Waiting for Godot Truth Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Act.Line) Every time a character talks counts as one line, even if what they say turns into a long monologue.

Quote #13

POZZO
(Lyrically) 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. (He laughs.) Let us not then speak ill of our generation, it is not any unhappier than its predecessors. (Pause.) Let us not speak well of it either. (Pause.) Let us not speak of it at all. (Pause. Judiciously.) It is true the population has increased. (1.461)

The cast of Waiting for Godot finds that the more they speak, the less certain they become. What starts off as assurance and fact quickly degenerates into guesswork and even more questions.

Quote #14

POZZO
(calmer) Gentlemen, I don't know what came over me. Forgive me. Forget all I said. (More and more his old self.) I don't remember exactly what it was, but you may be sure there wasn't a word of truth in it. (1.485)

Pozzo is at least certain of his uncertainty, which is more than we can say for Vladimir—at least in Act 1.

Quote #15

LUCKY
Given the existence as uttered forth in the public works of Puncher and Wattmann of a personal God quaquaquaqua with white beard quaquaquaqua outside time without extension who from the heights of divine apathia divine athambia divine aphasia loves us dearly with some exceptions for reasons unknown […]. (1.639)

In the course of his "nonsense" speech, Lucky says "for reasons unknown" ten times. His speech feigns authority with its academic tone, but the words themselves reveal the same deep uncertainty that pervades the rest of the play.