If by Godot I had meant God I would have said God, and not Godot.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Clarifying that a specific term was chosen deliberately and does not stand for a literal concept.
- In plain terms
- If I meant God I would have said God, so Godot means something else.
- What can you take from it?
- Words should be taken literally unless context says otherwise.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Do words mean what authors intend?
- When should we look beyond literal meaning?
Another view
It assumes the author's intent is the only valid meaning.
More from Samuel Beckett
The only sin is the sin of being born.
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