Thinking Activity : Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

Waiting for Godot is a play by Samuel Beckett in which two characters, Vladimir  and Estragon , wait for the arrival of someone named Godot who never arrives, and while waiting they engage in a variety of discussions and encounter three other characters. 

Waiting for Godot is Beckett's translation of his own original French play, En attendant Godot, and is subtitled  "a tragicomedy in two acts".The original French text was composed between 9 October 1948 and 29 January 1949.

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

Ans :- In the play first scene is 'a country road, a tree, and evening' it is very symbolical.These paintings symbolizes Longing. Longing means desire or hope.

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?

Ans :- Tree is the important symbol in both the acts.in the first act tree is barren, so it suggests of world war and In the second act we find some leaves four and five leaves on the tree, it suggests h) What connection do you see in the setting (“A country road. A tree.Evening.”) of the play and these paintings?

Ans :- In the play first scene is 'a country road, a tree, and evening' it is very symbolical.These paintings symbolizes Longing. Longing means desire or hope.

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?

ope.

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?

 Ans -In that perception we can say that evening falls into night means their obsession and desire, waiting. It's fall in darkness, who symbolize the night and when moon rise, it's symbolize in the play when a boy comes their desire once again rise with waiting for Godot.

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?

Ans :- Debris means destroyed or broken in to the pieces.Debris in the play showing like absurdity.

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

Ans :- Nothingness is the central idea of the play "Nothing to be done".Vladimir and Estragon was waiting for Godot at same place and in end also they are still waiting.

6) 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)?


Ans :- Yes i agree that this play is positive.In this play showing positively hope and also i agree with the point that you can kill your self but you cant kill life....

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

Ans :- Hat and Boots are represented symbolically in the play. Hat represents the intellectual thinking and Boots represent thinking without logic.

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


Ans : - According  to my point Godot is also death and desire for anything and hope from God and Godot will never come . It will be depth of desire and Death. So god is an object as a desire and also for death.

9) The subject of the play is not Godot but "Waiting" Do you agree? How can you justify your answer?


Ans : - Subject of the play is not Godot but it's waiting. Because there is no rising up and any action without that nothingness and hope. Character of the play passing time and just think about suicide it's shown nothing and meaningless life. They thought Godot will come and fulfill their wishes means depends on Godot..imaginations of them and depends on other, and killing time so, play's subjectivity is also 'Waiting' not Godot.