Thinking activity: Waiting for Godot

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This blog is the part of my academic work. After viewing the movie adaptation (Waiting for Godot) of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot (Beckett, Waiting for Godot), in our classroom. We should to ponder are given to give direction to our thoughts.

The movie is directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. In this 2001 movie, Barry McGovern and Johnny Murphy played Vladimir and Estragon, where as Lucky and Pozzo were performed by Alan Sandford and Stephen Brennan, respectively.

Click here to get more information about task which assigned by prof.Dilip Barad.

Waiting for Godot:-

Waiting for Godot, tragicomedy in two acts by Irish writer Samuel Beckett, published in 1952 in French as En attendant Godot and first produced in 1953. Waiting for Godot was a true innovation in drama and the Theatre of the Absurd’s first theatrical success.

The play consists of conversations between Vladimir and Estragon, who are waiting for the arrival of the mysterious Godot, who continually sends word that he will appear but who never does. They encounter Lucky and Pozzo, they discuss their miseries and their lots in life, they consider hanging themselves, and yet they wait. Often perceived as being tramps, Vladimir and Estragon are a pair of human beings who do not know why they were put on earth; they make the tenuous assumption that there must be some point to their existence, and they look to Godot for enlightenment. Because they hold out hope for meaning and direction, they acquire a kind of nobility that enables them to rise above their futile existence.

Here is my response to the points:-

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

The connection between the painting by Caspar David Friedrich and the play is Longigness. A country road suggest a Hope of someone coming. A Tree suggest liveliness or Birth. Evening suggest Death and despair of desire. Loss of something. So thus the painting and play swinging in between hope and despair. Road also connecting with waiting for someone. In between waiting for someone person do meaningless things for passing time. So this all things are connecting with human life.

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 - ?

In 1st act it is used without leaves it's showing despair and in 2nd act, the tree is presented to show hope. It's grown up with a few leaves, it's showing that if you are waiting than something you will get. Beckett grows calculated leaves, maybe he wants to give easily this idea and we can note the deep meaning.

(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?

While Vladimir & Estragon wait for Godot, they also wait for nightfall. Because of the nightfall they don't have to wait for Godot.

Secondly, the night is connected with dark and death. The falling of night is as much a reprieve from daily suffering as death is from the suffering of a lifetime.

 But in the other hand, the rising of moon again give some hope for tomorrow. Through this moon and night we comprehend the endless repetition of Human's life.

(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?

The director used debris in the setting. So, it can be the influence of the World war-2 in the material world. Therefore, we can say that the meaninglessness of material world that keep on destroying, nothing is permanent in the life.

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

Estragon and Vladimir both suffer from same fate. Both have boots and hat but both focus on different thing Estragon focus on boots rather than hat. Vladimir focus on hat rather than boots. So people have both in their life boots ( materialistic things ) and hat ( intellectual sense ) but person focus on only one things. Estragon wears boots it represents materialistic things. It represents artificiality of life , human body. Estragon not satisfied with his boots it hurts him. It shows unsatisfied nature of human.

Vladimir wears hat it shows intellectual power of thinking man. He constantly thinking about Godot. He can remember everything because of that he suffers a lot. His thoughts hurts him a lot. Hat represent mind and rational life. He becomes helpless because he remember everything so he can't escape from the things. Because he constantly think he can't sleep. So it shows that person should be balance both mind and heart.

(6) 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?

Pozzo represent England and lucky represents lreland. England and lreland also some problems with each other on the land. They struggle a lot for separation from England.

(7)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 Existential Depair. This theory shows that 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?. Their incoherent babblings, changing of hats, unclear theme these all show the Nothingness of the play.

(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?

As per class discussion, some people like to be servant whole life, we have taken one example of god's servant. Yes, the obedience of Lucky is extremely irritating and nauseatic. We are tie by rigid and with a religious hidden rope that is not actually physically but mentally and we don't want to do free ourselves from them like Lucky.

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

It depends on the people that he wants. Every human has desire and they do anything to achieve, we are waiting for better and better.

According to me desire and success is Godot. Human has uncountable desires in the life. If one will fulfill so people never get satisfaction the crave of getting better things keeps growing. Also successful life will never come because the successful life means person is happy and satisfy with the things. But in reality true success never come because person never get satisfaction and happiness after getting thing.

 (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. If you first viewed play without reading you can't understand it properly. The core meaning of the play not be understandable only by viewing it. It also requires reading and thinking. After that viewing that play helps to understand it. The play has small dialogue but each and every word has its own importance. In movie you can't find time to think.

 (11)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?

Yes , I feel the effect of existential crisis or meaninglessness of human existence in the irrational and indifference Universe. 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 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.

(12)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?

  

Yes , I am agree that the subject of play is not Godot but waiting. Waiting is the important thing in the play. Estragon and Vladimir do many things during waiting. In our life we all are waiting for death. In between we do many things to kill the time. The play focus on what we do in our lives. Person abusing each other, spending time unnecessary things like dancing and signing.

Thank you..