An-Najah National University 

Faculty of Graduate Studies 
 

 

 

 

 

 

The Inter-Semiotic Translation into Arabic 

of The Non-Verbal Signs in Samuel Beckett’s 

Waiting for Godot (1952) 
 

 

 
 

 

 

 

By 

Razan Ghassan Abdulraheem Mukhemar 
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supervisor 

Dr. Abdel-Karim Daragmeh  
 

 
 

This Thesis is Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the 

Requirements for the Degree of Master of Applied Linguistics 

and Translation, Faculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah 

National University, Nablus, Palestine. 

2019 





iii 
 

Dedication 

To my compass who guided me and taught me to never give 

up. The source of my inspiration: my beloved family. 

To my life-coach, source of love and superhero: my 

grandfather. 

To my life partner, my human diary and my other half: 

Ahmad Darwazeh. 

To the independent women struggling to reach success, I 

dedicate this work. 

  



iv 
 

Acknowledgements 

      First and foremost, praises and thanks to Allah, the Almighty, for His 

showers of blessings which gave me power and strength to complete this 

work.  

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor Dr. 

Abdulkarim Daraghmeh for his continuous guidance and support to achieve 

this work. He consistently allowed this thesis to be my own work but 

steered me in the right direction whenever he thought I needed it. Thanks to 

my examiners, Dr. Mahmoud Ishreteh and Dr. Bilal Hamamrah for their 

helpful comments and suggestions to enrich this research.  

I extend my thanks to Dr. John Knight, my boss, and teacher, for his 

encouragement and assistance throughout the journey of thesis writing. I 

would not be able to keep going without your trust.  

     My warmest thanks are to my parents for their love, prayers, and 

support through my life. Thank you for preparing and enabling me to chase 

my dreams. My two sisters, little brother, and my friends deserve my 

sincere thanks as well. Last but not least, I am extremely grateful to my life 

partner and soul mate Ahmad. Thank you for being always there for me 

and believing in me. Your support and faith allowed me to accomplish this 

thesis.  

 There are so many others whom I may have inadvertently missed and 

I sincerely thank all of them for their help 





vi 
 

 Table of Contents  

Subject Page 

Defense Committee Members ii 

Dedication iii 

Acknowledgements iv 

Declaration v 

Table of Contents vi 

List of Tables viii 

List of Abbreviations ix 

Abstract x 

Chapter One: Introduction 1 

1.1 Background 2 

1.2 Statement of the Problem 7 

1.3 Questions of the Study 8 

1.4 The Significance of the Research 9 

1.5 Literature Review 10 

1.5.1 The Theatre of Absurd as a Literary Genre 10 

1.5.2 Translation Strategies 13 

1.6 Limitations of the Study 16 

1.7 Methodology 16 

1.8 Thesis Structure 16 

Chapter Two: Metaphysical Anguish and Repetition 18 

2.1 Introduction:  19 

2.2 Emphasis-Change Strategy for Partial Equivalence 21 

2.3 Elliptical translation 29 

2.4 Repetition versus Redundancy 33 

2.5 Circular Structure of the Plot: 35 

2.6 Repetition of actions 37 

2.7 Over-translation as an Attempt for Compensation   41 

2.8 Conclusion 43 

 



vii 
 

Subject Page 

Chapter Three: The Action of Inaction 45 

3.1 Introduction 46 

3.2 Definition of Key Concepts: 48 

3.2.1 Pause and Silence 51 

3.2.2 The Omission of Sign, Movement and Sound 55 

3.3 Conclusion 72 

Chapter Four: Conclusions and Recommendations 75 

4.1. Conclusion  76 

4.2 Recommendations  80 

References 81 

 ب الملخص
  



viii 
 

List of Tables 

Table No. Title Page 

Table (1) Loss in Existential Semantic Features 22 

Table (2) The Deleting adverbials of psychological state 31 

Table (3) Over-translation   41 

Table (4) The recurrence of Pause and Silence 52 

Table )5) The Inaction Levels 56 

Table (6) Trivial and Rhythmic movements 63 

Table (7) Directions of Sound Significance 69 

 

  



ix 
 

List of Abbreviations 

ST              : Source Text 

TT               : Target Text 

SL              : Source Language 

TL             : Target Language 

SLT          : Source Language Text 

TLT          : Target Language Text 

CA            : Componential Analysis 

  



x 
 

The Inter-Semiotic Translation into Arabic 

of The Non-Verbal Signs in Samuel Beckett’s 

Waiting for Godot (1952) 

By 

Razan Ghassan Abdulraheem Mukhemar 

Supervisor 

Dr. Abdel-Karim Daragmeh 

Abstract 

This study investigates the translation of nonverbal signs in Samuel 

Beckett‟s play Waiting for Godot into Arabic. It examines Fayez Iskandar‟s 

translation of the play as a case study. The Study runs a close analysis of 

the nonverbal signs in the play, explains the relevance of these semiotics 

and their thematic functions and compares them with those of Fayez 

Iskansdar‟s translation of the play text.   

To achieve the study goals and provide answers for the proposed 

questions, analytical, comparative and qualitative methodologies are 

adopted. The researcher assesses Iskandar‟s translation outcomes, identifies 

and classifies the effectiveness of the translation methods in maintaining 

the dysfunctional nonverbal system and the incongruous relations and 

effect. 

First, the researcher is engaged in a comprehensive description of the 

nonverbal signs through semantic analysis followed by an assessment of 

Iskandar‟s translation outcomes through a comparative analysis with 

regards to their semantic fields and absurd genre.  

The study draws the conclusion that the translation of the literary 



xi 
 

genre of the theatre of absurd requires special attention due to its highly 

philosophical nature. The researcher analyzes the three translation 

strategies Iskandar implements for the play‟s semiotics: translation by 

omission, under-translation and rarely, literal translation.  

Moreover, the study finds that the use of both omission and under-

translation strategies create a loss in effectiveness of the absurd themes of 

metaphysical anguish, leaves a gap in delivering the theme of inaction and 

causes a deficiency in the circular structure of the plot and its incongruous 

relations. 

Furthermore, the study considers literal translation, along with the 

semantic field analysis, as an effective strategy that conveys absurd 

universal themes and maintains the play-text structure and incoherent 

coherence of its incongruous relations.  



1 
 

 

Chapter One 

Introduction 

1.1 Background 

1.2 Statement of the Problem 

1.3 Questions of the Study 

1.4 The Significance of the Research 

1.5 Literature Review 

1.6 Limitations of the Study 

1.7 Methodology 

1.8 Thesis Structure 

 

  



2 
 

Chapter One 

Introduction 

1.1 Background 

“The expression that there is nothing to express, nothing with which 

to express, nothing from which to express, no power to express, no desire 

to express, together with the obligation to express” (Beckett & Duthuit, 

1949, p. 103).  

This famous quotation from Beckett says much about his writings. 

His non-conventional literature expresses lack of desire, action, meaning 

and eventually nothingness. Waiting for Godot is a representation of the 

“theater of the absurd” and a true gist of both modernism and post 

modernism. It introduces expressionism and surrealistic techniques in 

drama. Keep in view that its ambiguous language, paradox, irony 

representation of characters, fragmentation, identity and existential 

problems and subjective approach towards life allow it to be more post-

modernist script than a modernist writing. The theater of the absurd is 

mainly an accomplishment of postmodernism that was greatly influenced 

by existential philosophy tackling the nothingness of the world and 

aimlessness of life that was the result of mass pessimism created by world 

wars.  

A more challenging task than interpreting such texts is being able to 

find a felicitous translation for them in another language. Absurdist texts, 



3 
 

particularly dramatic play-texts, have their own literary features and effects 

that should be deeply understood before any attempt is made at translating 

them. Gonzales (2014) comments on the small attention that has been paid 

to the dramatic semiotic texts. He believes that the extent to which 

translation is influenced by the distribution of meaning across various 

semiotics in the source text has received considerably less attention. He 

then clarifies that this lack of attention to the dramatic absurd works is due 

to the absence of a system that is able to understand “the displacement of 

language from non-verbal meaning-making and its impact on translation” 

(Gonzalez, 2014, p. 119).  

Translation in all its subdivisions has always been a controversial 

field in which no translator ever claimed to achieve the perfect translation. 

Different types of translation have been widely discussed and scholars have 

provided ample evidence on the methodologies used in translating a variety 

of types of literature. However, not many results can be obtained when it 

comes to drama translation methodologies and techniques. 

The translator of dramatic works has to be aware of the fact that the 

outcome of his/her work should be performable. Therefore, attention 

should be paid to the semiotic elements of the play that escape determinate 

meaning and prepare more room for different interpretations. Otherwise, 

much loss is to be expected; some writers have advised against translating 

drama.  



4 
 

The issue becomes even more critical when the source language (SL) 

play text relies heavily on non-verbal communications that does not 

effectively communicate. Bassnett & Lefevere (1998) stated that 

“Chekhov, for example, wished he could have prevented his plays from 

being translated and performed outside Russia, because audiences would 

not have access to the specifically Russian codes embedded in his 

writing”(p.91). 

Waiting  for Godot is Beckett‟s best known and most discussed play. 

It has two acts. The main theme of the play is „nothingness‟ or the 

„meaninglessness‟ of life and world. The play was originally published in 

French in 1948.  Beckett conducted a self-translation of the play into 

English. The effect of World Wars we can see here, not by action, but by 

absence of action in the play. This play, although it has non-sense action, is 

multi-layered play. Here “nothing” itself is “something”. One of Beckett‟s 

remarks about the play that each word seemed to him to be “an unnecessary 

stain on silence and nothingness”, is critical to understanding the existential 

heart of the play. 

In fact this play can be categorized within the subgenre of “Theater 

of Absurd”. It is a kind of tragic comedy and unpleasant truth about life and 

world. There are only five characters in this play: Vladimir, Estragon, 

Pozzo, Lucky and a boy. The effect of existentialism can be found very 

much here. The play itself is a symbol of hopelessness and nothingness. In 

“Theater of Absurd” there is no plot, no story, no beginning and no end. In 



5 
 

short, it challenges the tradition of well-made play. This play has the same 

“nothing”. The language is simple and vague. Beckett‟s absurdist Waiting 

for Godot highlights the failure of utterances and spoken expressions to 

allude to the non-sense of words in delivering meaning.       

Waiting for Godot highlights an existential lack. To effectively 

translate a lack, a translator has to create a lack. In drama, Existentialists 

have always analyzed literature with reference to the deconstructive view 

of logocentrism to define the lack. In order to do so, the writer defines 

binary oppositions, classifies the superior and the inferior terms, and 

reverses them within a deconstructive context. The binary oppositions in 

Waiting for Godot can be analyzed according to logocentrism. In 

philosophy, presence has always been privileged over absence. So, it is 

commonplace to think of presence as the given superior term and absence 

as a deficiency or lack. However, in Waiting for Godot, the opposition of 

presence / absence demonstrates that the characteristics of meaning are 

absent and unattained while the play‟s non-sense themes are present and 

obvious. This creates the real lack of meaning, which is a core theme of the 

play.   

Becket‟s Waiting for Godot is a post-World War II literary work that 

revolves around existentialism. The Absurdists concentrate on questioning 

the eventual goal of life and the purposefulness of actions; through such 

questioning they express the core theme of inner anguish by deploying 

comic situations that ultimately yield nothing but agony and 



6 
 

meaninglessness. They present absurd themes of a melancholic nature 

through unexpected trivial comic actions or even inactions.  Therefore, 

Absurd literary works, including theatre, are full of verbal and non-verbal 

devices that express absurd themes.  

In Absurd theatre, words do not communicate any sense. Characters 

speak incoherently. They act but their actions lack actions. It is their 

pauses, silences, hesitations, signs, movements, gestures, moaning that 

make the most sense of the non-sense. Akhter (2015) attests on the 

significance of non-said elements of Waiting for Godot:  

The occurrence of gaps, silences absences and non-saids in 

the literary text of Samuel Beckett‟s play Waiting for Godot 

is closely tied to the late modernist bourgeois ideology, 

which leads to conflict, difference and contradiction of 

meanings and continuous indication of incompletion of the 

text that at the end is immanently discernible through non-

saids of the text” (p. 5). 

Most of Waiting for Godot‟s themes lie in the non-saids. They are 

crucial due to the role of creating contradictions and non-sense effects with 

verbal utterances.  

This research runs a close analysis of the non-verbal semiotics in 

Waiting for Godot. It explains the relevance of the stage directions and 

their thematic functions as they feature in the SL script and compares them 

with those of Iskandar‟s translation of the play text. The researcher will 



7 
 

assess the translation outcomes, and identify and classify the effectiveness 

of the translation methods in maintaining the dysfunctional sign system and 

the incongruous yet coherent relations in the original texts.  

1.2 Statement of the Problem 

The problem that this research tackles is an unconventional, yet a 

crucial issue in post-modern literature translation. Catford (1965) discusses 

correspondence in different dimensions of equivalence; he defines textual 

equivalence as “any TL text or portion of text which is observed to be the 

equivalent of a given SL text or portion of text”(p. 27). Here, the portion of 

the translated text‟s discussion centers again on re-creating the ST effect. 

From a cultural aspect, Absurdist literature can be viewed as a 

trouble-free area due to the universality of its ideas and representations and 

the lack of fixed meaning. It explores the general human condition that is 

relatively a culture-free condition, i.e., absurdist waiting represents 

meaninglessness and loss whether the ones waiting are Arabs, Indians or 

Britons. Repetitive actions can be agonizing. Derrida believes that 

repetition is iteration. He argues that a sign has no identity. It can occur in 

different contexts, and signs gain their meanings through their repetition.  

However, to express these universal themes, modern absurdist 

literary works, such as Beckett‟s Waiting for Godot, are heavily dependent 

on the non-verbal semiotics. These vary in type, frequency and function. 

On the surface, pauses would sound like silences, mediates as think, and 

rummages as searches.   



8 
 

However, upon closer examination, these non-verbal signs are 

significantly different from each other. If the translator uses them 

interchangeably, the translation outcome would seriously compromise their 

semantic meaning of the produced text which, in turn, affects the 

functionality of thematic messages. The translator should aim at conveying 

the repetition of chaotic structure of the post-modern text.  

Cumulatively, loss in translation would tamper with the genre by 

making the situation less absurd than it really is or less darkly humorous 

than it reads in the original. Therefore, an “Inter-semiotic Translation” 

should occur on the inter-lingual level, which means to convey ST non-

verbal language (signs, gestures, etc.) into the target language (TL) 

semiotics without causing any loss in its connotations. 

1.3 Questions of the Study 

This research aims to find answers for the following questions:  

1- What are the translation methodologies/strategies implemented in 

Iskandar‟s translation to convey the non-verbal elements of Waiting 

for Godot? Do they maintain ST effect? Are they systematically 

deployed? 

2- How are absurd features of the ST affected in the translated version 

of the play? What shades of meaning do the inter-semiotic, non-

verbal elements withhold? How do they impact the literary genre of 

the theatre of the absurd? 



9 
 

3- How can we preserve the ST thematic features and effects? What 

translation methodologies/strategies can be used to translate of the 

non-verbal elements embedded in the literary genre of Absurd? 

1.4 The Significance of the Research 

Studies and researches have tackled translation studies of literature 

such as Bassnett, Lefevere, Nida, etc. Yet, due to the lack of the theatre 

play-texts in Arabic and the absence of the absurdist literature as a separate 

field, fewer researches discussed the idea of translating play texts into 

Arabic, of which, only a few studies addressed the translation of absurd 

play texts.  

Most researches in this field limit their examination to the translation 

of the spoken elements. This study explores the non-verbal elements in 

Beckett‟s Waiting for Godot in Fayez Iskandar‟s translation of the play into 

Arabic. The study, through semantic and comparative analysis, investigates 

the major themes reflected through the non-verbal semiotics (sign, gestures, 

movement...etc.)  

The research will describe and refine translation strategies for the 

non-verbal elements that, to some extent, retain both textual and functional 

effectiveness in the play.   



10 
 

1.5 Literature Review 

To examine the translatability of a text means to dig deep into all the 

dimensions of the text, its type, background, translation theories and the 

systems it belongs to. This section reviews the studies on the literary genre 

of absurdist theatre and the studies on translation strategies that can be used 

to capture the effectiveness of non-verbal elements.  

1.5.1 The Theatre of Absurd as a Literary Genre 

The absurdist literature appeared in the late 1940‟s where Martin 

Esslin introduced the “Theatre of Absurd”. It emphasized the fragmented 

nature of the physical, linguistic, temporal and mental realities in the post-

war, modern world. Esslin (1961) adds that the dictionary definition of 

Absurd is out of harmony with reason incongruous, unreasonable, and 

illogical. Holtan (1976) also reflects the vague and sorrowful hollowness of 

the human lives in this era. It is commonly agreed in the critical circles that 

the absurd drama is the only way to reflect the emptiness and chaotic life in 

the post-modern age. Stayan (1981) narrows the term absurd by picturing it 

as a man trapped in a hostile universe that was totally subjective, and made 

to describe the suffering that could follow when purposelessness, solitude 

and silence are taken to the ultimate degree. This image focuses on the 

ultimate purpose of absurdist literature in reflecting the non-sense.  

Absurd as a term, of course, is a philosophical and intellectual 

concept. In his “Introduction” to the Penguin Plays, Esslin (1965) also 



11 
 

believes that a term like Absurd must, therefore, be understood as a kind of 

intellectual shorthand for a complex pattern of similarities in approach, 

method, and convention of shared philosophical and artistic premises, 

whether conscious or subconscious, and of influences from a common store 

of tradition. Roberts & Fisher (1980) summarizes the main features of this 

theatre by stating that in order to understand the absurdist plays, there‟s a 

need to strip text from all the stylistic and linguistic features. The reader 

should be able to see the world‟s incoherent and frightening features 

reflected in a familiar context with an attempt to deliver meaning.  

Absurdist works are referred to as an artistic representation of Albert 

Camus philosophy (Esslin, 1961). This existentialist philosophy discusses 

the themes of circularity and futility, mainly through his “Myth of 

Sisyphus”. Camus pictures the meaningless bitter life in the character‟s 

punishment to conduct his endless pointless task. In this sense, theatre of 

the absurd adopts the negative side of existentialism, which reflects the 

futility of the human condition and the purposelessness of life. 

Moreover, the theatre of the absurd contingency can be linked with 

Sartre‟s existentialist views. Conard (2007) believes that “For Sartre, 

absurdity is a state of affairs. Existence is absurd because it lacks any 

inherent design, meaning, or end point. In Being and Nothingness and other 

writings, Sartre links the notion of absurdity to the notion of contingency” 

(p.110). These existentialist themes of circularity, futility and 

purposelessness are artistically explained within Beckett‟s absurd play, 

Waiting for Godot.  



12 
 

Both existentialist ideology and absurd theatre genre share an 

essential characteristic of their themes-the universal nature of their beliefs 

and ideas. Since their main thematic focus pours into the endless human 

struggle to find meaning within the absurdity of life, a universal, culture-

free nature of ideas can be claimed to be its shared feature. Similarly, these 

themes can also be found in the translation process itself. Translation is an 

endless and repetitive task since it cannot deliver a sense through 

interpreting non-sense. Therefore, there is no such as a singular or perfect 

translation.   

Waiting for Godot, as an absurdist play, features universality of 

themes as well. Alogili & Khalaf (2018) state in their journal article the 

elements that indicate the universality of the play‟s theme: 

There are certain elements enabled the play to be universal, 

one of them that it does not have the traditional rules of plays, 

in other words, it jumped out of the traditional circle of play 

writing. It is a reflection of the catastrophic human condition 

in the post-wars period and the instability of the way the 

characters think is a clear proof of the human condition 

(p.43).  

Yet, absurdist theatre was first introduced into the Arab region by the 

work of Tawfiq Al-Hakeem “Ya Tale’ Al-Shajara” (2692)  in which he used 

the realistic vague language to reflect the instability of the post-war era in 

the Middle East. Hence, it is claimed that the absurdist tradition in some 



13 
 

sense does exist in the Arabic literary writings, never as a separate genre as 

it is in English literature but in a thematic manner.  

1.5.2 Translation Strategies in Relation to the Theatre of the Absurd 

With respect to the more specific theoretical framework for dramatic 

works‟ translation, in a study of the specific problems of literary 

translation, (Bassnett S. , 1991) stresses the need to consider the 

functionality and effectiveness of the translated text rather than translating 

each individual unit in isolation from the other. She states that in the 

attempt to formulate any theory of theatre translation, the description of 

linguistic expression must be taken into account, and the linguistic element 

must be translated bearing in mind its function in theatre discourse as a 

whole.  

Attaining functionality requires a comprehensive search for a 

translation strategy that fulfills the TL equivalence. Newmark (1988) 

argues that “literal translation is correct and must not be avoided. It secures 

referential and pragmatic equivalence to the original” (p. 80). His statement 

implies the importance of literal translation in a context in which the 

referential components of meanings are essential elements to maintain.  

The universality of themes allude to the necessity to maintain the ST 

original effect and function. Formal equivalence may be a good option to 

aim for to convey SL messages. Nida (1964) discusses the importance of 

formal equivalence to remain as close to the original text as possible. It 



14 
 

avoids the addition of the translator`s personal ideas and thoughts into the 

translation. Thus, the more literal the translation is, the less danger there is 

of corrupting the original message.  

It is very true in translating the theatre of the absurd that a translator 

should give gesture for gesture, sound for sound, and movement for 

movement. However, the thematic importance of the play's non-verbal 

signs can require locating the exact synonym for a particular stage 

direction. The notion of semantic fields is an effective strategy when the 

semantic features and lexical sets are tackled and considered a main 

element to be appreciated in translation. Baker (1992) states that:  

The idea of semantic fields works well enough for words and 

expressions which have fairly well-defined propositional 

meanings, but not for all, or even most of the words and 

expressions in a language. Limitations aside, there are two 

main areas in which an understanding of semantic fields and 

lexical sets can be useful to a translator: a. appreciating the 

„value‟ that a word has in a given system; and b. developing 

strategies for dealing with non-equivalence (p. 16). 

Baker‟s statement can be of a great use when translating Waiting for 

Godot since the appreciation of the “value” of a word represents both the 

thematic effect of the closest synonym and the stylistic role a non-verbal 

element may play in attaining absurdist idea.  

 



15 
 

Componential Analysis is introduced as an effective element in 

translating universals, which differs from the linguistics CA. Newmark 

(1988) discusses it, with regards to translation, as:  

Componential analysis in translation is not the same as 

componential analysis in linguistics; in linguistics it means 

analyzing or splitting up the various senses of a word into 

sense-components which may or may not be universals; in 

translation, the basic process is to compare a SL word with a 

TL word which has a similar meaning, but is not obvious 

one-to one equivalent, by demonstrating first their common 

and then their differing sense components (p. 114)  

Moreover, it is importance to implement the componential analysis 

to maintain the Semantic Field in translation. Mansouri (1985) discusses 

that one must determine the semantic features of a particular sense of a 

lexeme in a particular context and compare this sense with the senses of 

other lexemes related to it in the same field in order to find the one that 

matches most semantic features. For example, Mansouri believes that in 

analyzing the meaning of the lexeme “run”, it is necessary to select one 

sense at a time, as determined by the context in which it occurs, rather than 

all the senses of “run” at the same time. We may thus compare the sense of 

“run” in “He ran to school” with the related senses of such lexemes as 

“walk”, “hop”, “skip”, “jump”, “crawl”, “dance” etc.; the sense of “run” in 

“The water is running” with the related senses of “flow”, “drip”, “leak”, 

“pour”, “trickle”, “splash” etc. 



16 
 

1.6 Limitations of the Study 

The research centers on the translatability of the non-verbal 

semiotics of Waiting for Godot, mainly thematically related stage 

directions represented in movements, sounds and settings. The study does 

not address the verbally spoken elements.  Moreover, the themes of Absurd 

Theatre included in the study are inclusive to the themes conveyed by the 

non-verbal semiotics of Beckett‟s absurdist play.  

1.7 Methodology 

The researcher adopts analytical, comparative and qualitative 

approaches. A variety of thematically rich non-verbal semiotics, extracted 

from Waiting for Godot, will be comprehensively described and analyzed 

with close attention to their effectiveness and impact on the absurdist 

genre. The analytical approach will be accompanied with means of 

comparison of the same signs in Iskandar‟s translated text to evaluate the 

loss of the absurdist themes and, thence, the functionality of the 

implemented translation methodology. Furthermore, the researcher will 

suggest translation methodologies/strategies to eliminate future loss in 

translating absurd semiotics.  

1.8 Thesis Structure 

This thesis is divided into four chapters to examine the challenges of 

translating the non-verbal elements of Waiting for Godot into Arabic by 

analyzing problems in Fayez Iskandar‟s translated version.  



17 
 

Chapter one is a combination of seven sections, which are considered an 

introduction to the study. It states the study problem, questions, and 

significance,  and then builds on some previous theoretical framework on 

the issue. It also enables the reader to acknowledge the study‟s limitations, 

methodology and outline.  

Chapter two is the first part of the study‟s body. It tackles the first major 

theme reflected from the non-verbal elements in the play that discuss the 

metaphysical anguish. The chapter presents a comparison between ST non-

verbal elements that reflect inner anguish with their translation. It 

highlights the semantic fields in both versions and the strategies used to 

convey them. The researcher, then, assesses loss/gain done to them once 

translated and classifies the translation outcomes based on their translation 

equivalence.  

Chapter three attempts to identify the degree of loss in the play‟s inaction 

theme. The researcher will analyze non-verbal examples on this theme with 

respect to the translation strategies. 

Chapter four is the last chapter of the study and includes findings and 

conclusions of the study and provides recommendations on translation 

strategies for the non-verbal elements of Waiting for Godot.   



18 
 

 

Chapter Two  

Metaphysical Anguish and Repetition 

in Relation to Translation 

2.1 Introduction 

2.2 Emphasis-Change Strategy for Partial Equivalence 

2.3 Elliptical translation 

2.4 Repetition versus Redundancy 

2.5 Circular Structure of the Plot 

2.6 Repetition of actions 

3.7 Over-translation as an Attempt for Compensation   

2.8 Conclusion 

 

  



19 
 

Chapter Two 

Metaphysical Anguish and Repetition 

in Relation to Translation 

2.1 Introduction 

One central theme in Waiting for Godot and in the Theatre of the 

Absurd in general is an intense sense of metaphysical anguish. Silverstein 

points out that theatre of absurd speaks of the mental suffering in the 

melancholic, fruitless pursuit for understanding the surrounding milieu 

(1993, p. 144). Also, Esslin identifies the thematic core of the Absurdists as 

a "sense of metaphysical anguish at the absurdity of the human condition.” 

(1961, pp. 24-25). We can sense the characters' severe, inner, melancholic 

shades through the unuttered stage directions. Vladimir and Estragon live 

an intense feeling of despair, humiliation, internal chaos and many more 

inner conflicts. These feelings were illustrated not only through their 

speech, but also through using stage direction words that allude to 

unexpressed inner horror.  

Language in dramatic works is usually symbolic. It aims to carry the 

significant meanings through its puns and complex rhetorical devices. 

However, in Beckett‟s Waiting for Godot the language represents a failure. 

The absurdists fail to show their messages through language. Instead, 

images are juxtaposed through the lack of language and the heavy use of 

the non-verbal signs to create and deliver the absurd messages. The use of 



20 
 

signs, gestures and body movement, represented mainly in stage directions, 

is essential to convey these messages.  

The use of stage direction words of anguish reflects the futility of 

their condition and the search of the self within the loss. Sartre mentions in 

his book on Being and Nothingness 

I do not have nor can I have recourse to any value against the 

fact that it is I who sustain values in being...In anguish I 

apprehend myself...as not being able to derive the meaning of 

the world except as coming from myself (1943, p. 77) 

Sartre believes in the importance of the anguish in the realization of 

the inner loss of the self. This existential concept is emphasized in the 

literature on existential and absurd genres. This inner emptiness of 

characters marks a core theme from which the chain of absurd effects and 

reactions originate. The inner metaphysical darkness constitutes the nucleus 

from which stem the other thematic aspects of repetitive, fruitless actions 

and the series of purposeless, seemingly nonsense dialogues, frustration 

and fatigue.   

This chapter presents a comparison between ST nonverbal elements 

that reflect inner anguish with their translation. It highlights their semantic 

fields in both versions and the strategies used to convey them. The 

researcher, then, assesses the degree of harm done to them once translated 

and classifies the translation outcomes based on their translation 

equivalence.  



21 
 

2.2 Emphasis-Change Strategy for Partial Equivalence 

In the translation of Waiting for Godot into Arabic, Iskandar under-

translates the internal anguish of characters represented in actions and 

feelings. The translator underestimates the essentiality of the absurdist‟s 

repetitive nonsense directions.  

To describe properly what happens in the target text, the researcher 

applies Chesterman sub-semantic “Emphasis Change Strategy,” which 

results in increasing, decreasing or changing the thematic focus of the 

translated text in comparison to the original. (1997, p. 104). The translator 

neglects some semantic synonyms of the ST signs by translating it into a 

far synonym that causes a loss in the thematic features and a change in the 

thematic emphasis.  

First, Iskandar translates the nonverbal directions of internal feelings 

or movements by decreasing the number of occurrences in some semantic 

features (partial loss), as shown in the following Table (1): 

  



22 
 

Table (1): Loss in Existential Semantic Features 

Original Text 

(defined by Oxford 

dictionary) 

Translation 

(defined by Al-

Waset Dictionary) 

Lost Feature 

1. Meditates : (focus one's 

mind for a period of time, in 

silence or with the aid of 

chanting, for religious or 

spiritual purposes) 

 ) فىش( يفكر:

أٞ أخطش األِش فٟ تاٌٗ 

 ٚأػٍّٗ فٟ ػمٍٗ

Deeply consumed 

in the idea 

2. Fumbles: (move clumsily in 

various directions using the 

hands to find one's way) 

 : )تذث( يبحث

سأي ٚاستمصٝ ػٓ 

 اٌشٟء

Hesitation, 

exhaustion, and 

Clumsiness 

3. Rummages: (search 

unsystematically and 

untidily through something) 

 : )تذث( يبحث

سأي ٚاستمصٝ ػٓ 

 اٌشٟء

Inner chaos and 

confusion which 

shows confused 

search. 

4. Insidious : (proceeds in a 

gradual, subtle way, but with 

harmful effects) 

 : )ِش( بمرارة

ػىس دال، أٞ ٠خٍٛ ِٓ 

 اٌذالٚج

Harmful & 

gradual effect 

5. Refuses to go any further : 

(not willing to move) 

 يتىقف
استشاجْٛ ػٓ اٌّس١ش: 

 )ٚلف(

 أٞ سىٓ تؼذ اٌذشوح

Inaction 

6. Huddled together, shoulders 

hunched, cringing away: 

(Bend one's head and body 

in fear or apprehension or 

in a servile manner) 

ذ اٌتصما ٚل ينتظران

تؼضّٙا ٚأذٕت 

، ِثتؼذ٠ٓ ػٓ أوتافّٙا

 مصذر التهذيذ

 

The sense of 

hopelessness and 

total defeat 

7. Totters , totters (Move in a 

feeble or unsteady way) 

 يتقذم:

 صاس لذِا أٞ تمشب

 يتراجع:

 أسذة ٌٍخٍف

Hesitation and 

chaos 

These stage directions reveal characters who are feeble, exhausted, 

confused, defeated and hesitant. These feelings are revealed through their 

componential analysis into basic semantic fields that cumulatively carry 

shades of inner anguish. The above table includes a variety of examples 

that illustrate these dark semantic meaning.  



23 
 

  In the first example, the semantic components of the word 

“meditates” defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as “Focus one's mind 

for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or 

spiritual purposes” reflects the character's deep search for sense and 

meaning. It is followed by Vladimir‟s distorted biblical proverb “Hope 

deferred maketh the something sick” while, the original religious line is 

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick…”. His meditative and contemplative 

endeavors are met with an incongruous response from Estragon saying 

“Why don‟t you help me?” This example is intended to reflect the absurd 

incongruity which is reinforced by the allusive stage direction “meditates”. 

Since one would expect great revelations following such deep 

contemplation, Estragon‟s urge for action undermines the act of 

contemplation and adds to the absurdity of the situation. As Vladimir 

contemplates and Estragon calls for help, the reader will laugh since the 

outcome is a contrastive incongruous dialogue that attempts to evoke irony 

over a supposedly serious subject matter. The situation creates black 

humor, which is the essence of the play tragicomedy.  

The use of the Arabic equivalent “٠فىش/lit. Think” creates a major 

thematic loss. In this translation, we can notice a complete absence of the 

semantic synonym that reflects the thematic aspect of depth of the spiritual 

shadowing of the word “think”. Therefore, this translation creates a loss in 

the thematic focus and hence in the incongruous structure. The main 

discrete semantic component that the word “meditates” has is the pre-



24 
 

mentioned contemplation, whereas the word “Lit. Think/٠فىش” does not 

connote any semantic feature that reflects contemplation. Yet, its semantic 

components are highly concerned with the practical scientific everyday 

process of working the brain. Therefore, the choice of translating 

“meditates” by selecting a far synonym (think) causes a loss in the intended 

dialogue incongruity and affects both the theme of anguish and the 

tragicomic essence of the play.  

The translation of the second example results in a loss in the clumsy 

movement semantic component. The word “fumbles” means “Move 

clumsily in various directions using the hands to find one's way” (Oxford 

English Dictionary). It is repeated nine times along the play text. The 

word‟s semantic components reflect the clumsy, unsteady movement 

resulting from physical or psychological exhaustion. The character's inner 

sense of defeat reflects his weak and dull physical movement. This sense of 

fatigued selves and bodies is lost when “fumbles” is translated into  "٠ثذث"/ 

“lit. Search” in all of the nine times, which lacks, in its semantic field, the 

component of clumsiness and weakness. Yet, its semantic field represents 

much more purpose and strength than is connoted by the original word.  

Moreover, the translator uses the same word "٠ثذث"/ “search” again 

as a translation for “rummages”. Rummages denotative meaning is “an 

unsystematic and untidy search through a mass or receptacle”. It is mostly 

mentioned in the directions that concern the muddled delve for food. 

Vladimir offers Estragon “a carrot” and gives him “a turnip” after 



25 
 

“rummaging his buckets” in a tragicomic scene. Characters quarrel about 

the type of vegetable, whether it‟s a carrot or a turnip, creating a dialogue 

that connotes the loss of identity. Beckett implies a sense of irony and 

incongruity in implementing words that contains deep anguish in their 

semantic field in a trivial dialogue of “carrots and turnips”. He intensifies 

the tragicomedy through irony and incongruity. Yet, Iskandar‟s choice of a 

far synonym in his translation of both “fumbles” and “rummages” causes a 

shift in the semantic features of loss, uselessness and muddle, and replaces 

them with far semantics features of purpose, system, tidiness and 

consciousness. Moreover, the translator has seriously compromised the 

overall intended direct connection between weak bodies and mentally 

anguished selves.   

The loss of sense of time is another absurd feature affected by the 

translation. The gradual sense of movements and time with an illusion to 

the harmful effects is found in the semantic components of the original 

word of Estragon‟s stage direction: “(very insidious). But what Saturday? 

And is it Saturday? Is it not rather Sunday? (Pause.) Or Monday? (Pause.) 

Or Friday?” The gradual deceptive sense in using this stage direction is 

reflected in the verbal lines of the progressive listing of the week days. It 

represent the loss of sense of time and the inability to identify days and 

places. Also, the denotative Oxford English Dictionary definition of the 

word, “Insidious: proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful 

effects”, alludes to the gradual effect of suffering. Iskandar, in his 



26 
 

translation, uses the word “تّشاسج/lit. Bitterly” which loses the gradual effect 

of suffering. Hence, the TT word “insidious” connotes the semantic 

components of gradualism, harmfulness, suffering, bitterness and pain. Its 

synonyms can vary in their focus on one or more of its semantic 

components. In this context, the translator neglects the important absurd 

component of gradualism and allusion and, instead, chooses the far 

synonym that reflects bitterness only. His choice of this far synonym 

eliminates the absurd contextual semantic field Beckett implements. A loss 

in meaning by under-translation causes a partial equivalent word and 

affects the absurd anguish that reflect man‟s continuous and gradual 

anguish and his inner trial and seeking salvation.  

Also, the fifth example constitute a loss of a main feature of the inner 

conflict of the self. Beckett uses the words “refuses to go” in this stage 

direction to allude to the character's unwillingness to move. Estragon is 

taken by the arm to walk up and down at first before he shows his rejection 

and unwillingness to move. The word “refuses” in this semantic field has 

the features of agency and rejection, which the translator eliminates in his 

choice of a far synonym of "٠تٛلف ػٓ اٌّس١ش"/“lit. Stops walking”.  The 

componential features of the word “٠تٛلف /stop” do not comprise any sense 

of rejection or agency power. It connotes, instead, features of self-

determination and deliberate choice of inactivity. In this context, after 

Estragon‟s refusal to go with Vladimir, the next scene represent an ironic 

shift of roles in which Estragon requests Vladimir to go but Vladimir states 



27 
 

that they can‟t. However, the use of a direction that represent agency in a 

context where characters lack the decisive power is an instance of the 

violation of the maxim of violence to emphasize black humor. Language 

loses its function. The verb “refuses” connotes agency, but this strengthens 

the sense of humor since both characters lack agency and subjectivity. This 

shift of characters and directions creates an ironic sense of humor through 

implementing the anguish signs of uncertainty and purposelessness within 

incongruous context. The translator‟s use of the word “stops” eliminates 

the semantic sense of rejection that results in a loss of the sense of violence 

and the contextual incongruity and, thence, black humor.   

In example number six, the stage direction image of “huddled 

together, shoulders hunched, cringing away from the menace, they wait” 

creates a sense of humiliation and defeat. These directions are used to 

express both Vladimir‟s and Estragon‟s fear once they hear an inarticulate 

voice of crying and their repetitive temporary huddling before they realize 

their closeness and react in sudden repulsion. Beckett uses words that 

include in their semantic features the defeat and internal fear (huddled, 

cringing away), which can be defined as “bend one's head and body in fear 

or in a servile manner”. The words have semantic features of fear and 

humiliation to express excessive willingness to surrender their lives in 

frustration.   

In translation, there is a need to convey the semantic components of 

torment and defeat from inside that show clearly the faces and physical 



28 
 

feebleness of the characters. Iskandar‟s untranslation of this image 

“huddled: اٌتصما/lit. Cling” and “cringing away: أذٕت اوتافّٙا/lit. Bent” 

ignores the intended semantic field of the originals and instead replaces 

them with far synonyms that connote the semantic feature of closeness, 

unity and movement of respect. These TT features move the theme away 

from anguish; instead, they constitute another instance of the relevance 

maxim violation. Beckett creates humor by using signs of agency to give 

support, which contrasts the absurd characters‟ lack of intent and power.  

The seventh example reflects exhaustion and feebleness. It is 

captured by repeating the word “totters”. The unstable character Lucky 

totters, “move in a feeble or unsteady way” which is denotatively defined 

as an image of physical disfigurement and non-coordinated movement of 

bodily limbs. Lucky is introduced in the play as a representation of the 

language failure. He is a type of the miserable philosopher whose language 

is insufficient to convey meaning. He is not a thinking thing but a thing that 

is ordered to think.  The semantic components derived from the denotative 

meaning of unsteadiness, instability and hesitation match with the semantic 

field and repetitive use of the word “totters” in context to deliver the 

character‟s feeble nature and status of being subservient. However, this 

semantic field is lost in translation due to the translator‟s attitude to provide 

explanation of the repeated word into two far synonymous words ٚ "َ٠تمذ"

 lit. Moves forward/ backwards”. First, these words lack the“ /"٠تشاجغ" 

semantic features of instability; instead, it transfers the semantic meaning 



29 
 

of direction of movements and connotes agency, which Lucky lacks. 

Instead, the Arabic word “٠تشٔخ” would be a closer synonym that implies 

the semantic component of instability and can maintain the ST semantic. 

Second, the repetition of the direction has a thematic effect in stressing 

hesitation and instability. Again, explaining the sign and focusing on a far 

componential element of movement affect the intended thematic effect of 

the ST.     

Overall, the translation achieves partial equivalence for the signs in 

the stage direction words. The intensity of the inner anguish is 

compromised by neglecting the semantic fields of the ST directions.  

In fact, options are available in the semantic fields that could convey 

the full force of feeble bodies and broken souls. A translator of a universal 

theme of humans‟ inner anguish should seek literal translation strategies. 

S/he has to conduct a semantic analysis to search for the main components 

that fulfill the absurd theme and try to find the closest literal synonym that 

maintains these semantic components and style.  

2.3 Elliptical/Omission translation 

This second section examines the Translation by omission or ellipsis. 

The majority of cases where omission is applied for stage directions, it 

causes great loss to the themes of the Absurd theatre. Baker lists Ellipsis in 

her book as a translation methodology that “involves the omission of an 

item. In other words, in ellipsis, an item is replaced by nothing.” (1992, p. 

187).  



30 
 

According to Baker, this strategy should be used only if the meaning 

conveyed by a particular item or expression is not vital to the development 

of the text. In the new translations, there are countless examples of 

omissions for different reasons. One of those reasons, given by Baker, is 

that an item is not essential to transfer the meaning of the original text. 

This includes omission of minor items of less importance. However, 

translation scholars unanimously agree that deletion is one last options in 

translation; when unjustified, it must be compensated. Baker comments on 

the use of it as one option to be used in specific cases only: “It does not 

include every instance in which the hearer or reader has to supply missing 

information, but only those cases where the grammatical structure itself 

points to an item or items that can fill the slot in question.” (1992, pp. 187-

188). It is noted that the translator uses this strategy arbitrarily for 

translating stage directions and thus incurs much loss to the thematic 

effectiveness of the absurd text.  

The use of an omission strategy results in neglecting the 

representations of suffering and distress that result from the disappointment 

of man‟s inner nonsense to reach meaning. Whereas the first section 

addresses the partial loss in meaning, this section discusses the complete 

loss of inner anguish caused by deleting important stage directions. 

The following table (2) provides examples and their straightforward 

denotative meanings to show the lost references to psychological state:  

  



31 
 

Table (2): The Deleting adverbials of psychological state 

# 
Original Omitted 

Words 

Definition 

(As in Oxford 

Dictionary) 

Explanation 

1.  

despairingly  Showing the loss of all 

hope. 

Feeling of despair 

omitted/ tone 

change 
Despairingly 

(repeated) 

Gloomily Causing or feeling 

depression or 

despondency. 

feeling of despair 

omitted  

2.  

angrily  In a manner resulting 

from or betraying anger. feeling of anger 

omitted 

angrily (repeated) 

vexed  Annoyed, frustrated, or 

worried 

3.  

violently  Using physical force 

intended to hurt, 

damage, or kill someone 

or something 

(sound and 

movement) the 

violence characters 

practice against 

each other 

grudgingly  In a reluctant or 

resentful manner. 

(sound and internal 

feeling) feeling of 

chaos and 

instability omitted  

These deletions constitute a serious problem since they omit the 

adverbials of state that repeatedly convey the psychological condition of 

both Estragon and Vladimir. The adverbials express the intensity of the 

motions and emotions they experience in the play. 

In the first group of stage directions‟ examples, the translator deleted 

the expressions that reveal the feeling of despair. The word “despairingly” 

(Gloomily: Causing or feeling depression or despondency) denotes “the 

loss of hope” and a state of inner defeat. This is an important state that 

should be conveyed about characters who perform absurd roles. The 

characters‟ anger is a reflection of inner anger since it is represented in 



32 
 

shallow, meaningless discussions that do not normally arouse any anger. 

Some might argue that these words are not important since they are not 

spoken, but they are an essential part of the absurd package. They reveal 

the dark mood that engulfs the characters and constantly leads them to react 

angrily to the world and to each other. 

Naturally, frustration would lead to despair that, in turn, would lead 

to anger, a state that often leads to violent actions. Therefore, the deletion 

of the second group of examples (angrily, vexed) results in the loss of the 

anger they feel about their inability to take any redemptive actions. The 

direction “angrily” expresses “a manner resulting from or betraying anger” 

while “vexed” direction indicates the characters' frustration and anxiety. 

Such sense of anger is necessary to show the melancholic, intense quest for 

meaning that cannot be attained.  

The end result of this anger is shown in the violence these characters 

mainly practice against the servile character, Lucky. In this instance, the 

loss is doubled since it tackles more than one level. The three examples in 

this group (violently, grudgingly) involve the deletion of the violent/angry 

reactions in the stage directions. The first word, “violently” is used to stress 

force and violence as in “Using physical force intended to hurt, damage, or 

kill someone or something.” 

This chaos and conflict within the characters is also represented in 

the third word, “grudgingly”, which means “a reluctant or resentful 

manner”. These words should transfer the semantic field of both sound and 



33 
 

movement. They should deliver the TT acoustic and dynamic effect of the 

human anguish.  

Consequently, the translator created a non-equivalent TT in 

translating stage directions. The use of omission strategy created a 

significant problem in expressing the absurd subthemes of despair, defeat 

and anger.  

2.4 Repetition versus Redundancy 

In this section, the researcher discusses the related sub-theme of 

Repetition and Redundancy. Translators should be able to distinguish the 

important literary tool of repetition from the useless redundancy. 

Repetition is usually used as a mechanism to emphasize a certain 

idea or feature through uttering it many times to reach that goal. Beckett 

has always been well-known for his continuous use of repetition in his 

writings. Voranau (2010, p. 48) mentioned in his research on Beckett‟s 

repetition: 

“For Beckett repetition was not only a literary tool but also 

the fundament of his art as such. Therefore, while in texts it 

would manifest in the constant reappearance of the same, 

though often obscured under different names, characters, 

reoccurring situations, motifs, and symbols, beyond them 

repetition would emerge salient amongst his creative 

principles.” 



34 
 

He uses repetition in his literary works as a tool to deliver the failed 

endeavors to reach one definite meaning. In Absurd theatre, repetition can 

achieve thematic functions through artistic features. Absurd plays explore 

the existentialists‟ notion of meaningless life; repetition constitutes a 

crucial technique to achieve the desired effect of this theme.  Jean-Paul 

Sartre‟s absurdist play No Exit and Albert Camus‟ central figure of 

Sisyphus are fine examples of this central existential concept of endless and 

pointless repetition of action as an indicator of despair and angst and the 

human condition. 

Esslin (1961) argues that the repetition of the same actions and 

dialogues in different places through the play with differing circumstances 

merely serve to emphasize the essential theme of the situation and gives the 

audience the sense that regardless of the number of acts the play may have, 

there will always be a continuous lack of meaning. Moreover, Beckett is a 

postmodernist writer who expresses connected notions in a unique, 

untraditional way. Thence, his use of repetition can indirectly deliver and 

intensify other absurd themes related to existential anguish and inactivity. 

However, a mistaken understanding of this literary tool may cause a 

misinterpretation of it with redundancy. Redundancy can be defined as the 

state of having something that is an excess, superfluous, no longer useful. 

In case of redundancy, the translator tries to avoid redundant 

utterances by omitting the excess part to focus on the core idea. Whereas a 



35 
 

similar action for the literary tool of repetition may lead to a confusion and 

a thematic loss.  

This section discusses the treatment in translation of ST repetition at 

two levels: repetition of structure, and repetition of actions within 

dialogues. The repetition cases are identified, their functions are explained, 

translation strategies are classified, and their effectiveness in creating the 

same purpose is assessed. 

2.5 Circular Structure of the Plot 

Waiting for Godot is a repetitive absurdist play that has a series of 

repetitive elements in order to compose a piece of circular structure. The 

idea of circularity has been highlighted in Frag’s journal article (2010, p. 

1): 

“Waiting for Godot (1954) has a distinctive kind of structure. 

Its structure is circular. It has no logical exposition or 

resolution. The situation is usually static; nothing changes 

and nothing is solved for there is no solution to the problems 

of man in the hopeless world.”  

Frag‟s statement clarifies that the circular structure serves to 

emphasize the absurd hopelessness. The repetition and static recurrence of 

these elements constitutes a circular plot that indicates a static universe. 

Beckett repeats the same setting (place and time) in both scenes of the play. 

He uses the same image twice in the play text. Iskandar to a large extent 



36 
 

maintains the repetition of settings by applying literal translations on these 

instances. Example 2.1. contains the stage directions at the opening of the 

play:   

Example 2.1.  

A country road. A tree. Evening. 

Estragon, sitting on a low mound, is trying to take off his boot. He pulls at 

it with both hands, panting.  

He gives up, exhausted, rests, tries again.  

As before.  

 ) طش٠ك س٠فٝ .. شجشج .. اٌٛلت ِساء (

، ذاٚي أْ ٠ٕضع ػٓ لذِٗ فشدج دزائٗاستشاجْٛ ٠جٍس ػٍٝ وِٛح فٝ األسض ل١ٍٍح اإلستفاع ، ٠ٚ

 ٠جزتٙا تىٍتا ٠ذ٠ٗ ٚ٘ٛ ٠ٍٙث  ٠تٛلف ػٓ اٌّذاٌٚح ِٕٙىاً ، ٠ٚستش٠خ ل١ٍالً ثُ ٠ثذأ ِٓ جذ٠ذ .

 ٠ٚتىشس اٌٛضغ . 

Moreover, Beckett intensifies the importance of repetition by starting 

the second act with “Next day. Same time, same place” to which one would 

want to add same persons, same actions, same frustrations, etc. Iskandar 

uses literal translation of the ST to reflect the same effect and transfer the 

original thematic repetition. Between the beginning and the end nothing 

changes. 

  



37 
 

2.6 Repetition of actions 

A more distinct implementation of the repetition strategy in Waiting 

for Godot in addition to that of the overall structure is the repetition of 

nonsense actions.  

 Beckett repeats stage directions, meaningless dialogues and absurd 

actions. Waiting for Godot probes the limitations of language to express 

thoughts that are not translated into actions. The play reflects language‟s 

failure to communicate and characters' inability to translate their words into 

actions.  

However, to maintain this effect in the translated version, the same 

number of incomplete movements should appear. However, Iskandar 

translates these cases differently and unsystematically. In Example 2.2, he 

eliminates the repetition in the stage direction and only adds the Arabic 

words and the literal translation.  

Example 2.2. 

Source Text:  

(He stops, broods, resumes 

He stops, broods, resumes 

He stops, broods, softly) 

Translation:  



38 
 

 ٠تٛلف، ٠فىش، ٠ٚستأٔف

 وّا ِٓ لثً

The directions in this example are included within the song that 

Vladimir sings at the beginning of the second scene. The song is a 

simulation of the plot in its nonsense and meaninglessness. The repetitive 

stage directions in the play mimic the repetitive nature of the play and 

hence the absurd theatre.  

Iskandar neglects using the same words and replaces them with ( وّا

lit. as before/لثً  ( creating a loss in the intended disfigured physiques of the 

characters. 

Repetitive action usages occur in a variety of the play text scenes to 

express frustration. Characters repeatedly change their positions to stand up 

and sit down pointlessly. Bloom notices this position change by stating that 

there are “no fewer than forty-five stage directions indicating that one of 

the characters leaves the upright position.” (2007, p. 28) He connects this 

change with an effect on human dignity and continuous change.  

Characters repetitive quarrel with their Hats and Boots is another 

good representation of the absurd actions.  Beckett‟s Godot‟s play contains 

a repetition of a quarrel of characters around their hats and boots. The 

author uses the word “hat” 58 times while he uses “boots” for about 33 

times. He links the boots‟ quarrel mainly with Estragon, which reflects his 

down-to-earth, naïve nature while the hat quarrel is usually an area of 



39 
 

concern for Vladimir who stands for the thinking person. Yet, both 

characters‟ representations repeatedly suffer from their hats and boots, 

which reflects human pain and hopelessness in their continuous search for 

ideas and sense. 

Iskandar masters conveying the silly quarrel in some contexts such as in:  

Example 2.3  

VLADIMIR: 

Hold that.  

Estragon takes Vladimir's hat. Vladimir adjusts Lucky's hat on his 

head. Estragon puts on Vladimir's hat in place of his own which he hands to 

Vladimir. Vladimir takes Estragon's hat. Estragon adjusts Vladimir's hat on 

his head. Vladimir puts on Estragon's hat in place of Lucky's which he 

hands to Estragon. Estragon takes Lucky's hat. Vladimir adjusts Estragon's 

hat on his head. Estragon puts on Lucky's hat in place of Vladimir's which 

he hands to Vladimir. Vladimir takes his hat, Estragon adjusts Lucky's hat 

on his head. Vladimir puts on his hat in place of Estragon's which he hands 

to Estragon. Estragon takes his hat. Vladimir adjusts his hat on his head. 

Estragon puts on his hat in place of Lucky's which he hands to Vladimir. 

Vladimir takes Lucky's hat. Estragon adjusts his hat on his head. Vladimir 

puts on Lucky's hat in place of his own which he hands to Estragon. 

Estragon takes Vladimir's hat. Vladimir adjusts Lucky's hat on his head. 

Estragon hands Vladimir's hat back to Vladimir who takes it and hands it 



40 
 

back to Estragon who takes it and hands it back to Vladimir who takes it 

and throws it down. 

How does it fit me?  

 فالد١ّ٠ش: إ١ٌه ٘زٖ.

)استشاجْٛ ٠أخز لثؼح فالد١ّ٠ش. ٠ذىُ فالد١ّ٠ش ٚضغ لثؼح الوٝ ػٍٝ سأسٗ. ٠شتذٜ استشاجْٛ 

لثؼح فالد١ّ٠ش تذالً ِٓ لثؼتٗ اٌتٝ ٠ؼط١ٙا ٌفالد١ّ٠ش. ٠أخز فالد١ّ٠ش لثؼح استشاجْٛ. ٠ذىُ استشاجْٛ 

ذالً ِٓ ....*لثؼح الوٝ اٌتٝ ٚضغ لثؼح فالد١ّ٠ش ػٍٝ سأسٗ. ٠شتذٜ فالد١ّ٠ش لثؼح استشاجْٛ ت

٠ؼط١ٙا الستشاجْٛ . ٠أخز استشاجْٛ لثؼح الوٝ . ٠ذىُ فالد١ّ٠ش ٚضغ لثؼح استشاجْٛ ػٍٝ سأسٗ 

.. ٠شتذٜ استشاجْٛ لثؼح الوٝ تذالً ِٓ لثؼح فالد١ّ٠ش اٌتٝ ٠ؼ١ذ٘ا ٌفالد١ّ٠ش. ٠أخز فالد١ّ٠ش لثؼتٗ 

د١ّ٠ش لثؼتٗ تذالً ِٓ لثؼح استشاجْٛ اٌتٝ ٠ذىُ استشاجْٛ ٚضغ لثؼح الوٝ ػٍٝ سأسٗ. ٠ٚشتذٜ فال

٠ؼط١ٙا الستشاجْٛ. استشاجْٛ ٠أخز لثؼتٗ. ٠ذىُ فالد١ّ٠ش ٚضغ لثؼتٗ ػٍٝ سأسٗ. ٠شتذٜ 

استشاجْٛ لثؼتٗ تذالً ِٓ لثؼح الوٝ اٌتٝ ٠ؼط١ٙا ٌفالد١ّ٠ش . ٠أخز فالد١ّ٠ش لثؼح الوٝ. ٠ذىُ 

الوٝ تذالً ِٓ لثؼتٗ اٌتٝ ٠ؼط١ٙا استشاجْٛ ٚضغ لثؼتٗ ػٍٝ سأسٗ. ٠شتذٜ فالد١ّ٠ش لثؼح 

الستشاجْٛ. ٠أخز استشاجْٛ لثؼح فالد١ّ٠ش. ٠ذىُ فالد١ّ٠ش لثؼح الوٝ ػٍٝ سأسٗ، ٠ؼطٝ 

استشاجْٛ لثؼح فالد١ّ٠ش إٌٝ فالد١ّ٠ش اٌزٜ ٠أخز٘ا ٠ٚؼ١ذ٘ا الستشاجْٛ اٌزٜ ٠أخز٘ا ٠ٚؼط١ٙا 

 .ٌفالد١ّ٠ش اٌزٜ ٠أخز٘ا ٠ٍٚم١ٙا ػٍٝ األسض(

 ً٘ تٕاسثٕٝ ؟

The above example constitutes a good literal translation that 

maintains the nonsense of the repetitive action. Iskandar converts the same 

message and effect to the TT. Whereas, in other occasions, the translator 

deals with repetition differently.  



41 
 

3.7 Over-translation as a strategy for Compensation   

   The researcher detected an added illustration into the translation of 

stage directions that express absurd themes. These additions do not have 

any equivalence in the original text. They might be implemented as an 

over-translation/illustration method to compensate for the lost sense of 

melancholic absurd as in the following table (3):  

Table (3): Over-translation   

# Translator added words Feature 

 Illustration  added ) تماي ٘زٖ اٌؼثاسج تطش٠مح ِذغّح ال تُفُٙ أتذاً (  .1

 added sign ) فالد١ّ٠ش ٠ٕظش إٌٝ الوٝ (  .2

 added movement الوٝ ٠شتجف((  .3

 sound and action added سٛط(  )ضشتح  .4

 sound emphasized تاٌذثً ٚاٌسٛط(  )٠طشلغ  .5

These examples can be a trial of compensation on many different 

levels. In the first example, it might be a little different from other 

examples since the translator here uses Baker‟s Translation by illustration” 

strategy to explain the way the speaker utters a sentence “Waagerrim” 

(1992, p. 42). Moreover, according to Ivacovoni (2009), omission means 

dropping a word or words from the SLT while translating. Here, the 

original sentence is an unclear utterance of the repeated question of 

Vladimir, “you want to get rid of him?” Therefore, Iskandar uses the 

translation of the clear repeated phrase “ِٕٗ تش٠ذ أْ تتخٍص ً٘” along with the 

explanation “ ً  .”lit. said unclearly with stammering“ / ”تطش٠مح ِذغّح ال تُفُٙ أتذا

This illustration of voice is a substitution for the original intended use of 

vague, unclear expressions to allude to the characters‟ melancholy and 

exhaustion. Becket implies exhaustion by repeating the same sentence three 



42 
 

times and eventually replaces it with the distorted version. The translator 

tries to focus more on the vagueness, and illustrates it through a separate 

sentence. 

Whereas in "ٟفالد١ّ٠ش ٠ٕظش اٌٝ الو"/“Vladimir looks at Lucky” in the 

second example, the translator adds a sign for the two characters that is a 

new image that does not exist in the original text. This image can be related 

to the structure of incongruity (sign conflicts context) used in the play and 

hence the intended sense of black humor.  A direction of movement is 

another added feature in the example of "الوٟ ٠شتجف"/“Lucky shakes”. 

Shaking movement is a symbol of the fear since shaking and trembling is a 

clear bodily decay that reflects inner fear. Here, the sense of fear enriches 

the anguish theme significantly. 

Moreover, the fourth and fifth examples emphasize the thematic 

sense of pain by highlighting the sound of whip twice before hitting. Both 

examples did not exist in the original text: "ًضشتح اٌسٛط/٠طشلغ تاٌذث". The 

two examples imply the fear and pain preceding hitting.  

Although over-translation examples connote some thematic feature, 

yet their unjustified arbitrary nature and lack of ST referential effect do not 

much compensate for the previously mentioned loss of themes.   

 



43 
 

2.8 Conclusion 

In this chapter, the researcher sheds light on the translation effect of 

the two main ideas: the central absurd theme of metaphysical anguish and 

the sub-thematic, yet, methodological tool of repetition to highlight other 

absurd intersected themes.  

The theme of metaphysical and internal anguish that Beckett 

implements is transferred through partial equivalence by using under-

translation through “emphasis change strategy”. The metaphysics theme is 

basically concerned with the philosophy that deals with the first principles 

of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, identity, 

time, and space and intersects with the anguish and inner chaos. This theme 

is affected in the TT due to a shift or reduction of the misery through 

Iskandar‟s use of far synonym translations that deprive words of original 

semantic components of deep anguish.  

However, Iskandar implements a “deletion/omission strategy” in 

other contexts, which results in a loss in the absurdist nonsense search for 

the self.  

The second part of the chapter discusses the interrelated technique of 

repetition as a thematic emphasis strategy and a sub-theme of hesitation. 

The researcher divides this part into three main levels to reflect on their 

translations. The structural level is preserved in Iskandar‟s version by the 

use of literal translation to create an equivalent circular text. The second 



44 
 

level is the repetition of actions that are reflected partially through 

Iskandar‟s use of “substitute strategy” and avoidance of the intended 

unnecessary repetition by viewing them as redundant and thence deletes 

them. A deeper discussion of inactivity will take place in the next chapter.  

Finally, the researcher discusses areas in which the translator 

imposes metaphysical directions as illustrations in new contexts as an 

attempt to compensate and reflect the loss of self and implicate some 

thematic feature. However, the unjustified arbitrary nature of the 

compensation strategy and its lack of ST reference does not much make up 

for the previously mentioned loss of themes.   

 

 

  



45 
 

 

Chapter Three 

The Action of Inaction 

3.1 Introduction 

3.2 Definition of Key Concepts: 

3.3 Conclusion 

 

  



46 
 

Chapter Three 

The Action of Inaction 

3.1 Introduction 

  “Nothing to be done”, “Nothing to be done”, the nothingness and 

emptiness of life are reflected in the characters' repeated phrases of utter 

defeat. The action of the inaction of the plot, characters, meaning and any 

related features of Waiting for Godot is highlighted through Beckett‟s 

choice of no-language and kinesics‟ deficiency. Kinesics is defined in 

Morain (1978) as “the discipline concerned with the study of all bodily 

motions that are communicative” (p. 3). Mount (2008) points out the 

importance of inaction theme: 

  Traditional drama represents actions; Godot is about 

inaction, about waiting for an action that never comes. Time 

in Godot isn't concentrated so much as it is irrelevant, 

undifferentiated, one moment no different from another. The 

play takes place in a single setting, but a setting almost 

completely severed from any real-world referent, a place 

nowhere and everywhere. So Waiting for Godot follows the 

unity of action in a play without action, the unity of time in a 

play without time, and the unity of place in a play without 

place (p. 27).  

Ordinary dramatic works often display a logical sequence in the plot. 

The play usually starts with a beginning, followed by a series of actions 



47 
 

through the dramatic complex to gradually reach an end. On the contrary, 

the Absurd Theater is known as "the Drama of Inaction" in which plays 

lack the usual plot order from beginning to end. Instead, the absurdists use 

passivity and dullness as an action to express inaction and the nothingness 

of life. This construction is both tangible and crucial in Waiting for Godot.  

Therefore, a translator of such dramatic work should be able to 

deliver the same effect of inaction in the target text. Iskandar does not 

much attend to the passive expressions and gestures. He often misses 

translating the words that are signs of passivity and gestures of nonsense 

movements and dull actions. As for Iskandar‟s translation, “Metaphysical 

Anguish” is not the sole theme that is affected in the Arabic version of 

Waiting for Godot. The “Kinetic field” and its related sub-features are 

highly influenced as well. As a result, these oversights of the thematic 

functions of the Absurd elements may result in a partial or complete 

distortion of the inaction theme. 

The distortion of the inaction theme can be noted by analyzing the 

source text‟s function and comparing it with that of the target text. The 

present chapter attempts to identify the degree of loss in the inaction theme 

in the target version. The researcher will analyze non-verbal examples on 

this theme with respect to the translation strategies. 

  



48 
 

3.2 Definition of Key Concepts 

Yay, Gilad, & Lucas (2018) argues that the term "action" has been 

used as a label to describe being physically active as opposed to passive, 

idle, or resting, indecisiveness, or inability to make a change. The term 

"inaction" has been used for capturing the lack of action, a deliberate 

decision to not take action, reduction or inhibition of action, the avoidance 

or deference of a decision, or sticking with the status quo or the default. In 

this research, the term “Action of Inaction” is used to define the strategy 

Beckett uses in order to highlight the nothingness of life through idle 

gestures, signs and movements. 

Moreover, the term “Kinesics” includes different aspects, defined by 

Padula, Alessandra (2009) as “The study and interpretation of human body 

movements that can be taken as symbolic or metaphorical in social 

interaction” (p. 582). According to anthropologist Birdwhistell (1970), who 

coined the term Kinesics which encompasses facial expression, signs, 

posture and gait, and visible arm and body movements. Expressive 

movements taken as symbolic actions display or emphasize thoughts, 

feelings, moods, intentions, and/or attitudes and may be used in 

combination with, or instead of, verbal communication.  

Accordingly, “Kinesics” will be used interchangeably with the term 

“Non-verbal Communication” to reflect “Communication without the use 

of spoken language. Nonverbal communication includes gestures, facial 

expressions, postures and body movements as well as the unspoken 



49 
 

understandings and presuppositions, and cultural and environmental 

conditions that may affect any encounter between people” (The New 

Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, 2005). 

Although some of the Kinesics‟ theories investigate the cultural 

differences and interpret meaning accordingly, the universality of the 

themes in the Absurd Theatre and its vision of the shared struggle against 

the futility of life among all human kinds reduce or even eliminate the 

cultural boundaries in the nonverbal communicative situations. The 

researcher claims that the action of inaction is an important theme that 

suffers partial loss in Iskandar's translation. This translation fails to spot the 

characters‟ passive signs, gestures and even speeches in the translated 

version of the play. The inaction of the play is not a coincidence, nor a 

defect, but it is widely viewed as an action that emphasizes emptiness and 

boredom through unspoken gestures. 

Sasani (2011) states that:  

Samuel Beckett in his, Waiting for Godot, very much like 

Chekhov, delineates characters whose passivity and inaction 

is the source of the sense of ennui and desperation and 

ultimately their disappointment. The characters‟ 

disappointment and depression does not originate from the 

lack of opportunity but it is the characters themselves who 

provide the only major obstacle (p. 222). 

Due to the deficiency of spoken language in Beckett‟s play, the 



50 
 

author intensifies the use of nonverbal communication directions in the 

play. Besbes (2007) has rightly observed that:  

Since the Beckettian text is characterized by its language 

economy and its tendency towards minimalization, it follows 

that critical attention should be as much concerned with 

language as with other systems of signification, properly 

speaking theatrical, such as: the actor‟s activities as signs 

(kinesics, proxemics, and gestural), spatial signs (decoration, 

lighting, and props), and auditory signs like sound and music 

(p. 24-25). 

Kern (1954) discusses the importance of the nonverbal significance 

of the play when he argues that although the play fails in containing usual 

actions or the ordinary climb of the plot, yet the author succeeds in 

conveying absurdist ideas through nonverbal communication tools such as 

sounds, movements and spaces. 

Kern mentions that nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes it's 

awful. There is within the play no character development. He states that:  

One is what one is. There is not any plot or any kind of 

suspense.…The audience is made to witness stark suffering, 

but a suffering unadorned with rhetoric or sublimated by high 

ideals, a suffering caused, rather, by the endless gnawing of 

physical ailments and discomfort, of cold and hunger, whose 

language is coarse and lowly, redeemed only by the 

atmosphere of human tenderness in which it finds utterance. 



51 
 

But there is also audible and visible on the stage the anguish 

which grips man when he becomes aware of his aloneness 

amidst the vast spaces and the "immense confusion" that 

surround him (p. 14) . 

Kern focuses on the effect of using space as a nonverbal 

communication tool that is rich in thematic significance that in the 

perspective of distance, even the most active life becomes one long wait 

that is barren of fulfillment.  

3.2.1 Pause and Silence 

The original play text repeatedly references moments of inaction. 

Indeed, the occurrence of “Silence” and “Pause” is one essential technique 

that signals character paralysis.  

These directions have two different connotations, and, therefore, 

cannot be neglected or used interchangeably in the translations.  

The word “Pause” is defined in the Cambridge Dictionary (2008) as 

a short period in which an activity is stopped before starting again. It 

connotes the characters‟ physical inability to act on their own. The pauses 

in Waiting for Godot reflect a temporary stop in movement during which 

the characters stiffen or paralyze, and hence they express obstruction in 

gestures.  

Whereas, the word “silence” is defined in Oxford English Dictionary 

(2010) as a complete absence of sound. This is a common definition that 



52 
 

excludes the physical aspect which exists in “Pause”.  

Although both direction words are important and aim at delivering 

the idea of obstruction that the spoken words fail to present, yet neither 

“Silence” "صّت"   nor “a period of silence”  "فتشج صّت" can carry the static 

connotations of “Pause”. In fact, silence points to a lack or break in 

communication between the two characters; it does not convey each 

character's physical status, which causes disruption in movement; therefore, 

these two words are not interchangeable and should not be translated as 

such.  

In Iskandar‟s version, an inattention or confusion in the translation of 

the unuttered directions on “Pause” and “Silence” is highly noticeable. The 

translator either deletes or mixes them in many scenes. Moreover, he 

neglects the physical aspect of “Pause” and treats it as an instance of 

“Silence”. Table (4) gives examples of these words and their translations:  

Table (4): The recurrence of Pause and Silence 

Original Translation Frequency Comment 

Pause  فتشج صّت (period of 

silence) 

، صّت   deleted 

87 times - Pause is deleted in 

different scenarios.  

- Pause is translated 

as silence 

(neglecting the 

physical aspect). 

Silence  118 صّت Time 

One of the main features that reflects lack of action is the continuous 

cut off in movements through the physical gestures of stiffness. Directions 

of “Pause” and “Silence” represent the dullness of the situation and the 

passiveness of the characters. Silence and pause are ambiguous instances of 



53 
 

communication. Although they might seem empty and meaningless, yet, in 

this context, they are more meaningful than spoken words (Schimtz, 1994, 

p. 34).  

The silence, pauses, resounding and resonance seem to create 

significant anguish in the play. Characters try to avoid the disturbing 

silence through useless babble and movements throughout the play. Hence, 

silences and pauses reveal the disintegration of the language. The pauses 

and silences also help in creating an air of uncertainty that, like the 

resounding silence, envelops the entire play. This is evidenced by the fact 

that the characters, Vladimir and Estragon, are unsure about everything 

from the date, time, day, their purpose and the identity of Godot. 

Both “Pause” and “Silence” are frequently used words in the Absurd 

Theater to allude to the interruption and discontinuity that lead to the 

stillness in time and the static physical actions. Bloom (2009) mentions that 

“The most expressive moments in his plays often occur in the pauses and 

silences, indicating…repression, fear, anticipation or horrified inarticulacy” 

(p. 150).  

Often, the focus on the physical aspect and the connotations of 

dullness and discontinuity intensifies the psychological isolation of one 

character from any other character. ST reader can notice the heavy use of 

the word “Pause” in the case of Pozzo. When Pozzo enters the play as a 

visitor, the reader/audience expects the beginning of some action after long 

waiting, but the “Pauses” and “Silences” in his role do shatter any hopes in 



54 
 

a mounting plot. The character‟s paralyzed motion (full of pauses) only 

intensifies the sense of isolation among these characters.  

When Iskandar uses “Pause” as “Silence” interchangeably, he hides 

Pozzo‟s paralyzed motion and stiffened movements, which highlight the 

powerless nature of Man. This suddenly interrupted motion is missing from 

the TT because it is mixed with the failed communication associated with 

"silence".  

Below is another instance in the translation where the stage direction 

word “Silence” is deleted from the dialogue between Estragon and 

Vladimir: 

Example 3.2.1 

VLADIMIR: 

What are you waiting for?  

ESTRAGON: 

I'm waiting for Godot.  

(Silence) 

VLADIMIR: 

What exactly should he do?  

 ِارا تٕتظش؟فالديمير: 

 أٔتظش جٛدٚ استراجىن: 

 ِارا ػ١ٍٗ أْ ٠فؼً تاٌضثظ ؟فالديمير: 



55 
 

In Example 3.2.1, the direction word “Silence” is used to create a 

sense of the meaninglessness of the action of waiting. The word plays on 

the discrepancy between waiting for someone and not knowing what this 

person will do to relieve your pain. In the translation, Iskandar deletes 

“Silence" and thus creates a continuous flow of conversations, a translation 

that neglects the dark humor embedded in this conversation.  

The outcome of translating "Pause" and "Silence" can be classified 

as partial equivalence in the cases where translation fails to transfer the 

connotative meaning of physical movements and accordingly the lack of 

action. Moreover, as mentioned in the first example above, where the 

translator completely deletes the “Pause” or “Silence” the outcome would 

be a non-equivalent translation that deviates from the theme of stillness and 

inactivity. 

3.2.2 The Omission of Sign, Movement and Sound 

Passivity and the lack of action themes are not confined to pauses 

and silences. The stage directions of signs, physical movements and sounds 

are also important factors in this genre. These directions add a sense of 

nonsense and unattained actions. Table (5) charts the most recurrent 

directions according to type: 



56 
 

Table  ) 5): The Inaction Levels 

 

A translator who is unaware of the importance of these inaction 

aspects might consider them as worthless directions and thus delete them. 

In this case, one of the main themes in the play would be deleted. 

Iskandar‟s translation of Waiting for Godot is an example of a case of 

massive unjustified deletion.  

Signaling: 

Signs are notable linguistic phenomenon of the Absurd Theater. 

They are signs made by the characters, and they are used intensively as 

couriers of the dysfunctional language. Therefore, translation strategies 

conducted while transferring Waiting for Godot into a second language 

should highly consider the non-verbal semiotic aspect of the play.  

Nonetheless, the universality of Absurd themes and sign 

signification should ease the grief of a translator to find a suitable 

equivalent for the sign in the target language. It is much easier to transfer a 

sign or gesture that is more “human-based” than “culture-based,” such as 

those of waiting, futility of life through repetitive empty movements, 

contradictions, etc.  

Signaling  

• Pointing. 

Movement  

• Stiff movements. 

• Not moving. 

• Trivial repititive 
movements. 

Sound  

• Voice and context 
Incongruity.   



57 
 

In all cases, the variety of signs that are scripted/acted though not 

uttered should not be neglected in the translated text.  

 Pointing: 

   The original play contains directions of pointless “Pointing”. In the 

following dialogue, Beckett uses the direction of pointing to give a full 

repetitive role for the character. The example shows a case in which 

pointing defuses any charge of emotions on the part of the character.  

Example 3.2.2 a: 

ESTRAGON:  

It hurts?  

VLADIMIR:  

(angrily). Hurts! He wants to know if it hurts!  

ESTRAGON:  

(pointing).   

VLADIMIR: 

You might button it all the same. 

(stooping). True. (He buttons his fly.) Never neglect the little things of life. 

 : استراجىن



58 
 

 أ٠ؤٌّه؟ 

 : فالديمير

 اٌذ١اج ٠ٟؤٌّٕٝ؟ إٔٗ ٠ش٠ذ أْ ٠ؼشف إرا واْ ٠ؤٌُ أَ ال ؟) ِٕذ١ٕاً ( ال تتجاً٘ أتذاً األش١اء اٌصغ١شج ف

Estragon pointlessly points to an unknown entity in response to 

Valdimir‟s interjection. The pointing sign is originally defined as “a way to 

direct someone's attention towards something by extending one's finger or 

something held in one's hand.” Oxford English Dictionary (2010). In 

Waiting for Godot it adds to the sense of indirection and is used to distract 

the attention and to defuse and empty the dialogue of any charge of 

emotions. 

Usually pointing is used to allude to an important issue to focus on, 

whereas in the above text, Estragon‟s pointing fingers is distracting the 

attention of the readers from the painful expressions of Valdimir, which 

both proceeds and follows the direction, into a different unrelated act of 

“buttons the fly”. It is a sign that sustains the distracted inactive nature of 

the play text.  

In the translated version, Iskandar omits stage directions of anger and 

pointing. Therefore, the intended sense of distraction and nonsense in 

addition to the personal anarchy in other examples is completely lost.  

  



59 
 

Movement: 

Another important aspect of inaction is the deployment of movement 

within the context of the dramatic work. In order to apply a proper 

translation strategy, the translator should understand the role of movement 

in the source text; s/he needs to grasp the value of the physical and 

psychological aspects of the dramatic work and to decide on the adequate 

options to translate them. 

With reference to the BBC‟s official guide on mastering drama 

(2018) movement is classified as one of its main elements. 

The semiotic non-spoken representations of movement are listed as 

follows:  

 Place of movement on the stage with relation to what this 

communicates to the audience and the effect this has upon the 

drama.  

 Physical methods and speed that actors use to help with 

characterization, moving quickly, lightly or slowly each to connote 

a different message.  

 Ways characters use weight and space to communicate themes.  

 Correlation of actors‟ movements with other characters onstage 

(fearfully, threateningly or in a friendly manner...etc.).  



60 
 

In fact, all of these essential representations are clearly used to 

deliver absurdist implications. However, a translation that relies heavily on 

the deletion strategy, like Iskandar‟s, will cause a thematic gap in the 

translated play text.  

The main kinds of movement in the play are shown in the stage 

directions on three levels: the characters‟ stiffness and difficulty of 

movements, the nonsense of repetitive movements, and the stillness or 

motionlessness. 

 Stiffness and the Difficulty of Movements 

The difficulty and stiffness are represented in the characters‟ 

purposeless movement as well as the pain they feel when changing 

positions. There is also the sudden stiffness they show during conversations 

as in Example 3.2.2 b: 

Example 3.2.2 b 

ESTRAGON: 

….Come, Didi. (Silence.) Give me your hand. (Vladimir half turns.) 

Embrace me! (Vladimir stiffens.) Don't be stubborn! (Vladimir softens. 

They embrace.  

Estragon recoils.) You stink of garlic!  

 



61 
 

 استراجىن :

 أػطٕٝ ٠ذن)صّت(١٘ا ٠ا د٠ذٜ .…

 تفٛح ِٕه سائذح اٌثَٛ .. ٠تؼأماْ .. ٠تشاجغ استشاجْٛ ِتمضصاً ( …) فالد١ّ٠ش ١ٍ٠ٓ

The play text uses two stage directions in two lines to present the 

stiffness of the character that is connected to the dry or the numb emotions 

of the absurdist characters. Hence, Valdimer shows disability through his 

incomplete movement in the direction of  “Half turn”. Moreover, Beckett 

stresses through non-speech acts the emotionally discharged character of 

Vladimir by describing his reaction to his companion's seemingly intimate 

words with “Vladimir stiffens”. Beckett pictures characters‟ non-

responsive acts of stubbornness and refusal to give or receive emotions 

through a stiffened condition. These directions, in addition to other stiff 

allusions, indicate the characters‟ representations of inaction and connote 

defeat. 

In translation, Iskandar completely omits these directions; Baker 

(1992) defines omission as one last option among eight translation 

strategies to be used in cases where translation of certain references is 

deemed unnecessary:  

A drastic kind of strategy, but in fact it may be even useful to 

omit translating a word or expression in some contexts. If the 

meaning conveyed by a particular item or expression is not 

necessary to mention in the understanding of the translation, 



62 
 

translators use this strategy to avoid lengthy explanations (p. 

100). 

However, omitted directions in Example 3.2.2 b are vital and are 

related to the thematic features; therefore, they could not be considered 

unnecessary in translation. Ignoring such abundant signs and gestures of 

stiffness and the difficulty of movement given in the stage directions would 

produce a text that underemphasizes an important feature in the original. 

Therefore, the strategy of deletion or omission applied would create 

an unequal representation of the themes of the Absurd theater, and, 

consequently, it significantly affects textual equivalence. 

 Nonsense and Rhythmic movements 

The second type of movement spotted in the play is the nonsense 

movement that frequently recur to emphasize the futility, emptiness and 

meaninglessness of the characters‟ actions.  

Table (6) provides examples of the missing features that the 

translator neglected by deleting directions: 

  



63 
 

Table (6):  Trivial and Rhythmic movements 

# Source Text Contextual Features Significance Theme/s 

1.  VLADIMIR: 

(turning his 

head). What?  

ESTRAGON: 

(louder). Do you 

see anything 

coming?  

Sign: Turning head 

without looking at a 

specific person, thing, 

or item.  

Sound: He uses a 

louder Sound but with 

lack of 

communication 

Trivial and 

repetitive 

Bodily 

movements 

and  

vocal effects  

Inaction 

(movement 

&Sound): 

Both 

omitted 

 

 

 

2.  )All four wear 

bowlers.( 

Movement: wearing 

bowlers is a repetitive 

action without any 

direct relation to 

contexts.  

Body Trivial 

repetitive 

movements 

Inaction 

(movement) 

omitted 

3.  )They put on 

their hats(.  

Movement: putting on 

and taking off hats is a 

repetitive empty 

useless action not 

related to any 

contextual 

surroundings. 

Body Trivial 

repetitive 

movements 

Inaction 

(movement) 

omitted 

4.  The fresh air 

stimulates the 

jaded appetite. 
(He opens the 

basket, takes out a 

piece of chicken 

and a bottle of 

wine.) Basket! 

(Lucky advances, 

picks up the basket 

and goes back to 

his place.)  

Movement: The 

kinesics dialogue is 

more copious than it‟s 

contextual. It 

describes 

superficiality of 

actions done by both 

the contrastive 

secondary characters.  

trivial 

activities  

 

Inaction 

(movement) 

omitted  

5.  (lucky puts down 

bag and basket, 

advances, moves 

stool, goes back 

to his place, 

takes up bag and 

basket) 

Movement: putting 

bag and basket up and 

down is a repetitive 

movement along the 

play for this character.  

Theme of 

trivial 

activities -

Useless cycle 

of repetitive 

actions 

Inaction 

(movement) 

 



64 
 

These examples represent a sample of the pervasive use of frivolous 

actions in the Absurdist drama. In example Nos. 2 and 3, the non-verbal act 

of putting on and taking off small items like hats, bowlers, shoe, etc. can be 

seen in the Absurd theatre dramatic signs as a reflection of both struggle 

against the nothingness of life. Beckett includes the image of characters 

struggling with minor frivolous things, such as shoes or hats, of doing the 

same repetitive actions with these objects. An important theme is conveyed 

through these seemingly insignificant movements due to the frequency and 

diversity of items used in these moves and thus of the existential 

insignificance of all human actions and endeavors.  

Example Nos. 4 and 5 in the table present a long direction of fruitless 

basket grabbing and the back-and-forward movements. By using these 

clown-like directions, Beckett intensifies the chaotic, useless motions of 

people to reflect life‟s emptiness. 

A skilled translator usually uses omission for meaningless actions to 

eliminate distractions and useless, non-informative words. Yet, in the case 

of Absurdists, this is the theme: nonsense and nothingness. The translated 

text of Iskandar lacks such long, thematically significant directions. When 

the translator neglects thematic intended words, he ignores the very core 

function of the ST and ends up with a non-equivalent translated text.  

 “They/He Do/es Not Move” 

The unfulfilled intent of characters‟ movements constitutes an 



65 
 

essential means of delivering the inaction theme. As we read further into 

the play, we come across the non-movement, symptomatic of paralyzed 

characters. Characters show a desire to move, but they do not act upon that 

desire. They are paralyzed by the absurdity and nothingness of all human 

decisions, actions and words. 

The play includes a repetition use of “do/es not move” direction 

following the requests for movement like “let‟s go” or “I‟ll give it to him”. 

Here, Beckett points to the characters' immobility and their failed attempts 

to depart their desolate location even after they declared willingness to take 

action. Since being—existing in a location—is a significant part of how we 

derived meaning (home, family, culture, country, identify), this adds to the 

inherent existential calamity at the heart of existential despair. Even frozen 

in a significant place is meaningless—nothing, nothingness, Absurd. 

Characters‟ actions reach a point of closure before they even start; 

their attempts die before they are even born. This scheme, as much as it 

exposes defeated characters, defies the audience‟s desire to see complete 

action. Postlewait (1978) states that : 

The fulfillment of the formal design is paradoxically based 

upon the frustration of desire—that of the characters for a 

release from their wait for meaning and purpose and that of the 

audience for a resolution to its own desires for words and 

actions that lead to some kind of closure (p. 485). 

To achieve an equivalent effect, these core repetitive directions of 



66 
 

inaction must be maintained in the translation. They are meant to highlight 

a crippling failure of intentions. Therefore, conveying such stage directions 

of non-movement that contradict the verbally stated requests for movement 

into the target language is as important in transferring the sense of 

absurdity as translating the dialogue itself.  

Iskandar‟s translation is unfortunate in conveying this paradox of 

unfulfilled movements. He uses two strategies in translating these 

directions. In translating “They do not move” at the end of each scene, the 

translator succeeds in transferring the same effect and meaning of the 

original play text by using literal translation “ْال ٠تذشوا”, which works 

perfectly well in the target text due to the universality of themes and the 

interpretation of movements. 

However, the direction of “He does not move” is neglected twice in 

one scene when Vladimir expresses the intention to perform action as in the 

following dialogue:  

Example 3.2.2 c 

ESTRAGON: 

Me! After what he did to me! Never!  

VLADIMIR: 

I'll give it to him.  



67 
 

He does not move. 

ESTRAGON:  

(to Pozzo). Tell him to go and fetch it.  

POZZO:  

It's better to give it to him. 

VLADIMIR: 

I'll give it to him.  

He picks up the hat and tenders it at arm's length to Lucky, who does not 

move. 

POZZO: 

You must put it on his head. 

ESTRAGON: 

(to Pozzo). Tell him to take it.  

POZZO: 

It's better to put it on his head. 

VLADIMIR: 

I'll put it on his head.  



68 
 

 استراجىن : 

 أٔا .. ؟ تؼذ ِا فؼٍٗ تٝ .. ِستذ١ً .

 فالديمير : 

 سأػط١ٙا أٔا ٌٗ .

 ٍتمظ اٌمثؼح ٠ّٚذ ٠ذٖ تٙا تطٛي رساػٗ إٌٝ الوٝ اٌزٜ ال ٠تذشن () ٠

 استراجىن : 

 )ٌثٛصٚ( لً ٌٗ أْ ٠أخز٘ا .

 بىزو :

 ِٓ األفضً أْ تضؼٙا ػٍٝ سأسٗ .

 فالديمير :

 سأضؼٙا ػٍٝ سأسٗ ..

This scene is a clear representation of the characters‟ unwillingness 

to move and their fear to perform even the most basic of tasks, such as 

giving someone a hat or putting it on his head. However, this inability can 

be elucidated only through observing the discrepancy between the spoken 

lines and stage directions. To render such discrepancy, Beckett uses two 

stage directions, which the translator completely ignores. The translator 

omits “He does not move” when conveying the text into Arabic, which 

affects the theme of triviality of actions and discrepancy effect. 

Therefore, the translation strategy that should be chosen for such 

dialogue would ensure the full transference of all lines and signs at all 



69 
 

times to comply with the themes of this genre.  In this case, to maintain the 

deleted thematic effect, the translator can use literal translation instead of 

translation by omission/deletion to achieve the desired function of the 

nonverbal signs.  

Sound/Voice: 

Sound/Voice is an important factor in the Absurd theatre. It 

constitutes an additional clue to this opposition between desire and the 

failed action. Hence, the researcher has touched on the aforementioned sub-

division of sound that is Silence in Waiting for Godot.  

This section focuses on the sound/voice of characters embedded in 

stage directions and examines the methods of translation. 

Table (7) presents sound significance in stage directions:  

Table (7): Directions of Sound Significance 

# Source Text 
Contextual 

Features 
Significance Theme/s 

1.  (Vehemently) Sound: tone of 

disagreement 

within calm 

dialogue.  

Contrast between 

featureless verbal 

words and 

aggressive sounds.  

inaction 

(Sound) 

2.  (Judiciously)  Sound: tone of 

calmness within 

aggressive 

dialogue. 

Contrast between 

aggressive verbal 

words and 

featureless sounds. 

inaction 

(Sound) 

3.  (on the point 

of tears) 

Feeling: this 

feeling could be 

reflected both in 

sound and 

gesture.  

Reflects despair and 

weakness  

Inaction 

(Sound & 

gesture) 



70 
 

 Voice and Context Incongruity  

Beckett uses stage directions of sound/voice that are incompatible 

with the textual context to express anti-climax. In Example 3.2.2 d, we 

expect from Pozzo a philosophical statement about the condition of the 

post-modern generation, but what we get is an irrelevant statement about 

the increase in