Optimistic Existentialism

Even though very similar, both acts of Waiting for Godot end with the same dialogue, but slightly differential. Act I finishes with Estragon asking "Well, shall we go?" to what Vladimir responds "Yes, let's go" while Act II finishes conversely. Could Beckett suggest that as long as we continue waiting for changes and not make them, we are all the same? Voltaire's picaresque satire Candide, criticized the European civilizations, from their religious aspects, the government, colonization, social status, and the recent uprisings. It ends with optimist Candide saying “but let us cultivate our garden”. After a vast endurance of misfortune and suffering, Candide realized he could not complain about anything or wait for things to change and rather had to work for himself. With whatever he had, he would have to learn to work with to make the best with it. This certainly would be a very interesting lesson that Vladimir and Estragon could learn because they have certain resemblance to Candide. In the end -Estragon or Vladimir- realized they had to go, but they never "went". They made no difference in their own lives or in others lives, but Candide decided to do something for himself. Voltaire and Beckett wrote very different works in every way, but both suggest changes in attitude that can save helpless characters like Candide, Vladimir or Estragon from their own doom.

Before Candide suffered all around the whole world, he embraced the philosophy of "the best of all possible worlds" and that "all is for the best", but failure after failure, Candide realized he needed a change. In all that failure he would at least seek success, but Vladimir and Estragon are still doomed. These two interdependent middle aged men concluded they would leave, but they did not even move. Probably the boring cycle of their life would have kept repeating itself. The failure of Vladimir and Estragon makes me think that Lucky is actually lucky. To the contrary of the others, he has some guidance and task in life. It is not one that one wants to have, but it is more than waiting for nothing. Beckett's message succeeds to deliver and consequently, the play ends on a good note: Vladimir and Estragon are still helpless, but in the eyes of Beckett, we are not.