Lucky's diatribe is an assertion of the paradox of man's existence and his relationship with God. The speech is rich in metaphor and references to the works of scholars on the subject. Throughout his soliloquy, Lucky attempts to provide insight into the human condition – that man has been abandoned by God but that God still has empathy for him. Furthermore, the descriptors used by Lucky make it clear that he does not really know or understand entirely what he is talking about. It is as if what he says has come to him in a moment of enlightenment and inspiration – he therefore babbles away without really knowing what he is saying.
The speech is Beckett's critique of man's desire to convince and impress those less knowledgeable about our deep understanding and insight into the human condition and human affairs. Our so-called intellectuals couch their language in obscure references and embellish it with jargon and bombastic vocabulary to seem intellectually advanced and to indicate that they have a profound understanding of what they are talking about. However, this is all a sham. In the end, we end up more confused and uncertain.
Lucky refers to the fact that man is diminishing in stature in spite of all his achievements – man "wastes and pines," but finds meaning in grandiose exploits and achievements. All this is meaningless. Man seeks purpose, but what that purpose is is not known. Man exists in a world in which he is not truly nurtured for growth and advancement and therefore man seeks purpose but does not really know what that purpose is.
Lucky's speech is the essence of what the play is about. Our two protagonists are "waiting for Godot." Why, no one knows, but it provides their lives with purpose. It gives their existence meaning and, therefore, instead of committing suicide, they will wait for Godot.
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