Explore how Beckett uses repetition in 'Waiting for Godot'.

Beckett uses repetition in speech, stage actions, and the overall structure of the play, to demonstrate the futility and circularity of existence. Many of the characters repeat their language; Acts 1 and 2 end with the same dialogue , and elsewhere the repetition is more immediate, such as the repetitive nonsense in Lucky’s speech. This highlights how language becomes meaningless through repetition, a concept associated with Absurdism and its rejection of rational processes. The dialogue repetition is mirrored by the physical action, evident in the stage directions, and this visual repetition becomes farcical, creating comedy (such as when Vladimir and Estragon repeatedly remove and replace their hats). Farcical repetition is common in Absurdist plays, as the aim is to unsettle the audience’s expectations; farce makes the action onstage seem absurd, but also makes it harder to understand the “point” of that action. The overall structure of the play is also repeated: in both acts, Vladimir and Estragon wait around in confusion, meet Pozzo and Lucky (who then leave), find out that Godot will come tomorrow, and then remain. This creates a link between the play’s themes and its wider structure, which is an important feature of Absurdist theatre, as well as creating a sense of futility and circularity; the audience cannot know whether these repeated acts will continue forever, achieving nothing into infinity.