Absurd Heroes as Inspiration for Life: Revisiting Becket‟s Vladimir and Marquez‟s Colonel as Absurd Heroes

Abstract

The present thesis with the title “Absurd Heroes as Inspiration for Life: Revisiting Becket‟s Vladimir and Marquez‟s Colonel as Absurd Heroes,” is an attempt to explore the meaning of absurd heroes and their inspiration for life. The study found its origin with the problem how Vladimir and Colonel present themselves as absurd heroes and they act to inspire life. One the basis of this problem, the hypothesis formulated was Vladimir and Colonel are the absurd heroes because they do not surrender to suicide or leap of faith in spite of acknowledging meaninglessness of life and universe, and they go on living defying other options and hope enjoying life in the present situation. The study has come to the conclusion that these characters have given the readers the message that life finds its meaning through struggle not through hope. Vladimir and his friend Estragon wait for Mr. Godot to come for their salvation and the Colonel waits for his pension to arrive, rooster to win the fight and his supposedly dead son to come back to him. But none of these hopes become fruitful however they go on waiting thinking that their wait will bring some meaning to life. In this sense they are absurd heroes and their determination to continue life in spite of absurd situation presents inspiration for life. Martin Esslin‟s „The theatre of absurd‟ and Albert Camus‟s concept of „the absurd‟ hero have been used as the theoretical framework for analysis.