What We See

The opening scene of Waiting For Godot pops many thoughts in my mind. Since the beginning, the audience can determine that Vladimir and Estragon are poor. Their clothes have holes and they show no possessions, but the clothes they wear. Also, ‘Gogo, ’ as Vladimir calls him, talks about being beaten up by some guys. Surely he has to walk through scary and insecure places. If they are poor, we don´t know for sure, but many aspects support that decision, even the place were they are. Waiting for Godot, in the middle of nowhere, and not even a horse in site. For sure they had to walk there. Estragon does not even have proper walking shoes. His feet hurt, for his boots are too small.

Never the less, being poor does no make them inferior. It can even make them more. They don´t have commodities in life, and they have had to suffer. This leads to experience, which many could consider knowledge. When I think of these two men, I think about the home less people in Bogota. Every day, I see them trying to make a living out of selling candies or asking for money. Many even have a scary, crazy look. But I can`t help but think if that craziness can be consider intelligence. They have seen the world in it´s purest form. They have suffered. Does this make them know more?

Of their intelligence, I am not sure, since Estragon makes a comment about the bible that confuses me. When Vladimir asks him if he has read it, he has but looks at it very superficially. He describes the places of the stories, but not the meaning of them. Many could consider this ignorance, but I just see it as some one who does not believe in God. Why think of the bible as a sacred book, if one does no believe in God. Yet again, they are waiting for Godot. Maybe Vladimir is, but Estragon is there because he has no place to be.