Summary of the Play
Summary of Act I
The setting is in the evening on a country road with a single tree present.
Estragon is trying to pull off his boot, but without success. Vladimir enters
and greets Estragon, who informs him that he has spent the night in a ditch
where he was beaten. With supreme effort Estragon succeeds in pulling off
his boot. He then looks inside it to see if there is anything there while
Vladimir does the same with his hat .
Vladimir mentions the two thieves who were crucified next to Christ. He
asks Estragon if he knows the Gospels. Estragon gives a short description
of the maps of the Holy Land at which point Vladimir tells him he should
have been a poet. Estragon points to his tattered clothes and says he was.
Vladimir continues with his narrative about the two thieves in order to pass
the time .
Estragon wants to leave but Vladimir forces him to stay because they are
both waiting for Godot to arrive. Neither of the two bums knows when
Godot will appear, or even if they are at the right place. Later it is revealed
that they do not even know what they originally asked Godot for .
Estragon gets bored of waiting and suggests that they pass the time by
hanging themselves from the tree. They both like the idea but cannot
decide who should go first. They are afraid that if one of them dies the
other might be left alone. In the end they decide it is safer to wait until
Godot arrives .
Estragon asks Vladimir whether they still have rights. Vladimir indicates
that they got rid of them. He then fears that he hears something, but it turns
out to be imaginary noises. Vladimir soon gives Estragon a carrot to eat .
Pozzo and Lucky arrive. Lucky has a rope tied around his neck and is
carrying a stool, a basket, a bag and a greatcoat. Pozzo carries a whip
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which he uses to control Lucky. Estragon immediately confuses Pozzo
with Godot which gets Pozzo upset .
Pozzo spends several minutes ordering Lucky around. Lucky is completely
silent and obeys like a machine. Pozzo has Lucky put down the stool and
open the basket of food which contains chicken. Pozzo then eats the
chicken and throws away the bones. Lucky stands in a stooped posture
holding the bags after each command has been completed and appears to
be falling asleep .
Estragon and Vladimir go to inspect Lucky who intrigues them. They ask
why he never puts his bags down. Pozzo will not tell them, so Estragon
proceeds to ask if he can have the chicken bones that Pozzo has been
throwing away. Pozzo tells him that they technically belong to Lucky.
When they ask Lucky if he wants them, he does not reply, so Estragon is
given the bones .
Pozzo eventually tells them why Lucky hold the bags the entire time. He
thinks it is because Lucky is afraid of being given away. While Pozzo tells
them why Lucky continues to carry his bags, Lucky starts to weep.
Estragon goes to wipe away the tears but receives a terrible kick in the
shin .
Pozzo then tells them that he and Lucky have been together nearly sixty
years. Vladimir is appalled at the treatment of Lucky who appears to be
such a faithful servant. Pozzo explains that he cannot bear it any longer
because Lucky is such a burden. Later Vladimir yells at Lucky that it is
appalling the way he treats such a good master .
Pozzo then gives an oratory about the night sky. He asks them how it was
and they tell him it was quite a good speech. Pozzo is ecstatic at the
encouragement and offers to do something for them. Estragon immediately
asks for ten francs but Vladimir tells him to be silent. Pozzo offers to have
Lucky dance and then think for them .
Lucky dances for them and when asked for an encore repeats the entire
dance step for step. Estragon is unimpressed but almost falls trying to
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imitate it. They then make Lucky think. What follows is an outpouring of
religious and political doctrine which always starts ideas but never brings
them to completion. The three men finally wrestle Lucky to the ground and
yank off his hat at which point he stops speaking. His last word is,
"unfinished ".
The men then spend some effort trying to get Lucky to wake up again. He
finally reawakens when the bags are placed in his hand. Pozzo gets up to
leave and he and Lucky depart the scene. Vladimir and Estragon return to
their seats and continue waiting for Godot .
A young boy arrives having been sent by Mr. Godot. Estragon is outraged
that it took him so long to arrive and scares him. Vladimir cut him off and
asks the boy if he remembers him. The boy says this is his first time
coming to meet them and that Mr. Godot will not be able to come today
but perhaps tomorrow. The boy is sent away with the instructions to tell
Mr. Godot that he has seen them. Both Estragon and Vladimir discuss past
events and then decide to depart for the night. Neither of them moves from
