WAITING AS A DIVINE PUNISHMENT

The Ancient Gods

Once upon a time, when the gods lived among us mortals, Zeus decided to send someone to spread evil.

That was Pandora, the first woman in Greek mythology. Pandora was gifted with lots of flaws given away to her by the other gods: seduction, beauty, treachery, lying, curiosity…

Long story short, she got (kind of) married with Epimetheus and he forbid her to open a certain box, or jar depending on the translation, but as curious she was, she opened it.

The jar, or the box, was full of concepts and diseases that could kill humanity. One of those things was hope. Yes, hope. The hope. You know: “hope is the last thing we lose” or quoting Emily Dickinson, “hope is the thing with feathers”.

Why Greeks thought that hope was such a terrible thing, we do not really know.

However, if we take a minute to think about it, probably we can find the ambivalence.

And here you are, waiting for an explanation about the next English Book Club reading that, probably, will not happen.

And I say “probably” because I really do not know. Maybe the meaning is hidden inside a box, or a jar. In Beckett’s case, it would be a jar, more plausibly.

The author

Samuel Beckett, the playwright of “Waiting for Godot”, this month’s reading, is considered one of the most important playwrights ever.

He made up a brand new way of playwriting that has influenced not only theatre but also literature and any kind of storytelling.

The play is written originally in French (“En attendant Godot”) because he decided not to use English anymore for practical reasons.

He was used to write in short sentences and French language gave him the occasion to write even shorter.

Waiting for Godot

It is difficult to tell what is “Waiting for Godot” about, because the whole plot is in the tittle. But it has nothing to do with the tittle neither.

Therefore, we have Vladimir and Estragon waiting, beside a dead tree, for someone they call Godot. And guess what: Godot never shows himself.

Still, they keep on waiting. And I am sure they are still waiting for Godot and having the same word exchanges, because what they do it is not exactly what we call a conversation.

Now, you are at the end of the post. What is this post about? What is the play about?

Well, it is about whatever you see in it, but if you are at the end of the post/play, we have been capable of entertaining you. That’s what really matters.