Waiting for Godot Vladimir Quotes

Vladimir > Estragon

Quote 1

VLADIMIR
Two thieves, crucified at the same time as our Saviour. One—
ESTRAGON
Our what?
VLADIMIR
Our Saviour. Two thieves. One is supposed to have been saved and the other . . . (he searches for the contrary of saved) . . . damned. (1.62-64)

Vladimir’s story of the two thieves reminds us of the frequent absence of choice in an uncertain world; neither thief chose to be damned or be saved, but were subject to arbitrary chance.

Vladimir > Estragon

Quote 2

VLADIMIR
Well? What do we do?
ESTRAGON
Don't let's do anything. It's safer. (1.194-5)

Thematically, this is one of the most important lines in the play. What we were saying is, Vladimir and Estragon chalk up their inability to choose to act by claiming that doing nothing at all is safer. If you never act, you can never act wrongly, and if you never choose, you can never choose incorrectly. The problem is, as a very wise and famous person once said, we choose by not choosing. Doing nothing is as unsafe as doing something. Which is bad news for these guys.

Vladimir > Estragon

Quote 3

VLADIMIR
A running sore!
ESTRAGON
It's the rope.
VLADIMIR
It's the rubbing.
ESTRAGON
It's inevitable.
[…]
ESTRAGON
Look at the slobber.
VLADIMIR
It's inevitable.
[…]
VLADIMIR
(looking closer) Looks like a goiter.
ESTRAGON
(ditto) It's not certain.
VLADIMIR
He's panting.
ESTRAGON
It's inevitable. (1.348-365)

The repetition of the line "it’s inevitable" is important here; both men resort to a notion of determinism to explain what is clearly just the result of Pozzo abusing Lucky. Check out the structural symmetry in your text; the line alternates from Estragon to Vladimir and back to Estragon again; it frames these thirteen lines of dialogue and splits them in half (there are six lines in the first half of the exchange and six in the second half). This is not unlike the symmetrical, macro structure of the play’s two acts.