What features of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot question theatrical conventions?

Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play, and because of this, it defies theatrical conventions in numerous ways. The play is more of a philosophical exercise in the idea of futility and human existence than anything else. The first way that it defies convention is that there really is no legitimate plot. The main characters are waiting: the entire play is about them waiting and discussing if they should move on. But the titular Godot never arrives, and the plot never moves on. In fact, other characters come through and mention events that may have occurred or might happen in the future if only the characters would leave their post, but the characters never depart and never initiate the plot.

Additionally, the setting is essentially a void and meaningless place; the only sign of a setting is a lonesome tree near which the men encamp. In fact, even the time of the setting seems rather dubious. It is in evening, but there is not much else said to describe it, and each subsequent day passes exactly as the previous one has: waiting for the never-seen Godot.

The previous educator is right to point out that Waiting for Godot contains very little in terms of plot. Events and character development do not drive this play but rather the interchange of words and ideas between the characters. Another powerful example of the play flouting theatrical convention lies in the setting. Plays typically use clues in the dialogue and props on stage to convey the time period and/or location of the story. Beckett provides the audience with no such guidance. An audience member (or reader) is unable to orient themselves in the setting—the time and place—of the play. All that exists to set the scene at the onset of the play are the following stage directions:

A country road. A tree.Evening.

These scant descriptions leave us with more questions than answers. What year, what country, what world is this? Beckett intentionally deprives us of this context to emphasize the existential themes of the play. In terms of theatre, the play's deliberate lack of setting and contextualization certainly questions the theatrical convention of framing a play within a readily identifiable time and place.

What are some criticisms of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot?

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett is considered one of the most important works of modernist drama, but it is also a play which, like most of Beckett's work, requires a sophisticated and attentive audience. One of the major themes in the play is the futility and boredom of lives spent waiting for something that never arrives. The play has a quite limited plot structure and dialogue based on repetition, and it is set on a stage that is empty except for a single tree. Beckett creates an experience that is sometimes considered frustrating for the audience and for the characters, but that is the point of the play.

Although the play has been analyzed from many different critical perspectives, including Freudian, Marxist, and structuralist, most analysis of it focuses on the way it exemplifies the senselessness of the human condition. While Godot, like God, provides a goal for Vladamir and Estragon, we are not sure if Godot actually exists or whether he will actually arrive.

What do critics say about Waiting for Godot?

For the most part, critics today see Beckett's work as a masterpiece.  Most have come to see it as a landmark of theatre, a work whose thematic importance is only matched by its artistic.  This was not always the viewpoint when it first opened.  European audiences saw much relevancy in Beckett's work.  There was general acclaim for the work and what it sought to represent.  At the same time, many in Europe were able to debate the thematic implications of the work in realms such as religion, ethics, and philosophy.  When the work came to America, reception was not as intensely positive.  The work struggled to find a niche with people wondering "if a joke" had been perpetrated.  American audiences had a tough time with Beckett's work, its staging, and the end thematic ideas.  Interestingly enough, the production at San Quentin prison earned a great deal of acclaim.  It seemed that while the general American public had a difficult time understanding the work, those incarcerated at San Quentin understood what the play was saying about waiting and hope.