Deconstruction essay

The play Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett, is about two men, Vladimir and
Estragon, who endlessly wait for another man named Godot to appear. In this play, there are several binary oppositions that contribute to the overall meaning of the play. Through the use of three binaries: forgetfulness/memory, active /passive, and despair/hope, it appears the meaning of this play would be that by waiting or being inactive one will eventually gain success.
However, by reversing the binaries, it becomes apparent that the true emphasis of this play is that people need to be active in order to accomplish something.
Throughout the play, Vladimir and Estragon repeat the same activities over and over.
They forget events that have happened in the past while waiting for Mr. Godot to arrive. "And
Pozzo and Lucky? / Pozzo and Lucky? / He's forgotten everything!" (Beckett 67). Not only are
Vladimir and Estragon affected by this "amnesia," but several of the other characters also do not remember having previously interacted with the two primary characters. "Do you not recognize me? / No sir. / It wasn't you came yesterday. / No Sir" (Beckett 105). Although the audience knows that the same boy came and delivered a message to Vladimir, the boy refuses to acknowledge that fact. By reversing the binary of forgetfulness/memory, these moments create meaning. When another character forgets something, the others become angry, so the idea that forgetfulness is more valued does not make sense. The interactions of the characters when someone forgets something clearly points to the idea that remembering events is far more valuable than forgetfulness. This supports the main focus of the play, namely that activity is valued far more than stagnation.
Throughout the play, it appears as if Vladimir and Estragon are doing nothing. "Nothing to be done. / I'm beginning to come round