But tomorrow I won't remember having met anyone today. During the questioning, Pozzo says, "I don't remember having met anyone yesterday. However, something strange is mentioned when Estragon and Vladimir question them on their memory.
Neither Lucky nor Pozzo could remember meeting them the day before, unlike Estragon and Vladimir, who could remember. Sadly, however, these were not the only changes to the men. Vladimir and Estragon do not understand this since the day before, he spoke and sang, but the second they ask Pozzo to make him sing, Pozzo is shocked and tells them that "he is dumb" and that "he can't even groan" (Beckett 83). Similarly, the once despaired slave who knew of his worthlessness as being why he was to be sold now ensures his master's safety by being his eyes and ears, although he can no longer talk. They do not or cannot quite believe that a day's difference can cause one to become blind. But then going right back to saying jokes like "ESTRAGON: 'Highwaymen! Do we look like highwaymen?' VLADIMIR: 'Damn it, can't you see the man is blind!' ESTRAGON: 'Damn it, so he is. At first, the friends believe Pozzo to be lying, questioning him "VLADIMIR: 'Do you not recognize us?' POZZO: 'I am blind'" (Beckett 78).
Pozzo, the once mean and conniving slaveholder of Lucky, is now dependent on him because he has become blind. In this act, Estragon and Vladimir have met Pozzo and Lucky before, and when they run into them again, they become concerned by the interaction and the situation.Īfter reencountering them just a day later, both Pozzo and Lucky are drastically different people. The readers see this desire vividly in the second act of the play. Throughout Beckett's play Waiting for Godot, it is clear that one of the leading binary oppositions presented to the readers is the idea of hope versus hopelessness.Įstragon and Vladimir both want nothing more to remember and to be remembered, but as they carry on each day, they know that this hope of memories not to be lost is futile and hopeless. Many literary devices alter what is being said and shown to the audience however, one of the largest ones found is binary oppositions. Moreover, while this play is enjoyed and loved by most who witness it, many parts throughout the play dig deeper into the reader's minds than just the scenes being played out. Beckett wrote this play to be a tragic comedy to be acted out on stage. Samuel Beckett's 1949 play Waiting for Godot creates confusion, sadness, and joy through the acts.