Exploring the Presence of God: A Deconstructive Criticism on Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot

The common perception of Waiting for Godot is that it shows meaninglessness, hopelessness and absence of God. But when seen through Derrida’s Deconstruction theory, it reveals deeper contradictions. There are number of research available on theme of God’s absence but there is inadequate research found on presence of God in Waiting for Godot. This study aims to deconstruct the binary of absence/presence of God in the play by Samuel Beckett. For this purpose, Jacques Derrida’s idea of deconstruction is applied to explore how the text breaks its own claims. The method used for analysis is textual analysis, as suggested by Catherine Belsey. By deconstructing the binaries, the study finds that presence of God is suggested through small events like elements of hope throughout the text, providence of food and shoes, reversal role of Pozzo and Lucky, and leaves growing on the tree. These events show that something divine might be present in the background, even if not directly. So, the paper argues that Waiting for Godot does not only show God’s absence but also signs of His presence.