Waiting for Godot

 

Thinking Activity : Waiting for Godot.

(1) What connection do you see in the setting (“A country road. A tree.Evening.”) of the play and these paintings?

   In this picture two people are there. Both have desire. This picture also suggests that they are waiting for something. But In picture Longing is the theme of this painting. So Samuel Beckett inspired by this painting and then he writes "Waiting for Godot". In the painting they have desire but for which things, maybe they have desire to meet with God and to get position in Heven. So when we look towards painting we find that In painting they have desire and then when we look towards Beckett's play both waiting for something. So maybe In painting and In play both have same reason for waiting and for desire.

  

(2) The tree is the only important ‘thing’ in the setting. What is the importance of tree in both acts? Why does Beckett grow a few leaves in Act II on the barren tree - The tree has four or five leaves - ?

 The tree is a symbol in the play. Many time tree symbolically presented in the play when Vladimir and Estragon try to be hebetate like tree. So, leaves stand for hope and despair. In first scene tree was destroyed so we can interpret and connect it with world war-2 because this play written just after war and in second act this tree have leaves so it stand for hope and also we can say it is changing nature.

    

(3) In both Acts, evening falls into night and moon rises. How would you like to interpret this ‘coming of night and moon’ when actually they are waiting for Godot?

    so In the movie director uses debris in the setting of the play. So In the setting deberis there. Because of deberis we cannot see the path. The route is covers with debris. So the debris suggests the negitivity. But in this debris one tree is there. It suggests positivity. So every person negitivity is more than positivity. So In every person one hope that something good happens that hope is remain alive. Postivity and negitivity is connected with each other. So debris becomes the symbol of negitivity

(4) The play begins with the dialogue “Nothing to be done”. How does the theme of ‘nothingness’ recurs in the play?

      "Nothing to be done" reflects the Existentialism. This theory shows that the life is meaningless, whatever you do it has no ultimate meaning. this play starts with this idea of nothingness. Vladimir and Estragon waiting for Godot without knowing that he will come or not, is he exist or not, who is he? unclear theme shows the nothingness of the play.

(5) Do you agree: “The play (Waiting for Godot), we agreed, was a positive play, not negative, not pessimistic. As I saw it, with my blood and skin and eyes, the philosophy is: 'No matter what— atom bombs, hydrogen bombs, anything—life goes on. You can kill yourself, but you can't kill life." (E.G. Marshal who played Vladimir in original Broadway production 1950s)?

  In the play Estragon and Vlalidimir both are talking. And both argues with each other. Both have their own point of view. That's why sometimes they becomes hiper to prove their point of view. No according to me the play is not negative but positive. Because it shows the reality of life. It is bitter but it is effective. Both are talking but in their small talk both tells the truth of life. So play is positive.

(6) How are the props like hat and boots used in the play? What is the symbolical significance of these props?

  In the play we can find one symbol of boot this give idea in waiting for Godot

      Here boots represent as materialistic things and hat represent as intellectual sense but person focus on only one things.Estragon wears boots it represents materialistic things. It represents artificiality of life , Estragon not satisfied with his boots it hurts him. It shows unsatisfied nature of human. Vladimir focuses on his hat . 

 

(7) Even when the master Pozzo is blind, he obediently hands the whip in his hand. Do you think that such a capacity of slavishness is unbelievable?

  

       

(8) Who according to you is Godot? God? An object of desire? Death? Goal? Success? Or .

   Success and Death both are like Godot. Because every person wants a success in their life. For success every person does hard work and then they got a success so it becomes like godot. And death is also like godot because then everything we get wherever we need then ultimately death is becomes a last station of our life. So at the end death fufills our whole desires. Ultimately we belong to death so death is also Godot for me. According to me In the movie or in the play tee becomes Godot because tree gives hope and postivity to Vladimir. 

(9) “The subject of the play is not Godot but ‘Waiting’” (Esslin, A Search for the Self). Do you agree? How can you justify your answer?

 According to me, Godot is death . After doing all the things , we waiting for death. After all success and happiness , all desires in life nothing left. What to do ? What purpose of life ? 

    Then we waits for end , that is Godot that is death.Here we can see that writer compare Godot with death.

(10) Do you think that plays like this can better be ‘read’ than ‘viewed’ as it requires a lot of thinking on the part of readers, while viewing, the torrent of dialogues does not give ample time and space to ‘think’? Or is it that the audio-visuals help in better understanding of the play?

Yes I think the play like this can be better understandable if it wil be read first than viewed. Reading of the play helps to understand the things in the better way. 

             The play has small dialogue but each and every word has its own importance. In movie you can't find time to think deeply upon it. So reading will be better before viewing the play. 

(11) Which of the following sequence you liked the most:

Vladimir-Estagron killing time in questions and conversational while waiting

Pozzo-Lucky episode in both acts

Conversation of Vladimir with the boy

        In this I liked the most is conversation of Vladimir with the boy . That Vladimir asked him whether they are happy or not. 

  I like both act first when Vladimir and Easragon killing their time at that time both arguing with each other and both tells deep philosophy of life in their conversations. 

And second when Pozzo and Lucky came when Pozzo whatever says Lucky follows his order. But the Lucky has a sense of thinking, he only thinks and pozzo is only gives order. When Lucky stars speaking, everybody becomes irritated. 

(12) Vladimir and Estragon talks about ‘hanging’ themselves and commit suicide, but they do not do so. How do you read this idea of suicide inExistentialism?

   In existentialism suicide is best art ever done. After happens everything, there is a need of national thinking, that is suicide. It is a favourite solution when feeling of absurdity came in life. Vladimir and Estragon ' s Waiting is significant of their steadfast hope and faith. They thought about suicide but not commit , because of hope of salvation that Godot will come.

(13) Can we do any political reading of the play if we see European nations represented by the 'names' of the characters (Vladimir - Russia; Estragon - France; Pozzo - Italy and Lucky - England)? What interpretation can be inferred from the play written just after World War II? Which country stands for 'Godot'?

Germany stands for Godot. Because In the play also Godot is not there physically but Godot mentally present through both the character especially Vladimir because Easragon forgets everything. And conuntry shows the ruling power on another country. And that's why In the play also Pozzo ruling over lucky. 

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(15) The more the things change, the more it remains similar. There seems to have no change in Act I and Act II of the play. Even the conversation between Vladimir and the Boy sounds almost similar. But there is one major change. In Act I, in reply to Boy;s question, Vladimir says: 

   

(16) How does this conversation go in Act II? Is there any change in seeming similar situation and conversation? If so, what is it? What does it signify?

So far as Pozzo and Lucky master and slave are concerned, we have to remember that Beckett was a disciple of Joyce and that Joyce hated England. Beckett meant Pozzo to be England, and Lucky to be Ireland." (Bert Lahr who played Estragon in Broadway production). Does this reading make any sense? Why? How? What?