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Allusions
Definition of Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the story. Foreshadowing can be achieved directly or indirectly, by making... read full definition
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the story. Foreshadowing can be achieved... read full definition
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the... read full definition
Act 2
Explanation and Analysis—A Dog Came in the Kitchen:
The second act opens with Vladimir entering the stage on his own. The audience may expect a soliloquy from him, but instead he begins to sing a song about a dog. This song is an allusion to the German folk song Ein Mops kam in die Küche and symbolizes the characters' daily wait for Godot as well as the cyclical nature of life. By including this song at the very beginning of the second act, Beckett foreshadows that nothing substantial will happen and that the loop will merely continue until the play ends.
The original German song, which describes a pug, is believed to originate from the late 19th century. Although a few details differ between the German and English versions, the content and structure of the two songs largely correspond with each other. Most importantly, Vladimir's song is set up to continue endlessly in the same way as the German song.
VLADIMIR: A dog came in the kitchen
And stole a crust of bread.
Then cook up with a ladle
And beat him till he was dead.
Then all the dogs came running
And dug the dog a tomb—
He stops, broods, resumes:
Then all the dogs came running
And dug the dog a tomb
And wrote upon the tombstone
For the eyes of dogs to come:
A dog came in the kitchen
And stole a crust of bread.
Consisting of two verses, the song ends with a quotation of itself. Due to this recursive nature, the song has the potential to continue endlessly, as the verses are repeated again and again. With each repetition, an additional layer of quotation is added—and the song strays further and further from the original core of reality. Although the song seems entertaining and fun in the beginning, it gradually becomes more and more unnerving as the verses repeat.
It's significant that the second act of Waiting for Godot opens with an allusion to another work that explores never-ending loops. Through the song, Vladimir offers an indirect commentary on his existence and foreshadows the play's ending. The playful, haunting, and somewhat annoying folk song sets the tone for the second and final act. On this new day, the audience can reasonably expect that the men's loop of waiting for Godot and waiting for night will continue. Just as the song can be picked up and dropped off at any point in the loop, it increasingly seems insignificant which two days of the men's lives the audience gets to witness. And just as the song consists of two repetitive verses, Beckett's play consists of two repetitive acts.
Related Themes:
