The meaning of human life is a question that has remained unanswered. Without knowing where to begin, it is impossible to find the answer. Existence is imposed upon humans by an unknown force. There is no clear meaning to it, therefore using fabricated purposes and patterns as a distraction is an imposition to avoid suffering from not knowing. Samuel Beckett, author of Waiting for Godot, explores chance and the human behavior when faced with the questioning of their existence. The doubt of meaning behind human life drives people to rely on outside forces which may or may not be real in order to maintain order and direction. Through biblical allusion, symbol, and a motif, Beckett shows that when the actions of one day have no significance on the following days, time loses its meaning which also proves that a human's life is meaningless and is ultimately based upon chance.
The basic argument that Samuel Beckett is trying to make in the play is that chance forms the basis of existence, therefore it determines human life. Clarification is made when Vladimir mentions a story from the bible in which "one of the two thieves was rescued. That's a reasonable percentage" (Beckett 5).Percentage is a representation for chance in human life and how fate relies on it. The one out of two thieves shows a 50-50 which is a 50% chance for salvation that humans have no control over. The breakdown of these numbers show how chance is the factor that determines existence. Beckett mentions this biblical allusion in a way of proving to the audience that even an old, sacred text that supposedly holds all truth for humanity, is based upon chance. Relying on this absurdity is a reaction for knowing that nothing is certain and it is a cry for hope. .
The silence of Godot, in the play, if he exists, is a major contribution to the hopelessness of the characters. Godot is used as a symbol for God merely because, "Godot is God, with the, 'to,' as a diminutive suffix," (Kashdan, par.
