An innovative guide which will improve close critical reading skills and evidence based discussion.
Waiting for Godot is Samuel Beckett's most famous play and is a modern classic, studied as a key text by students in both literature and theatre. Its characters are some of the most puzzling for students, with Godot himself as the most notorious puzzle of all. This guide introduces the questions and ideas relating to the characters in the text including their representation, the concept of the 'pseudocouple', the interaction of the couples and the audience's response to the characters.
The guide includes: an introductory overview of the text, including a brief discussion of the background to the play including its performance and reception history; an overview of the narrative structure; chapters discussing in detail the representation of the key characters; a conclusion reminding students of the links between the characters and the key themes and issues and a guide to further reading.