Online Thinking Activity on the Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett

 This blog is my classroom activity. To show the worksheet of given task click here.

                                         

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

                                     

Ans: The setting of the play is “A country road. A tree. Evening”.  This setting of the play is inspired by two painting by Caspar David Friedrich. The titles of this painting are “Longing”. Here longing means craving, deep desire for something. Waiting is connected with longing. In the painting two person see towards sun, it shows bright hope of something. In the entire play we also find this same thing.  

Q - 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 - ?

                                                   

 

Ans:  Tree is the important symbol in both the act. In first act Tree is barren, it suggests the effect of the Second World War and after the 2^nd world war there is no faith. In this act Vladimir and Estragon waiting for Godot but he will not come.  In the second act tree has four or five leaves. It suggests three things that are (1) the bright hope of Vladimir and Estragon’s that Godot will sorely come. (2) Change in nature and (3) Indifference of nature.  

Q-  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?     

                                   

         

Ans: The ‘coming of night and moon’ suggest bright hope for something that the next day shore something good happen. Night signifies for ‘end’ and Moon signifies for ‘bright hop’.  In this play the Boy come as messenger of Godot and says that “Godot is not come today but he will come tomorrow” and day goes out and night come. It also interpret that nature and time never wait for anything, it goes on. 

Q- The director feels the setting with some debris. Can you read any meaning in the contours of debris in the setting of the play?

Ans: In the setting of the play some debris are there. Debris means destroyed or broken in to some pieces. In the play it used as chaos and It shows the effect of the second world war.

Q - How are the props like hat and boots used in the play? What is the symbolical significance of these props?

Ans:  Vladimir is play with the hat and Estragon is play with boot. Hat is suggests that intellectual thinking or practicality. Vladimir has practical sense for doing work. Boot is suggesting that carelessness of thing or thinking without logic. Boot stand for Estragon. He has more carelessness or he also not remembers the thing. 

Q- Do you think that the obedience of Lucky is extremely irritating and nauseatic? 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?   

                                          

Ans: Yes, I think that the obedience of Lucky is extremely irritating. In the second Act of the play master Pozzo become blind even though he obey his master and give whip in the hand of his master. Now it is not required to behave like this because his master become blind but Lucky is submissive slave that’s way he obey his master. It was suggested that his mindset was not accept that freedom of life because of colonialism and deep impact of master and slave relationship. 

Q - “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?

Ans:  The subject of the play is not Godot but ‘Waiting’. The act of waiting as an essential aspect of the human condition. Throughout our lives we always waiting for someone, and Godot simply represents the objective of our waiting. In the act of waiting we experience the flow of time in its purest. Similarly in the play both the characters are waiting still at the end of the play. If the subject of the play is not waiting but Godot then they might turn up.

     Q -    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: 
"BOY: What am I to tell Mr. Godot, Sir?

         VLADIMIR:

        Tell him . . . (he hesitates) . . . tell him you saw us. (Pause.) You did see us, didn't   you?

     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?

Ans:

 Act- 1
BOY: - What am I to tell Mr. Godot, Sir?
VLADIMIR: Tell him . . . (he hesitates) . . . tell him you saw us. (Pause.) You did see us, didn't you?

Act – 2
BOY: What am I to tell Mr. Godot, Sir?
VLADIMIR: Tell him . . . (he hesitates) . . . tell him you saw me and that . . (he hesitates) . . . that you saw me. (Pause. Vladimir advances, the Boy recoils. Vladimir halts, the Boy halts. With sudden violence.) You're sure you saw me; you won't come and tell me tomorrow that you never saw me!

 The one major which can be highlighted here is, that in the Act 1 Vladimir tells boy “you’re sure you saw US” but in Act 2 it tells him “You’re sure you saw me”.  It suggests two things first is Vladimir has become self-centered and another is being individual.