The Ancient Greek Deities set a great example for line between exactly what is to be right and wrong. Apollo and Dionysus are sons of Zeus; Father of Gods and men. The characteristics of these two sons of Zeus are dualistic in every aspect. Dionysus is the God of wine, epiphany, ecstasy. Dionysus actions are based on primarily emotion, sensuality, and chaotic action. He possesses the ability of forgiveness and faith within one's own self. Dionysus is heavily believed to be impulsive and excessive in the views of much more conservative types. The brother Apollo is the opposing side to Dionysus. Apollo is restraint, compulsive, consisting of a rational systematic order of thinking. Apollo is the God of the Sun, structure, and sobriety. These two models of Deities created a philosophical literary concept that has been understood as the Apollonian and Dionysian dichotomy. In the writers Friedrich Nietzsche and Samuel Beckett pieces have adopted a notion of rationality and irrationality through their characters. Using Friedrich Nietzsche's influential drives from the Apollonian and Dionysian dichotomy ideals in comparison to Samuel Beckett's themes in his play Waiting for Godot will exhibit the important balance between these two Deities and exactly what it is they represent in narrative as well as the primordial balance in human behavior.
In Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot, the premise of the play consist of two main static characters Vladimir and Estragon, on a lonely road next to a dead tree. The whole plot of this play nothing ever happens, and nothing is certain. The problem lies in the fact that the characters have extreme memory issues and don't know whether they have actually met Godot already or if they are waiting on the right day, or even in the right place, at this point questioning whether Godot will come at all.Samuel Beckett uses absurd situations to spark the questioning mind of his audience on these topics.