Thinking activity on "waiting for Godot"by Samuel Beckett

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?

          We may find connection between these panting and the setting of the play is that one thing is that Beckett's is inspired from these painting and another is that the title itself, painting is“longing” that mean to longing for something or deeply craving or desire for something and Beckett's play is “Waiting” that also means to longing for something, another is that in one painting there are two male character same in the play Vladimir and Estragon. In painting there is a deciduous tree (Which has no leaves in a way it has not its primary essence of leave to become a tree), The morning time of rising sun, is also the similar in the both. Deciduous tree is may connect with two character lucky(he has no ability to think individually in spite of being submissive, in a way he has not quality of thinking to being as individual human being) and Estragon who is like deciduous and has no ability to think individually or remembering.

Q-2The 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 - ?

              

       A tree is symbolically very significant in the play as well as the deciduousness and sprout of leaves is also very much important in both the act. A tree is completely bare of leaves at the beginning of the play. This tree portrays the world as barren and lifeless. A tree Is a symbol of both the end of life and hope. The lacks of leaves in first act signify that the character are lost and have no direction: they talking to hanging themselves, possibly to escape from the endless waiting. However, in the second the tree sprouts leaves in the second act there are four leave, which can symbolize new hope as Estragon and Vladimir continue to wait. The sprout of the leaves on the tree is also connected with the other question like evening falls into night and moon rises, It also symbolize the Indifferent of universe/ Nature, according to this “The show must go on”, Nature has its own cycle and its runs according to it, it has no any concern with human being or their exist or emotion like happiness or sadness, its constantly go on and on, 

   Q- 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?

               

In both act ‘Coming of night and moon, this situation of evening falls into night and moon rises, can be interpret in many ways. If look it with in context of this play so we may say one thing that ‘There is nothing to be done, nothing can be happened yet something is happen’. One archetypal observation is that In Fray’s archetypal theory Night is symbol of darkness so here the Night is ending of the light and beginning of the darkness, Estragon and Vladimir goes into the darkness from the light. Which may symbolize that they have move toward in the hope for the another day, “Tomorrow will surely come” this sentence is used in visa versa in context to light from darkness and darkness from lightness. Another thing is this coming of night and moon is symbolize the Indifference of universe or nature, as we mention above is that Nature is without sentiment and without projecting human characteristics of love care and agency onto the natural world, it has no concern about humanly things or emotions, in play Vladimir and Estragon are in extreme pain of waiting and goes into the hopelessness at the end of the day, But “The show must go on and on…” Nature has its on way to live and its own design to live. Its goes according to its cycle… it cannot stop like humans endless desire. We may compare this with the very famous lines ofGulzar…

Aadmi bulbula hai pani ka,
Aur pani ki bahti satah par,
Tootta bhi hai, doobta bhi hai,
Phir ubharta hai, phir se behta hai,
Na samandar nigal saka isko,
Na tawareekh tod paaiee hai,
Waqt ki mauj par sada behta,
Aadmi bulbula hai pani ka!!!!!!!

Continuity of goin constantly on of( humans)Vladimir/estragon desires and hopefulness or hopelessness is both are juxtaposed by Samuel bucketts is here in this play. “Phir ubharta hai, phir se behta hai”, this can be perfectly match with the waiting situation and hope for tomorrow or for Godot by Vladimir and Estragon.

Q-4 The director feels the setting with some debris. Can you read any meaning in the contours of debris in the setting of the play?

(Debris)

The setting of the play is very controversial topic to talk on. Well, The setting of the play is with some debris in the play its has also suggest some philosophical idea about life of humans and its roughness, like those trumps, its also suggest nothingness or meaninglessness or another thing is that its suggest the effect of second world war which symbolically captured by director. Debris means broken pieces of rock or scattered remains of something destroyed, After world war second people are not just economically broken down but mentally also get disappoint and disturb. Its symbolize absurdity of human being. Massiveness in human’ life. The setting of the play reminds us the post war condition of the world which brought about uncertainties, despair, and new challenges to the all of mankind.

Q-5 The play begins with the dialogue “Nothing to be done”. How does the theme of ‘nothingness’ recurs in the play?

The play begins with the dialogue “nothing to be done .it is very well justify with the statement about the play is that Waiting for Godot does not tell a story; its explores a static situation. The theme of nothingness is sprout throughout the play, the theme is recurs time and again by characters as they are doing insignificant activities purposelessly. The theme of nothingness can be understood well by this characters dialogue..

Estragon: - “Nothing happens, nobody comes…nobody goes” it’s awful!

In ending of first act Estragon says; shell we go..!! Vladimir say: Yes go…!! But they do not move.so in a way It means nothing will happen, not Godot will come, not their hope for Godot will be end, or their pain of that awful waiting is not yet will going to end…so in a way they have to yet struggle but nothing to be done, though this play is like Nothingness is everything, which represents the meaningless or absurdity of human life through this characters.

   Q-6 Do you agree: “The play (Waiting for Godot), we agreed, was a positive play, not negative, not pessimistic

Yes, it is highly optimistic play. Though the first impression of the play may seems very pessimistic but after goes in too deep level of understanding it may consider as positive Whether someone died with the weapon of bomb or through any other weapon. The fact is that life never ends. It is goes on. No matters what’s happening,

Q-7 How are the props like hat and boots used in the play? What is the symbolical significance of these props?

                     

Props like hat and boots are used by character in the play, Hat is represent with all character, Vladimir is play with the hat and Estragon is play with boot. Hat is symbolize the intellectual thinking nature, practical thinking, Vladimir has ability to think, Boot is symbol of nothingness or rather estragon is doing some unnecessary activity which may have no meaning, its symbolize absurdity. Boot stand for Estragon. He has more irrational thinking ability, even the lucky is also can speak after not wearing the hat, so it’s symbolize illogical or absurd thing, while Vladimir and Estragon playing with the hats it’s also unnecessary thing totally time pass activity. Hat is also representation as protection, the characters Vladimir and Estragon are playing to take off and all its seems that they are also in search of protector in form of Godot..!! that once they come and protect us.

Q- 8 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?

  

Yes, I think that the obedience of Lucky is extremely irritating and nauseatic, Even when the master Pozzo is blind in the second act, though lucky obediently hands the whip in his hand. It was no need of that obedient cause master was unable to give command but there are two possibilities there one is that may be Samuel Beckett wants to symbolize or convey the colonized mindset through this submissive slave or second is as same way Beckett tries to show the power politics through this character, which also represent meaninglessness that there is no need then even he become like a puppet of rich man’s hand.

Q-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?

“The subject of the play is not Godot but waiting”. EssIin says that, “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.”, They are waiting for one and don’t loose hope till last and do such many unnecessary activitis to passing the timeh we also do normaly, I do agree with the thought of Martin Esslin. Waiting is something we all do. We can see the flow of time while waiting. Whenever we are waiting for someone, we feel time is not passing and therefore we divert our mind in other things. Similarly, the characters are also waiting and at the end of the play they are still waiting. If the subject of the play was Godot then he might turn up.

Q - 10   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?

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 major change is that in first act Vladimir thinks of both rather then being self-centerd and in act two it was “Tell us” is covert in “Tell Me” that means the perspective is change of Vladimir and he becomes selfless to self-center.

The another major change is that in first act Vladimir is very excited or enthusiastic that one another person, Boy is come and give them company or he is enthusiastically asking the question and giving the answer that of his question but in Second act Vladimir seems not as much happy and all siuation or that conversation like boredom, the hole situation is turns into absurdity or in disappointment or meaningless of that conversation,

Then another major change is that in second act Lucky become dumb and Pozzo become blind.