In Waiting for Godot, Beckett uses memory as a means of anchoring the isolated setting in the context of some kind of surrounding world, often undermining this "anchor" by presenting the past, and the protagonists' memories about it, as fragmented and unclear, just like Vladimir and Estragon's existence in the present. The subversion of a key element of human existence – memory – calls into question the meaning of actions in a world where seemingly endless cycles of indecision render time itself almost entirely meaningless. This lack of meaning and continuity is reflected in the circularity of the play's two-act structure, which perhaps resembles the repetition of a second world war despite the huge human costs of the first – just like the memories of the two main characters, the lessons of the past it had apparently had no influence on the present. The play's nihilistic setting further increases its relevance to post-war Europe. In this way, Beckett presents memory as almost entirely irrelevant to the present moment, adding exponentially to his depiction of humanity lost in repeating cycles of events beyond one's control. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Furthermore, throughout the work, Beckett links the deterioration of memory to the total deconstruction of the values ​​that underpin traditional society, this time subverting commonly accepted notions of a linear timeline: 'ESTRAGON What have we done Yesterday? VLADIMIR What did we do yesterday? ESTRAGON Yes.' Here, the repetition of the question 'what did we do yesterday?' highlights humanity's desperate position in the face of a chaotic and incomprehensible universe. This point is further elaborated by the inconsistent “yes” in response, once again highlighting the lack of intelligible answers to the questions posed by our surroundings. Furthermore, the deterioration of the two characters' memories poses important existential questions to the audience, challenging the notions of time and progress that were so crucial to understanding the world in the 20th century - since neither character remembers the events of the previous day, there is no 'is no way to confirm that it actually happened, let alone get something useful out of it. The inextricable link between physical deterioration and universal meaninglessness once again places emphasis on humanity's inherently futile situation, with the repeated caption ("they don't move") at the end of each act helping to reinforce this sense of circularity and inevitability repetition and, in doing so, leaving human progress devoid of any real currency or value. These ideas undoubtedly have their roots in World War II, where, despite the enormous human cost of World War I, the world continued to sink into conflict. Furthermore, World War II also saw the destruction of fundamental contemporary values, degrading ideas of integrity and moral virtue in the same way that Beckett deconstructs time and human purpose. Beckett places his depiction of a malfunctioning human memory in a direct parallel to the protagonists' physical deterioration, suggesting that the circularity of human existence is as inevitable as the aging process: 'Estragon: [giving up again] Nothing to be done.' Here, Beckett's use of the word "again", particularly in the first line of the play, immediately begins to suggest a larger context for the events described in the play. However, at no point does Beckett specify what this context might be, giving the.