Thinking activity : Waiting For Godot
Hello viewers,
Here , I'm writing a blog about the play "Waiting For Godot" which is written by Semuel Beckett .Samuel Beckett was a modern playwright and was associated with the "Theatre of the Absurd". This play is originally written in French with the title En Attendant Godot. This blog contains the the answer of the activity which we have already discussed in our class and with reference of waiting for Godot activity
I've to write this blog… as my responses of the film and the play "waiting for Godot" which we have seen in our classroom…
The very first point in which I've to give my response is
"What connection do you see in the setting (“A country road. A tree. Evening.”) of the play and these paintings?"
As a answer of this question I wanna refer this painting 👇
These are the paintings by Casper David Friedrich, titled as "Longing." From which Samuel Beckett has taken the inspiration for the setting of the play "Waiting for Godot". Two persons in this painting lead us with two main characters of the play Vladimir and Estragon. The absurdity of the tree also suggests the absurdity of life, emptiness and nothingness. Vladimir and Estragon are also waiting for "Godot" as the same as this two persons of this painting waiting for someone.
The Second point in which I've to give my response is …
"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 - ?"
We know that growing leaves are a symbol of growth, newness and hope. Also as we know that in the play there is no hope, no newness and no hope of growth but by nature the hope is coming as a metaphor of "leaves" in the play.
The third point which I have to focus on is that …
"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?"
Rising of the "Moon" at night is also the symbol of meaninglessness of life because in the play both characters were still waiting for the Godot , there is no any kind of anxiety , if night comes or Sun falls down they were only doing waiting…
The fourth point is that…
"The director feels the setting with some debris. Can you read any meaning in the contours of debris in the setting of the play?"
The director has used the debris very sharply as the setting of the play is countryside road. In order to increase absurdity and barrenness in the play, debris is used.
The fifth point is that …
"The play begins with the dialogue “Nothing to be done”. How does the theme of ‘nothingness’ recurs in the play?"
The main root of this play is we can say that "nothingness". Because Both the characters only doing waiting for "Godot" whom they never ever seen or have none of any identity about Godot , but still they have only Waiting for "Godot" .So while waiting they do many things to passing time. But this all things become meaningless because Godot not come.
The next point which I've focuses on is…
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 this case I've to say that the play has both of the meanings "negativity" and "positivity" to because the play is also somewhere effect on people's mind negative way. If person finds his life meaning less it leads his life towards depression. But if we seen this play positively then we find that It make us aware about our own importance in our life more than God. It shows the reality of our existence that because of anything or anybody our lives doesn't stop , human life keep going on in anyway.
The seventh point is that …
"How are the props like hat and boots used in the play? What is the symbolical significance of these props?"
In the play we have seen that Estragon wears boots it represents materialistic things. And it represents artificiality of life , human body. Also we seen Estragon not satisfied with his boots it hurts him. It shows unsatisfied nature of human. Estragon and Vladimir both suffer from same fate. Both have boots and hat but both focus on different thing Estragon focus on boots instead of hat. Vladimir focus on hat instead of boots. So we can say that people have both in their life boots ( materialistic things ) and hat ( intellectual sense ) but person focus on only one of them. Never both of them.
8th point is…
"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?"
The character of "Lucky" represent all the human who chained one or another way if the other person try to free them they harm that person because they habituated with that situation and felt so much comfortable with it that they don't want to come out from that. Even after his master blind he didn't want to free still he follow his orders. As the same in our existence We all followers of the God even we don't know he exists or not but still we follows him blindly.
And as my response towards the character of Lucky is positive because I think the obedience of lucky is really irritating and nauseatic.
The next point is …
Who according to you is Godot? God? An object of desire? Death? Goal? Success? Or . . .
In this question's answer I've to say that "Godot" is seems like an objective desire like at our childhood we all have a desire for newly toys which never ending , at our adultery we have various kinds of desires like money, new mobiles, cars, precious thing and even for loved ones… also these types of desires are never ending…
So, desires are something which are never be ending…
The next question is that …
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 play is not Godot but waiting. Waiting is the important thing in the play. The play focus on what we do in our lives. Vladimir and Estragon contradict each other and question everything , abused each other , doing exercise, hanging. So they do variety of things to killing time. As the same we also waste our time in unnecessary things like dancing and signing. And also I'm Agree with this that the subject of play is not "Godot" but "waiting".
The next point is …
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 when if it wil be read first than viewed. Reading of the play helps to understand the things in the better way. If you first viewed play without reading we can not understand it properly. 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 watching the play.
Which of the following sequence you liked the most:
Vladimir – Estragon killing time in questions and conversations whilewaiting
Pozzo – Lucky episode in both acts
Converstion of Vladimir with the boy
"the conversation between Vladimir and Estragon for killing time" is an interesting things in the play . Both ask each other question about everything. It consider as a intellectual conversation.
The 13th point is like…
Did you feel the effect of existential crisis or meaninglessness of human existence in the irrational and indifference Universe during screening of the movie? Where and when exactly that feeling was felt, if ever it was?
When The boy comes to tell Vladimir that Godot will come tomorrow at that time Vladimir told him to tell Godot that he saw us. So he constantly waiting for Godot in the next act the same thing happens that boy told that Godot will not able to come today so he will be come tomorrow. Though this thing happens again Vladimir told him to tell Godot that he saw him. So it's shows effect of existential crisis and meaninglessness of human existence. So this way the effect of existential crisis or meaninglessness of human existence in the irrational and indifference Universe.
The 14th question is something like …
" Vladimir and Estragon talks about ‘hanging’ themselves and commit suicide, but they do not do so. How do you read this idea of suicide in Existentialism? "
Vladimir and Estragon can be read as profound existentialists. They are ready to try everything to meet Godot. But at the same time they feel insecure whether they might fail to kill themselves. Existentialism questions upon existence of human beings . They try to waiting for them but at the one point of life they both filled with frustration so they try to committed suicide.
Then , the next point is that …
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'?
If we do the politically reading of the play Vladimir - Russia ,Estragon - France, Pozzo - Italy and Lucky - England then Godot can be considered as Germany and Hitler. Germany stands for Godot. As the character of Godot is absent and silent but to consider Godot as God then, Germany best fits in terms of World War II. Adolf Hitler was a German dictator and he occupied many countries including many European countries like Russia France, Italy, England. In this way one can politically connect all the characters and countries which are waiting for Germany to liberate them.
The next point is that…
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?
If we pondering upon the characters of Lucky and Pozzo then we find that Pozzo represent England and lucky represents lreland. England and lreland both have some problems with each other on the land. They struggle a lot for separation from England.
The next point in which I've to give my response is that …
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?
The last question or point in which I've to give my response is that…
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?
In the play in act 1 Vladimir told boy to tell Godot that you saw us. But in act 2 Vladimir told boy to tell that you saw me. So , in act one he cares about Estragon but in second act he become selfish person who doesn't care about his friend 'Estragon'. It shows the real image of the selfish world in which we are living and also It shows how situation changes the mindset and behaviour of the person.
If you wanna watch the film "waiting for Godot" then here I have put the video also:👇
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