Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

[senzaombre]

I understood the nothing as being in relation to the human condition. This play is powerful in that it makes us realise the futility of the human condition - the endless repetition of daily life through the play's cyclic nature and the emptiness which I assume is in relation to death (as in most Absurdism).

I enjoyed this play very much, but I preferred the original French version. The differences aren't huge, and obviously Beckett was the author on both occasions, but somehow it just works better in French. I think the tone in the English version is slightly more ironic which makes it more enjoyable to read/watch, but shifts the focus slightly from the characters' psychology. I'd be interested to hear someone else's opinion on this though, as it has been a long time since I read both versions!

[sandy14]

As a critic put it, "Godot is a play in which nothing happens, twice."

It is a brilliant play. I've seen a couple of productions and I must say the current one with Patrick Stewart & Ian Mckellan one is quite interesting as it has a strongbrings out element of vaudeville theatre which made the play much funnier than the usual bleak nothingness that previous productions have had.

I was lucky enough to catch the show in London

[Molino]

Talking of Waiting for Godot... Here is a poem I wrote recently inspired by this brilliant play. It is in French like the original!

LA LÉGENDE DES SADDOS (ou Allégorie évidente de Beckett)
Ab absurdo,
en attendant Godot,
grosso modo,
du nid au suprême cadeau
et le long de la voie de soie vers El Dorado,
fidèles bedeaux,
charlatans et magiciens d’Oz
nous empiffrent de la pedo
des mots et maux d’un dieu hébdo
des cours pour préados
de systèmes pyramidaux,
cruzados, picadors et forcados
qui nous crachent comme des clodos
baguettes de Mikado
même clones quasimodos.
Plus conquistadors
non plus badauds,
on tourne le dos au crescendo.
O altitudo! O dulcitudo!
toujours dérière un tout dernier bédo.
Veritas? fides? fortitudo?
Consuetudo. Video sed non credo.
Âmes creuses sans libido
pesant, baissent les rideaux
de donjons absidaux.
Seul maître à bord. Chaos ab ordo.
Au fond de cette rade aux crados,
et sur un sacré grand lit d'eau
fiers et pieux, benoîtement on fait dodo.
Clando, commando
orando laborando,
desperado, afficionado,
speedo pseudo Deus amado.
Ad astra, ad altiora tendo
ab initio ab agendo.
Dominus illuminatio mea-fa-sol-fa-mi-re-do
Répètons jusqu'au fade out ce fado...
Hélas... Encore c'est la légende des saddos.

Happy new year!

[Molino]

It is in French like the original!

I suppose I should say it is in a French with borrowed Latin expressions, Verlan and other argot words...