One of the largest questions in Waiting for Godot is who is Godot. While many critics think that Godot represents God, Becket himself said "If I knew who Godot was, I would have said so in the play". Becket wrote Waiting for Godot in French, but his native language was English, so it is very likely that Godot represents a Godlike person whom Vladimir and Estragon are endlessly waiting for to grant them salvation. They both understand the vagueness of both Godot, and whatever he promises to them:
ESTRAGON:
A kind of prayer.
VLADIMIR:
Precisely.
ESTRAGON:
A vague supplication.
VLADIMIR:
Exactly.
ESTRAGON:
And what did he reply?
VLADIMIR:
That he'd see.
ESTRAGON:
That he couldn't promise anything.
VLADIMIR:
That he'd have to think it over.
Estragon's poor memory renders him incapable of determining who Godot is, let alone Godot's name. Estragon even mistakes Pozzo as a false prophet.
ESTRAGON:
(undertone). Is that him?
VLADIMIR:
Who?
ESTRAGON:
(trying to remember the name). Er . . .
VLADIMIR:
Godot?
ESTRAGON:
Yes.
POZZO:
I present myself: Pozzo.
VLADIMIR:
(to Estragon). Not at all!
ESTRAGON:
He said Godot.
VLADIMIR:
Not at all!
ESTRAGON:
(timidly, to Pozzo). You're not Mr. Godot, Sir?
Lucky's thinking has "Given the existence as uttered forth in the public works of Puncher and Wattmann of a personal God quaquaquaqua with white beard quaquaquaqua outside time without extension who from the heights of divine apathia divine athambia divine aphasia loves us dearly with some exceptions for reasons unknown but time will tell and suffers like the divine Miranda with those who for reasons unknown but time will tell are plunged in torment plunged in fire whose fire flames" (Page 40).
The messenger minds the goats while his brother minds the sheep. Of the two, his brother gets beaten by Godot. When Vladimir asks the boy if he is happy, he responds that he is unsure.
VLADIMIR:
You're not unhappy? (The Boy hesitates.) Do you hear me?
BOY:
Yes Sir.
VLADIMIR:
Well?
BOY:
I don't know, Sir.
VLADIMIR:
You don't know if you're unhappy or not?
BOY:
No Sir.
VLADIMIR:
You're as bad as myself. (Silence.) Where do you sleep?
Estragon takes off his boots to try to be more like Christ. Perhaps that will make Godot come faster:
VLADIMIR:
But you can't go barefoot!
ESTRAGON:
Christ did.
VLADIMIR:
Christ! What has Christ got to do with it. You're not going to compare yourself to Christ!
ESTRAGON:
All my life I've compared myself to him.
VLADIMIR:
But where he lived it was warm, it was dry!
ESTRAGON:
Yes. And they crucified quick.