Estragon (affectionately Gogo; he tells Pozzo his name is Adam) is one of the two main characters from Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. His name is the French word for tarragon. Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (April 13, 1906 – December 22, 1989) was an Irish playwright, novelist and poet. ... Vladimir and Estragon consider their carrot Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, written in the late 1940s and first published in 1952. ... Binomial name Artemisia dracunculus Ref: ITIS 35462 Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) is a perennial herb with a spicy flavor reminiscent of anise. ...

Personality

Estragon loses his pants.

Estragon represents the impulsive, simplistic side of the two main characters, much in contrast to his companion Vladimir's careful intellectualism and verbosity. He cares little for appearances, and is mostly concerned with eating and sleeping (much to Vladimir's chagrin). Due to his pessimistic outlook on life, he has abandoned all hope of any alleviation from their suffering, and regards "Godot" suspiciously. Image File history File links Estragon, from Waiting for Godot, loses his pants. ... Image File history File links Estragon, from Waiting for Godot, loses his pants. ... Vladimir (affectionately known as Didi; a small boy calls him Mr. ... Pessimism, generally, describes a belief that things are bad, and tend to become worse; or that looks to the eventual triumph of evil over good; it contrasts with optimism, the contrary belief in the goodness and betterment of things generally. ...

This is perhaps due to the fact that Estragon has far more to worry about. Of the two, Estragon suffers the most physically. He is kicked by Lucky, takes numerous pratfalls, and is beaten by a gang of thugs every night. He also has great difficulty with his boots. In the first act, they do not fit and cause him pain. At the end of the act, he leaves them on the side of the road in disgust. In the second act, he finds them in the same place, now mysteriously fitting him. This boot focus (in terms of the character being foot centred) may be interpreted as being representative of his lower status (see Vladimir's hat) and his "earthy" nature (e.g. his love of carrots, and, secondly, radishes, etc.). This article needs cleanup. ... Vladimir (affectionately known as Didi; a small boy calls him Mr. ...

Estragon has a misanthropic view of humanity: he considers people to be "ignorant apes" and seems to want them to leave him alone. However, he is very attached to Vladimir (despite occasionally bickering with him): he needs protection, and Vladimir provides it. Estragon is often seen as the child to Vladimir's adult, and as such looks for parental security in him. Misanthropy is a general dislike of the human race. ... Human beings are defined variously in biological, spiritual, and cultural terms, or in combinations thereof. ...

He should not, however, be written off as merely a childish simpleton. He easily matches Vladimir in verbal melee (he delivers the ultimate insult in calling Vladimir a "Critic!"). He also shows an artistic side, and even claims to have once been a poet. His brief, but evocative, monologue about the "maps of the Holy Land" is very poetic in nature. Later, he purposely misquotes Shelley: A critic (derived from the ancient Greek word krites meaning a judge) is a person who offers a value judgement or an interpretation. ... Poets are authors of poems, or of other forms of poetry such as dramatic verse. ... The phrase The Holy Land (Arabic الأرض المقدسة al-Arḍ ul-Muqaddasah; Hebrew ארץ הקודש;, Standard Hebrew Éreẓ haQodeš, Tiberian Hebrew ʾÉreṣ haqQāḏēš; Latin Terra Sancta) generally refers to Palestine or the Land of Israel. ... Percy Bysshe Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley (August 4, 1792 – July 8, 1822) was one of the major English Romantic poets. ...

Excerpt from Shelley's poem, "Art Thou Pale for Weariness":

"Art thou pale for weariness/Of climbing heaven and gazing on the earth...?"

Estragon's play on it:

"Pale for weariness...Of climbing heaven and gazing on the likes of us."

Appearance

Estragon is given perhaps the most minimal description in the play. He is only described as wearing "rags", walking with a limp (that eventually wears off) and being lighter than Vladimir. Because of his rather glutonous nature, however, he is often played as being short and slightly fat (in comparison to the often tall and lanky Vladimir). His clothes are usually a bit dirtier than Vladimir's as well, and seem to be in far worse condition. This interpretion is best attributed to his total lack of restraint and inhibitions (diving for food, sleeping in ditches, etc.). It should be noted that this is only a convention of some productions (as exemplified by the picture at top). Assumption Cathedral was a venerated model for cathedrals all over Russia. ... Convention has at least two separate and very distinct meanings. ...

Many famous actors have taken on the role (especially those of the afformentioned body type), notably Bert Lahr and Robin Williams (with Steve Martin as Vladimir). Beckett is even said to have wanted Marlon Brando in one production (with Buster Keaton as Vladimir). Bert Lahr, born Irving Lahrheim, (August 13, 1895 - December 4, 1967) was a United States comic actor, best remembered today for his role as the Cowardly Lion in the classic 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, but known during his life for a career in burlesque, vaudeville and Broadway. ... Robin Williams performing in Iraq. ... Steve Martin (right) with Scooter, on The Muppet Show Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, writer, producer, actor, musician and composer born in Waco, Texas and raised in Orange County, California. ... Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1948 Marlon Brando, Jr. ... Joseph Frank Keaton VI (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966), always known as Buster Keaton, was a popular and influential American silent-film comic actor and filmmaker. ...

Relatives

In Tom Stoppard's Godot pastiche, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, the character Rosencrantz closely resembles Estragon (despite the similarites of his name and "Guildenstern", whom actually bears a close resemblance to Vladimir). Sir Tom Stoppard OM (born July 3, 1937) is a Czech-born British playwright, famous for plays such as The Real Thing and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and for the screenplay for Shakespeare in Love. ... Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead is a humorous, absurdist, tragic and existentialist play by Tom Stoppard, first staged in 1966. ... Rosencrantz is a minor fictional character from William Shakespeares tragedy Hamlet. ... Guildenstern is a minor fictional character from William Shakespeares tragedy Hamlet. ...

In Kevin Smith's film "Clerks.," the character Dante is a close analog for Estragon during the fist half of the movie; the character Randall assumes the Estragon role at the end. Kevin Smith at a comics convention in 2005 Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is a American screenwriter, film director and comic book writer. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as the field in general. ... Clerks. ...

Quotations

Estragon: (giving up again). Nothing to be done.

Estragon: I remember the maps of the Holy Land. Coloured they were. Very pretty. The Dead Sea was pale blue. The very look of it made me thirsty. That's where we'll go, I used to say, that's where we'll go for our honeymoon. We'll swim. We'll be happy.

Estragon: (aphoristic for once). We are all born mad. Some remain so.

Related articles

• Vladimir
• Pozzo
• Lucky
• Waiting for Godot
• Anti-hero

Vladimir (affectionately known as Didi; a small boy calls him Mr. ... Pozzo is a character from Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Vladimir and Estragon consider their carrot Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, written in the late 1940s and first published in 1952. ... In literature and film, an anti-hero is a central or supporting character that has some of the personality flaws and ultimate fortune traditionally assigned to villains but nonetheless also have enough heroic qualities or intentions to gain the sympathy of readers or viewers. ...

External links

• Various interpretations of Vladimir and Estragon