Discuss the two tramps in Beckett's Waiting for Godot, and what they might represent in comparison to Pozzo and Lucky.

The two tramps in Samuel Beckett's play, Waiting
for Godot, are Estragon and Vladimir. They seem to represent "human
potential." The men have obviously known each other for a number of years. They are both
"waiting for Godot." Though these men once led very different lives of respectability,
both are now poverty-stricken and terribly disconsolate. They are suprised they have
survived so long: they agree that they could or should have killed themselves years
ago.

Pozzo and his slave, Lucky, appear: two more men that
seem to lack any measure of happiness. Pozzo is someone who immerses himself in unhappy
truths about life. He sees nothing of value in the world around him, and it seems he'd
be fine if everyone was as dejected as he is—Pozzo is particularly pessimistic; he is
also extremely unkind to Lucky. However, as nasty as Pozzo is with Lucky, the slave
becomes violent when Estragon offers him help, kicking the older man. For Pozzo and
Lucky, both are miserable, but neither seems to wish for anything to be
different—perhaps believing there is nothing
else.

The tramps symbolize those who are downtrodden, who
do not know how to improve their lives—though perhaps they would if they had the
opportunity—Godot may represent this. The fact that they wait unceasingly for Godot
would indicate that they have hope: otherwise, why would they wait so long for someone
who repeatedly does not appear? What would be the purpose? And why would they start each
day with the same intent?

Lucky has no interest in
bettering his life. We learn that he doesn't want to be sold by Pozzo (which is what
Pozzo plans to do). However, this also represents how we sometimes are: we may be
unhappy, but at least it is an unhappiness that we are familiar with. Sometimes we will
tolerate a disastrous situation just because we don't want to
change.

A boy comes to report that Godot won't be there
that day, but will be there the following day. Pozzo and Lucky are unaffected by this,
but Estragon and Vladimir continue to wait. In the second act, the
same situation exists, but some time must have passed for Pozzo is now blind and Lucky
is dumb. While Estragon and Vladimir seem much the same, Pozzo and Lucky's situation has
degraded considerably. Perhaps hope allows the friends to remain sustained, and
hopelessness causes the latter two to fail in their physical condition as they have
allowed their spirits and hearts to fail over the years. The boy returns with the same
message. Though Godot never appears, Estragon and Vladimir wait, perhaps holding on to
their the idea that there is nothing else to do...or that maybe he
will come...tomorrow.