Godot, Vladimir replies, “Tell him you saw us. Meanwhile, a boy arrives and tells Vladimir that Godot will not be coming. In one instance in Act 1, the two protagonists, Vladimir and Estragon, are waiting for Godot and Estragon falls asleep. Beckett implements eternally recurring dialogues and actions in the novel to portray the change in meaning each time a dialogue or action is repeated. The existence of meaning in Waiting for Godot constantly changes from character to character to portray the existentialist idea of Eternal Return and the meaninglessness of a person’s search for meaning.Įternal Return greatly contributes to the manipulation of meaning through the novel because according to Eternal Return, meaning becomes increasingly significant after each consecutive cycle. In the existentialist play, Waiting for Godot, the author, Samuel Beckett, explores how pursuing the existence of meaning through an existentialist lens ultimately leads to nothing. However, they do not realize that they only find meaning in the Eternal Return because they are looking for meaning in the Eternal Return. Thus, typical existentialists would believe that the Eternal Return is the path to meaning. Existentialism is a philosophy which encompasses the belief that eternal repetition is the only way for something to have meaning, to have a purpose in the world.
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