Quotes from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts

Samuel Beckett ·  111 pages

Rating: (125.5K votes)


“The tears of the world are a constant quantity. For each one who begins to weep somewhere else another stops. The same is true of the laugh.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“Estragon: We always find something, eh Didi, to give us the impression we exist?

Vladimir: Yes, yes, we're magicians.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“Je suis comme ça. Ou j'oublie tout de suite ou je n'oublie jamais."

Samuel BECKETT, En attendant Godot

I'm like that. Either I forget right away or I never forget.
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“Vladimir: Did I ever leave you?
Estragon: You let me go.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“Nothing happens. Nobody comes, nobody goes. It's awful.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts



“Let's go." "We can't." "Why not?" "We're waiting for Godot.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“There’s man all over for you, blaming on his boots the faults of his feet.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“Let us do something, while we have the chance! It is not every day that we are needed. Not indeed that we personally are needed. Others would meet the case equally well, if not better. To all mankind they were addressed, those cries for help still ringing in our ears! But at this place, at this moment of time, all mankind is us, whether we like it or not. Let us make the most of it, before it is too late! Let us represent worthily for one the foul brood to which a cruel fate consigned us! What do you say? It is true that when with folded arms we weigh the pros and cons we are no less a credit to our species. The tiger bounds to the help of his congeners without the least reflexion, or else he slinks away into the depths of the thickets. But that is not the question. What are we doing here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in the immense confusion one thing alone is clear. We are waiting for Godot to come -- ”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“ESTRAGON: I can't go on like this.
VLADIMIR: That's what you think.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“Estragon: I'm like that. Either I forget right away or I never forget.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts



“VLADIMIR: What do they say?
ESTRAGON: They talk about their lives.
VLADIMIR: To have lived is not enough for them.
ESTRAGON: They have to talk about it.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“Have you not done tormenting me with your accursed time! It's abominable! When! When! One day, is that not enough for you, one day he went dumb, one day I went blind, one day we'll go deaf, one day we were born, one day we shall die, the same day, the same second, is that not enough for you? They give birth astride of a grave, the light gleams an instant, then it's night once more.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“Estragon: People are bloody ignorant apes.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“ESTRAGON: Don't touch me! Don't question me! Don't speak to me! Stay with me!
VLADIMIR: Did I ever leave you?
ESTRAGON: You let me go.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“Vladimir: I don't understand.
Estragon: Use your intelligence, can't you?
Vladimir uses his intelligence.
Vladimir: (finally) I remain in the dark.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts



“That's how it is on this bitch of an earth.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“POZZO:
I am blind.
(Silence.)
ESTRAGON:
Perhaps he can see into the future.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“The tears of the world are a constant quantity. For each one who begins to weep somewhere else another stops. The same is true of the laugh. Let us not then speak ill of our generation, it is not any unhappier than its predecessors.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“Estragon: What about hanging ourselves?
Vladimir: Hmm. It'd give us an erection.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“There is man in his entirety, blaming his shoe when his foot is guilty.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts



“We always find something, eh Didi, to let us think we exist?”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“I’m like that. Either I forget right away or I never forget.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“We wait. We are bored. (He throws up his hand.) No, don't protest, we are bored to death, there's no denying it. Good. A diversion comes along and what do we do? We let it go to waste. Come, let's get to work! (He advances towards the heap, stops in his stride.) In an instant all will vanish and we'll be alone more, in the midst of nothingness!”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“Was I sleeping, while the others suffered? Am I sleeping now? Tomorrow, when I wake, or think I do, what shall I say of today? That with Estragon my friend, at this place, until the fall of night, I waited for Godot?”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts


“We have time to grow old. The air is full of our cries. But habit is a great deadener.”
― Samuel Beckett, quote from Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts



About the author

Samuel Beckett
Born place: in Foxrock (Dublin), Ireland
Born date April 13, 1906
See more on GoodReads

Popular quotes

“Two features in his personality make-up stand out as particularly pathological. The first is his ‘paranoid’ orientation toward the world. He is suspicious and distrustful of others, tends to feel that others discriminate against him, and feels that others are unfair to him and do not understand him. He is overly sensitive to criticism that others make of him, and cannot tolerate being made fun of. He is quick to sense slight or insult in things others say, and frequently may misinterpret well-meant communications. He feels the great need of friendship and understanding, but he is reluctant to confide in others, and when he does, expects to be misunderstood or even betrayed. In evaluating the intentions and feelings of others, his ability to separate the real situation from his own mental projections is very poor. He not infrequently groups all people together as being hypocritical, hostile, and deserving of whatever he is able to do to them. Akin to this first trait is the second, an ever -present, poorly controlled rage--- easily triggered by any feelings of being tricked, slighted, or labeled inferior by others. For the most part, his rages in the past have been directed at authority figures (297).”
― Truman Capote, quote from In Cold Blood


“If I had a mind to rent pigs, I'd be mighty upset. A man that likes to rent pigs won't be stopped.”
― Larry McMurtry, quote from Lonesome Dove


“I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny, but we can have lots of good fun that is funny.”
― Dr. Seuss, quote from The Cat in the Hat


“Voldemort himself created his worst enemy, just as tyrants everywhere do! Have you any idea how much tyrants fear the people they oppress? All of them realize that, one day, amongst their many victims, there is sure to be one who rises against them and strikes back!”
― J.K. Rowling, quote from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince


“Maybe self-improvement isn't the answer, maybe self-destruction is the answer.”
― Chuck Palahniuk, quote from Fight Club


Interesting books

The Sandman: Book of Dreams
(7K)
The Sandman: Book of...
by Neil Gaiman
Cabal
(15.7K)
Cabal
by Clive Barker
The Merchant's Daughter
(8.6K)
The Merchant's Daugh...
by Melanie Dickerson
Rocket Boys
(13.8K)
Rocket Boys
by Homer Hickam
The Immortal Collection
(2.2K)
The Immortal Collect...
by Eva García Sáenz
Lethal Rider
(15.1K)
Lethal Rider
by Larissa Ione

About BookQuoters

BookQuoters is a community of passionate readers who enjoy sharing the most meaningful, memorable and interesting quotes from great books. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and important. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a philosophy by which we live. For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book and to carry with us the author’s best ideas.

We thoughtfully gather quotes from our favorite books, both classic and current, and choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. Each quote represents a book that is interesting, well written and has potential to enhance the reader’s life. We also accept submissions from our visitors and will select the quotes we feel are most appealing to the BookQuoters community.

Founded in 2023, BookQuoters has quickly become a large and vibrant community of people who share an affinity for books. Books are seen by some as a throwback to a previous world; conversely, gleaning the main ideas of a book via a quote or a quick summary is typical of the Information Age but is a habit disdained by some diehard readers. We feel that we have the best of both worlds at BookQuoters; we read books cover-to-cover but offer you some of the highlights. We hope you’ll join us.