Absurdity And Existentialism In Samuel Beckett S Drama

Absurdity and Existentialism in Samuel Beckett’s Drama
Cristina De Inés Ruiz
Sabiote (Jaén), August 2019

AKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Firstly, to my parents for understanding how difficult it was for me to become a philologist.
Secondly, I want to dedicate this work to Dr. James Flath for teaching me Theatre of the
Absurd; to Dr. Beatriz Villacañas for her experience on Irish literature and for her supervision
while I was doing my final dissertation; to Drs. Juan-Antonio Sánchez, Fabio Vericat and María
Porras for supporting me when I exposed such work and their good teaching based on English
Renaissance Theatre, American Ethnical Literature and Anglo-American Modernist Fiction; to Dr.
Asunción López-Varela for introducing me to literary essays and for her friendship with me; to Dr.
Cortés Vieco for helping me to improve my level of essay writing; and to Drs. Esther Sánchez-
Pardo and Matthew Roudané for their lectures devoted to Modernism.
Lastly, to my favourite singers, Carmen Guillén and Daniel De Miranda; to Juan Cerezuela
for understanding my ‘handicap’; and I also want to share my devotion to literature with Paco
Carrasco, Carla-Giovanna Villalba and Miguel-Anthony Alegre.

CONTENTS
1.- Introduction.....................................................................................................................................1
2.- Waiting for Godot………………………………………………………………………………....2
3.- Endgame and Happy Days…..…………………………………………………………………....5
4.- Conclusion..……………………………………………………………………………………...10
5.- Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………..11

1
Cristina De Inés Ruiz: Absurdity and Existentialism in Beckett’s Drama
I.-Introduction
This essay pinpoints three of the most remembered works by Samuel Beckett, one of the main
authors of Irish literature in the 20th
century: Waiting for Godot, Endgame and Happy Days. The
second and the third belong to the most remembered jewels of the theatre of the Absurd, a genre
that highlights the absence of a plot; an excessive use of pauses, silences; contractions and body
language. Dialogues –usually with senseless exchanges- start with incoherent babbling and such
lack of oral skill gives rise to anguish, derived from the cruelty of human life. That situation
provides many bars to find a sense in human struggle and it leads to impotence, come from the
sense of human isolation. Likewise, the play finishes as it began.
Waiting for Godot, Endgame and Happy Days analyse how wait sometimes may be very
worrying, primarily, when life is difficult. These works prove Beckett’s austere aesthetics; in other
words, Beckett’s likelihood to minimalism. To make matters worse, time contains merely a
repetitive present –there is no past or future- and the place reflects a world where nothing happens.
Even so, humour is present as well in his works.
Not only is literature –mainly, drama- present in his books, but also philosophy –specially,
Existentialism-; psychoanalysis; music and audio-visual means are included here too.
All these features will be explained more exhaustively in next pages.

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II.- Waiting for Godot
This two-act work focuses on Vladimir –known as Didi- and Estragon –also named Gogo- and
these characters come together to a path situated beside a tree in order to wait for Godot. Here are
two theories that criticize their aesthetics: on the one hand, their clothes are old and full of holes and
they do not look good on those males; on the other hand, they could be two soldiers or refugees that
escaped from a conflict –like the Second World War, which had just ended and had a pivotal
influence on literature-. They spend their time speaking and, sometimes, they have an argument.
Estragon is always complaining about how uncomforted he is with his shoes, whereas Vladimir
does not forget his knees’ weakness, derived from a bladder disease. Suddenly, Pozzo –who is very
cruel and claims to be the owner of the land where the two main characters are situated- appears
with his servant, Lucky –whom Pozzo himself seems to control with a long string-. Pozzo sits down
to eat a good chicken, whose bones he throws over Vladimir and Estragon.
These ones have fun with Pozzo, while this one is making Lucky dance, who gives them a
lecture based on Berkelee’s philosophy. After Pozzo and Lucky leave, a little boy comes with a
Godot’s message in which he informs about Godot’s possible arrival the next day. The boy also
reveals Godot’s severity with his brother –the boy’s-: this situation gives rise to the fact that the boy
and his brother have an attic as a bedroom.
The second act starts with a doctrine that is very similar to the first act’s. However, when Pozzo
and his servant come, the former has become blind without any explainable reason; and the latter is
dumb. The boy appears again in order to inform about Godot’s absence and he denies being the
same child that had brought the same message a day earlier.
Debata (2013) studies deeply the meaning of the darkness reflected in the theatre of the Absurd –
a genre in which other masterpieces like Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story is also included-: it is
impossible to know about human nature and purposes, a situation that provides no sense to life. This
displays the Avant-Garde influence on some Post-Modernist authors like Beckett himself, Harold
Pinter or Eugene Ionesco. ‘Absurd’ is a term whose concept may be defined, mainly, from two
points of view: from the linguistic perspective, such word comes from Latin and it means
‘contradictory’; the musical standpoint, in turn, defines absurd as ‘out of harmony, silly’.
These contexts are closed to each other in Camus’ words (1942) and according to Esslin’s
description (1968) of the theatre of the Absurd –“the theatre of the situation against events in
sequence”-. Its language is reduced to patterns of particular images and, therefore, it is far from
argumentative or discursive speeches. Vladimir and Estragon show it owing to their eternal but
unsuccessful wait, as indicated by the information obtained from the young boy that they find on

3
their road. Vladimir and Estragon only meet the bossy Pozzo and Lucky, who lives oppressed by the
former –in Debata’s view (2013)-. These appear twice, in accordance with the explanation provided
in the previous page, although under different circumstances.
Kenner (1976) considers Waiting for Godot as “the play waiting for the man who does not
come”. Cohn (1962), in turn, qualifies this work as “absurdly absurd”, with an “organic
relationship” between absurdities and content.
Respect to suffering, Ur Rehman (2016) arguments that it is “an essential part of human
existence”, besides relationships and nature. The male author adds guiltiness, judgement and death
are a set of miseries and Jemimadaniel (2013) defines salvation as a decisive event to return to God.
All this entails a group of pivotal challenges that contribute to survival. Other topics that play a
crucial role in human suffering are slavery, loss of memory or hope, lack of food or home and
illnesses. It means that Estragon and Vladimir suffer physically and psychologically. They only may
be saved if Godot comes; thereby, in such a difficult case, characters are much nearer misery than
salvation.
Shams (2012) believes in an evident connection of birth with sufferings and death, by adding that
miseries bring the world more together, like Estragon and Vladimir while they are wandering on a
path due to their difficult situation. As explained in the previous paragraph, suffering is as physical
as psychological and death does not equal relaxation, despite the fact that the end of life keeps every
human being away from every dark situation. To summarize, existence is closed to miseries because
of human inability to face actuality with responsibility.
Karmakar (2014) also describes Godot as “a saviour for Estragon and Vladimir”. That is why
they were waiting for him so impatiently: the main character would separate them from evil.
Withanage (2011), on the other hand, alleges that Vladimir and Estragon feel Godot as their
redeemer: all their pains would stay in the past with Godot’s help.
Rakwal (2013), in turn, approaches to Existentialism to give a psychological insight to freedom,
choice and any other aspect that refers to human life by helping himself with several questions
(“who are we?”, “why do we exist?” or “why are alive?”, for example). At the same time, it is easy
to blame him/herself, God or the whole society on every kind of sufferings. Diehl (2009) also
explains the lack of sense when life is simple, with no challenges. Every issue or problem is clearly
related to existence, where humans learn economy; emotions; politics; society; environments and
other situations. All circumstances that modify human life indicate how reality cannot be denied; no
realities can be isolated from existence.
These sufferings, in Anderson’s opinion (2013), are fundamental for survival; different struggles
help to answer every question about life. Coulehan (2012) considers suffering as “a dimension of

4
individual misery” situated “beyond emotional or even physical pain” and it provides no easy
definitions or meanings of human suffering.
Wang (2011) states that Godot increases Estragon and Vladimir’s disappointment with his
absence, despite the hope shown in this work. These characters see that hope is the only solution to
their dark life, even though they cannot see their saviour there. Shobeiri (2011) argues that, with the
beginning of this masterpiece with the physical pain of Vladimir and Estragon, their suffering
indicates “a reflection of the Second World War”, although each of these characters suffers a
different disease.
According to Makhfuddin (2017), heart and mind can lack harmony in their relationship because
of the “unknown destiny”. Likewise, Godot’s impossible arrival gives rise to failure, come from the
absence of salvation. Moinau’s description (2016) of the second act reflects how the truth may be so
cruel: such a long waiting contributes to loneliness, pessimism and even to attempts of suicide.
Azam (2014) explains such feelings as well by arguing that Godot is “supposed to be the saviour of
all ills”: life is merely “a monotonous waiting for nothing”. Life, for Estragon and Vladimir is a
suffering followed by impossibility and death.
Liljeström (2012) argues that the possible suicide of any character of this play –in particular,
Estragon’s and Vladimir’s- is a result of such a long –and even senseless- waiting, which plays a
pivotal role in “universal loneliness”, followed by “despair”. In the words of the Swedish female
researcher, they live a situation that makes them feel that life lacks meaning.
As Beckett himself (1956) describes, Vladimir and Estragon are situated in a “country road, with
a tree, in the evening time” and it paves the way for loads of interpretations –for example, the tree
standing on the floor can lack green leaves or flowers on it-. Baldwin (1981) sees the “sufficient
evidence for a presumption that Beckett deliberately chose a tree as a setting and a symbol”.
Brinkley (1988) explains how Vladimir and Estragon associate time with change as a result of
the evening as time. They probably are waiting for the night, which symbolizes a change, although
from the negative point of view because of Godot’s absence. While that moment is coming, they
continue their struggle.
Shalghin (2014) reflects every human worry, the topic on which Lucky focuses because this
character wants to speak consecutively. Even so, it is impossible and this situation shows human’s
abnormality. Later, after taking his hat off, he feels much better. Dontcheva (2015) pays a special
attention to timeless and Godot by recognizing the former as the subject and the latter as the ‘other’.

5
III.- Endgame and Happy Days
Endgame is a one-act masterpiece contained by four characters: Hamm, the main one and his
servant, Clov; and Hamm’s parents –Nagg and Nell-. All they live in a little house near the sea,
although conversations between the blind character –Hamm- and his employee suggests that there is
nothing out of the house –neither nature; nor sea, sun or clouds-. They depend on each other, despite
their arguments: sometimes Clov wants to leave his job, although he is not able to do it. Nagg and
Nell, on the other hand, live in their respective rubbish bins, which appear on stage. Occasionally,
the marriage asks for food and they speak to each other.
In comparison with Endgame, Happy Days (1961) is composed by two acts and its main
character is a middle-aged female called Winnie. She appears on stage half-buried in a buried bund,
under a blinding light. This, however, does not avoid a set of daily gestures that help her to be
happy. It focuses on Winnie’s physic and mental deterioration, according to Rodriguez-Gago’s
translation into Spanish (2006): her language is very fuzzy and it shows her memory loss. Willy, his
husband, is obsessed with sex and a pornographic post kept by his wife. Feeling isolated from his
wife, Willie proves the ironic perspective of this piece.
With such translation as a basis, Binkerhauer (1976) defines this masterpiece as “in the past, a
scary metaphysic tragedy, with several optimist factors”. Those factors explained by Beckett’s
biographer –the author portrayed in this paragraph- demonstrate human ability to adapt and love
between residual beings.
After Vargas-Llosa’s detailed comment (1964) about Happy Days, concludes that, Ah!, los
Buenos tiempos’ emotions and excitation do not come from the action or Winnie’s monologue, but
some utterly formal factors: silence graduation and humoristic, tender and nostalgic allusions. This
title is another translation of the original one. Monologues are so slow that spectators even suffer
from vertigo; the real emotion undergone is similar to some hermetic poems, where rational
elements are minor or even inexistent, although they communicate readers some precise feelings by
combining rhythms and pictures.
Originally, Endgame was written in French –titled Fin de partie- and translated into English by
Samuel Beckett as Endgame a short time after its publication (it appeared in 1957). It is frequently
considered as one of the most important pieces by Samuel Beckett –as well as Waiting for Godot-.
Existentialism is a philosophical movement born in the 19th
century and it gave rise to some
authors like Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) or Martin Heidegger
(1889-1976). In the 20th
century, it continued with Albert Camus (1813-1960) –whose thought is
explained in the previous chapter- and Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) and his thought played a

6
crucial role in Samuel Beckett’s Endgame and Happy Days. These two masterpieces insist on pain
of existing, anguish, choice, authenticity, despair and death as main topics related to the philosophic
movement explained in this paragraph.
Kierkegaard emphasized, in Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments, the
different standpoints about existence by taking risk as a basis: rather than “results of rational
thinking or scientific reasoning”, there is an “inner voice” that explains a “different reality”. This
displays that scientific philosophy is challenged with the “required connection between individual’s
own life and philosophy”. His Sickness unto Death displays his disagreement with some Christian
elements: in the view of the Danish author, the Bible modifies human thought and life, by
underlying the intangibility of the self, which “must be understood by pinpointing possibilities,
decisions and dread”. It is here where the term ‘existence’ displays its authenticity as well as its
subjectivity.
Influenced by Nietzsche and Kierkegaard, Heidegger’s Basic Writings: from “Being and Time”
(1927) to “The Task of Thinking” (1964) played a crucial role in this philosophical movement to
exclude the essence and objectivity. The description of existence was his most important interest
and he proved it by claiming that beings might not be understood without knowing the kind of
being. Even so, the German thinker denied being Existentialist for his special interest in the nature
of being. His Contributions to Philosophy (from Enowing) reflect how Heidegger wondered about
nothingness, by adding that such term does not mean a goal or something negative. The German
philosopher follows Beckett himself’s thought, due to his special interest in the description of
existence.
In Existentialism and Humanism (1948), Sartre claimed that every man exists and, therefore,
“encounters himself” in order to define himself. Nevertheless, it is significantly difficult to be
courageous to “authenticate” human existence. Moreover, Sartre added that every action chosen
indicated a self-choice; in other words, there is no existence without any choice. Even so, every
option compels to cope with existence. The best example is found in Endgame, when Hamm must
select whether keep what belongs to him –in this case, maintain Clov as a servant- or asking him to
leave him alone. Clov, in turn, must choose between staying or leaving. With all this, Sartre
explains how Endgame indicates “every action becomes a process”, by taking leaving and ending as
two examples. This French author explained the same thing in Existentialism and Human Emotions
(1957).
Respect to the light, Sartre’s thought is explained from different points of view, depending on
these two pieces: Clov is aware of his lack of control while speaking, a fact that paves the way for
his master’s hard response. Both characters exhibit their anguish in order to authenticate

7
themselves. By contrast, Happy Days shows how Winnie does not believe in strange situations: she
feels nothing is wrong around her. However, in her case, she is aware of the impossibility of every
modification in her odd life. Fletcher’s brothers (1972) believe in the light as a “symbol of life”;
therefore, Endgame’s characters –mainly, Hamm and Clov- see their lives very dark and much more
according to death than life itself.
Camus (1942), as exposed in the previous chapter, demonstrates the absurd side of human
existence: a hero finds himself in a monotonous way of life and, therefore, in a universe with no
purposes. Characters find no sense to their life as a result of their isolation, with no help. It is here
were both Existentialist categories –philosophical and literary- are reflected by searching
subjectivity, choice and freedom.
According to Tan’s doctoral thesis (2007), absurd and human emptiness are the main elements of
Samuel Beckett’s texts due to lack of meaning. This makes the life of every character more and
more difficult: identity cannot be found. All characters are waiting for an answer to their questions
that will never come. Such lack of conversation lead to soliloquies, a pivotal element in Beckett’s
works –for instance, Winnie’s solos-. Tan also defines pauses as ‘breaks’, where opportunities can
exist to find a meaning or result. They are more common in Happy Days than in Endgame.
Nevertheless, Winnie needs to speak: she is afraid of silences.
Bohlmann (1991) exposes that “existence precedes essence and man creates himself”. In fact, the
Second World War (1939-1945) was a considerable influence on human beings to recognize the
existing values that had not been born in mind during such conflict. If no particular clues and
meanings closed to the world are not provided, every human being must produce sense for
him/herself by bearing with responsibility.
Kennedy (1989) portrays in detail an era that sees itself challenged by how every life can end at
any time. Even with comic aspects, life loses its sense. This author observes every change in
Winnie’s story and it is shown in the second act. Even so, readers take it difficult to keep such a
female in mind because Winnie is even more buried in this act than in the first.
The reduction of everything to the level of ‘non-existence’ is reflected in all components of this
work (setting, characters, language…). McCandless (1993) describes, likewise, Beckett’s pictures
are very linked to nothingness and follows Kennedy’s “subtle negative way of the exploring itself”.
For Worton (1994), here is a common factor between Endgame and Waiting for Godot:
characters take refuge in repetition, as much in their behaviour as in this words. Otherwise, they
waste time. With these words, Worton describes Beckett’s insistence on permanent order, which
sometimes might consist in “single-word expressions”. Winnie uses it as a solo in the first act.

8
In comparison with Endgame’s sad environment, Happy Days is defined by Iser (2000) as “a
mockery of unhappiness” because, in this case, pessimism in merely implicit. The optimistic
standpoint is reflected, mainly, in Winnie’s psychological profile. Characters do not complain about
their bad luck, in spite of their precarious situations: Winnie is the most able character to see the
advantages that a particular way of life offers –in this case, hers-. This declines her suffering or
anguish.
Anguish, on the other hand, proves how decisions do not affect the self, but also everyone. Every
option makes individuals hesitate: one the one hand, a self-choice; on the other hand, a choice for
the whole society. Ellis (1988) explains this situation by associating anguish with nothingness.
Like Waiting for Godot and Endgame, Happy Days highlights repetitive language as a proof of
Beckett’s tendency to minimalism, explained in the first pages and from Lyons’ point of view
(1983). This gives rise to linguistic poverty and Samuel Beckett uses it as a “cyclic pattern” in
Endgame and Happy Days. Respect to this last work, Worth (1990) maintains repetition as “a
comfort”, which may be deduced with the help of expressions like ‘the old style’; ‘another happy
day’; ‘another heavenly day’ and so forth. It is displayed in the second act. The female author adds
that Winnie’s soliloquies unfold “the bizarreness of her situation” and, therefore, repetition as a
pattern in Beckett’s literature.
Kott (1993) sees Happy Days as the best Beckett’s creation intended to encourage the audience
to cope with human condition in every situation isolated from purposes.
Mercier (1990) supplies an evident comparison between Endgame and Happy Days about
despair. Whereas the former prolongs the ending –because of Hamm and Clov’s misgivings-, the
latter gives a different proof about death waiting, by linking death to the past. This justifies
Winnie’s awareness of death, even though she does not see it as a need.
Tillich (1959) understands Existentialism as “the basic anxiety, which cannot be eliminated”; in
other words, there is no existence without any threat of non-being, a Beckettian statement proved by
Hamm.
In his honour to Sartre, Kamber (2000) explains nothingness with consciousness as a source –got
from Sartre’s Being and Nothingness-. With a deep insight of Existentialism in Endgame and Happy
Days, the author exposes Beckett’s point of view about such philosophic movement in both works
by demonstrating that there is no constitution of being with no negation. For instance, Happy Days
indicates the pivotal lack of earthly sense.
Like Waiting for Godot, Endgame and Happy Days have the concept of time as another
significant feature. Lyons (1983) stresses the lack of notion of time in Endgame, by adding that
Beckett “incapacitates” such concept. This topic is noticeable in dialogues between Hamm and

9
Clov. There are no changes in this work, with the weather and Hamm’s face as two main proofs.
Adorno (2002), in turn, gives an evident link between no-notion of time and despair. Indeed, ‘frozen
time’ can irritate the audience. By contrast, in Happy Days, Lyons finds a division of time into days
and nights with no darkness. For Winnie, time is irritating; therefore, she does not like bells because
their sound symbolizes time, whose power may be negative.

10
IV.- Conclusion
As explained in the introduction and the three works analysed, choice; anguish; pain; despair;
authenticity and death are a part of Existentialism. This movement is also closed to every question
that human beings ask for themselves in line with their respective identities (“who am I?”, “where
do I come from?”, “where am I going?” and so on); primarily, in accordance with Kierkegaard’s
thought.
All these topics, described by different philosophers and critics, are discussed by playwrights of
absurdity –in this case, Samuel Beckett-.

11
V.-Bibliography
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AZAM, Azmi (2014). The Concept of Nihilism and Torment in Samuel Barclay Beckett’s “Waiting
for Godot”. Language in India, vol. 14(2), pp. 24-36
BALDWIN, Helen L. (1981). Samuel Beckett’s Real Silence University Park, PA: Pennsylvania
University Press
BECKETT, Samuel (2006). Los días felices (Happy Days), María-Antonia Rodríguez-Gago trans.
Madrid: Cátedra
BECKETT, Samuel (1956). Waiting for Godot. London: Fabr & Faber
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BRINKLEY, Edward S. (1988). Proustian Time and Modern Drama: Beckett, Brecht and Fugard.
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BOHLMANN, Otto (1991). Conrad’s Existentialism. Basignstoke: Macmillan
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DIEHL, Ulrich (2009). Human Suffering as a Challenge for the Meaning of Life. Existenz: An
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DONTCHEVA, Antoaneta (2015). Waiting Samuel Beckett’s Enigmatic Sign of Life. Philosophia,
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HEIDEGGER, Martin (1993). Basic Writings: from “Being and Time” (1927) to “The Task of
Thinking” (1964). Martin Heidegger, ed. David Farrell. St. Francisco: Harper St. Francisco
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SARTRE, Jean-Paul (1948). Existentialism and Humanism. Philip Mairet, trans. London: Methuen
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SHOBEIRI, Ashkan (2011). Beckett’s Atheism in “Waiting for Godot” and “Endgame”: a Proof of
Absurdism. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 1(21), p. 290
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Days”. Ankara: Middle East Technical University
TILLICH, Paul (1959). The Courage to be. New Haven: Yale University Press
UR REHMAN, Hassin (2016). Suffering as an Essential Part for Human Existence in the Reference of
Samuel Beckett’s Play “Waiting for Godot”. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and
Culture (Linqua- LLC), vol. 3(2), pp. 33-47
VARGAS-LLOSA, Mario (1964). Ah, los buenos tiempos de Beckett. Piedra de toque, Spanish ed.
(2012). Barcelona: Galaxia Gutenberg-Círculo de Lectores
WANG, Jing (2011). The Religious Meaning in “Waiting for Godot”. Canadian Center of Science
and Education, vol. 2(1), pp. 198-201
WITHANAGE, Ishara-Hansani (2011). Waiting for Nothing: an Analysis of “Waiting for Godot” by
Samuel Beckett. Kt Sigillum Universitatis Islandiae, p. 32.
WORTH, Katherine (1990). “Waiting for Godot” and “Happy Days”. London: Macmillan Press
WORTON, Michael (1994). “Waiting for Godot” and “Endgame”: Theatre as a Text, ed. John
Pilling. New York: Cambridge University Press

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