Hope is a reason to stay on this Earth for some individuals. The same is true for the main characters Estragon and Vladimir from the book “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett. In the book, Beckett displays two homeless men conversing with each other about their daily struggles while waiting for a man named Godot. They are waiting for this man at a setting not described well by Beckett. All is known that there is a presence of a tree and a rock. However, this lack of a descriptive setting puts an importance on the rock and the tree, which is shown throughout the play. As they wait for this mysterious man named Godot, the men encounter a wealthy man Pozzo and his slave Lucky. These two characters are seen in both acts. Although, in act two Pozzo is blind and Lucky is mute. This change in these two characters shows Beckett’s thinking that time is meaningless. The change that happens between the days shows a cycle of nothing. Every day is irrelevant to the other and time is meaningless. This change adds an overall feeling of hopelessness for Vladimir and Estragon.
The tone of the play is best described by the two words from its genre, Tragicomedy. Some of the actions from Estragon and Vladimir have a comical tone to it. Some moments being stupid and senseless, but still they make you laugh. The tragic part comes from the overall goal of the men, waiting for Godot to come. This man Godot which never comes along remains the reason Vladimir and Estragon decide to stay on this