'Godot'+and+Existentialism

'//I have an existential map; it has 'you are here' written all over it.'// Stephen Wright

Existentialism concentrates on the concept of the individual's freedom of choice, as opposed to the belief that humans are controlled by pre-existing elements (determinism). Existentialism sought to liberate humanity from the customs of the past that were founded on myth. it sought to deny the existence of absolute truths.

Existentialists suggest that it is up to the individual to find their own moral perfection and their own way there. One must make that path without the aid of universal ideas or guidance.

Common themes in Existential philosophy include:
 * Nothingness**- There is nothing structuring this world's existence; nor humanity's existence.

Stemming from nothingness are the themes of **Anxiety and Anguish** and **Absurdity.**


 * Anxiety and Anguish:**
 * Arises from the nothingness of human existence; the meaninglessness of it.
 * It arises from the quest to provide a rational basis for our lives; the search for answers.
 * Arising from the pressure to assign our own meaning and purpose to existence.
 * An underlying, all pervasive, universal condition of every person's existence.


 * Absurdity:**
 * Arises from the sense that there is no reason behind the complexities of the human condition- the joy, suffering, pride, pity, achievement, loss...
 * Arises from the sense that we live in a world of infinite possibilities.
 * Arises from the fact we have 'freedom __of__ choice not freedom __from__ choice'.

These two themes result in Tragi-Comedy from which the concept of **Death** is a dominant theme.


 * Death:**
 * A constant, inescapable reminder of the 'nothingness'
 * Both a source of **anxiety/anguish** and, ultimately, a release from them