Thinking activity: Waiting for Godot...
Thinking Activity: Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett...
*Hello readers,
On 27th September 2018 we had a movie screening of "Waiting For Godot". It's written by Samuel Beckett. We have a task to watch the movie and write what we understand from the movie. Here is the link of blogtask.. Click Here,
The movie "Waiting for Godot" is directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg,in 2001. In this movie, Barry McGovern and Johnny Murphy played the role of Vladimir and Estragon, where as Lucky and Pozzo were performed by Alan Standford and Stephan Brennan, respectively.
#Task:-
1] What connection do you see in the setting("A country road. A tree. Evening.) of the play and these paintings...
∆ The setting of the play 'Waiting for Godot' was inspired by Caspar David Friedrich's paintings. The setting of the play and painting is similar. The title of this painting is 'longing', here longing means deep desire for something. Waiting is connected with longing. We can find 'Tree' in both, two person are waiting for someone, How nature remains indifferent to them is also same, as day and night came but the person remains at their place as it is without moving. Nature never waits for anyone.
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 2 on the barren tree- The tree has four or five leaves?
∆ In act 1 the tree was barren and whole day Vladimir and Estragon have spent in waiting for Godot but he didn’t come, but in act 2 there were four or five leaves on the tree which suggests three things first is hope for them that Godot will come, second is they are waiting for so long time and third is constant ‘change’ in nature, everything is not as same as it was, and that change is the meaning in nothingness. Tree is static, but its nature is constant "change" by leaving barrenness behind and having new leaves which Samuel Becket connects with human life.
3) In both acts, evening falls into night and moon rises. How would you like to interpret this 'Coming for night and moon' when actually they are Waiting For Godot?

∆ I think the evening fall is shows the burning desire of both the Vladimir and Estrogen, because they are waiting for Godot till the long time but actually they don’t know whether he will come or not.
At the end,they are not losing the hope. Even the audience of the play or readers of the play even don’t know actually who is Godot? Is he Human being or God? These questions remain present throughout the play.
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?
∆ Here, The director uses the settings of debris and wastage and collapsed buildings which shows failure of materialistic world(world war-2). That’s why he shows that debris in the background that gives reminder to both of them that nothing is permanent in the end. But what gives them pessimistic way to live is the hope and meaning that they find out of that debris. And that’s why they go on waiting for Godot.
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 “Nothing to be done”, it reflects the Existentialism.
it means the weakness of the character or the negative mind-set of the character is here shown. This dialogue is more spoken by Estrogen and he has also the less memory rather than the Vladimir. Even the action of these characters also shows no any logical connection that way here nothingness is may present. Vladimir and Estragon waiting for Godot without knowing that he will come or not, is he exist or not, who is he? unclear theme shows the nothingness of the play.
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)?
∆ Yes, I agree to the point of E.G Marshal that the play waiting for Godot is positive play. In any kind of situation life is goes on we can not stop the time.We can understand the reality of our life that we doesn't get everything but Somehow same way in this play they both are not meet to Godot but they enjoy his life so we can say that In this play just represent the hope.
7) How are the props like hat and boots used in the play? What is the symbolical significance of these props?
∆ Samuel Beckett used many symbols in this play in which, Hat and Boot are interesting symbols. Vladimir plays with hat and Estragon with boots. Estragon is not a man of thinking like Vladimir. Boots suggests the ignorance and carelessness towards outside world and hat suggests the deep thinking and questioning to the world, both are important for a person.
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, Lucky is very obedient and it irritates us. It suggests deep rooted colonialism in the mind of Lucky that he is not able to get freedom of it. If we change lucky with followers of God and Pozzo with God we can find the similarity that followers cannot leave their master.
9) Who according to you is Godot? God? An object of desire? Death? Goal? Success? or...
∆ According to me, Godot is God because when we read the dialogue between boy and Vladimir that time Vladimir asked to the boy that Godot is white? then the boy said yes, so we can say that they talk about Christ. Ending of suffer can connect it,that can be possible by God.
#Godot as Desire,Ambition or Goal:-Waiting till the end shows the crave to reach towards the final destination that is goal to see and meet Godot,to be free from problems & having good life many desired there it in a means of Godot.
#Godot as Death:-It shows the ultimate journey of the life where waiting may end and itself turns with the sign of death.Moon supports this idea well in it.
10) "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?
∆ Waiting as the subject of the play instead of Godot - Changing hat,wearing boots,doing exercise,glimpse on nature,tries to hang out and such other uncertain and at some point funny activities repeatedly doing by the character that is all about waiting,passing the time to see and meet the Godot. No doubt they are Waiting for Godot but they are waiting itself lasts till the end & even may continuous and it shows the attraction as well as crave for Godot ultimately that is the person who is completely unknown to them yet immense wait of their matters a lot here.
11) Do you think 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?
∆ According to me the reading and viewing both can be beneficial. Because if you are only watching the movie then it can be bored. Because it has the continuous dialogues and less action. For the understanding of the deeper philosophy one has to read the play. Only reading also makes it boring because you will not be able to imagine Vladimir and Estragon and their useless action. We have to done both the things in the class which enriched our understanding of the play.
12) Which of the following sequence you liked the most:
Vladimir-Estragon killing time in questions and conversationa while waiting
Pozzo-Lucky episode in both acts
Conversation of Vladimir with the boy
∆ With the characters of Estragon and Vladimir, Beckett resembles reality with which we are not familiar. He indicates level of absurdity in the real world tramps themselves do not recognize that their actions are absurd so it reflects human condition because somewhere we don't know or we generally are not knowing what we do or why or what is our purpose Is everything normal in the play!!
13) 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?
∆ Many times while viewing the movie I feel the effect of Existential Crisis or Meaninglessness of human existence in the irrational and indifference Universe. When, Vladimir and Estragon were talking to each other and when Estragon asks to leave, Vladimir reminds him that they are actually waiting for Godot. And doing meaningless things. Their discussion is endless, and it goes with waiting. It is also appeals for meaning of the life, or "Search for Self ".
14) 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?
∆ We can find the Suicide is an art in Existentialism. We watched one of the video it talks about the philosophical suicide but in the play Vladimir is a strong believer of Christianity and suicide is the Sin in Christianity and we also can say that Estragon and Vladimir avoid suicide because they have hope for Godot.
15) 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'?
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?
∆ Yes, the characters of Pozzo and Lucky it was related with master and slave relations. Buckett was a disciple of Joyce and that Joyce hated England. England had power and how it was using it represented by Pozzo. But, the extreme obedience of Lucky is problematic here, that he can be free but he don’t want to be free. So we could not clearly point out the connection of Ireland and England for the play.
16) 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?
∆ Yes, there is change in both acts.
This change in conversation from “Us” to “Me” suggests two things first is Vladimir has become self-centered and another is being individual and leaving ego behind as psychologically Vladimir suggests id and Estragon suggests ego.
Thank You...
*Hello readers,
On 27th September 2018 we had a movie screening of "Waiting For Godot". It's written by Samuel Beckett. We have a task to watch the movie and write what we understand from the movie. Here is the link of blogtask.. Click Here,
The movie "Waiting for Godot" is directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg,in 2001. In this movie, Barry McGovern and Johnny Murphy played the role of Vladimir and Estragon, where as Lucky and Pozzo were performed by Alan Standford and Stephan Brennan, respectively.
#Task:-
1] What connection do you see in the setting("A country road. A tree. Evening.) of the play and these paintings...
∆ The setting of the play 'Waiting for Godot' was inspired by Caspar David Friedrich's paintings. The setting of the play and painting is similar. The title of this painting is 'longing', here longing means deep desire for something. Waiting is connected with longing. We can find 'Tree' in both, two person are waiting for someone, How nature remains indifferent to them is also same, as day and night came but the person remains at their place as it is without moving. Nature never waits for anyone.
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 2 on the barren tree- The tree has four or five leaves?
∆ In act 1 the tree was barren and whole day Vladimir and Estragon have spent in waiting for Godot but he didn’t come, but in act 2 there were four or five leaves on the tree which suggests three things first is hope for them that Godot will come, second is they are waiting for so long time and third is constant ‘change’ in nature, everything is not as same as it was, and that change is the meaning in nothingness. Tree is static, but its nature is constant "change" by leaving barrenness behind and having new leaves which Samuel Becket connects with human life.
3) In both acts, evening falls into night and moon rises. How would you like to interpret this 'Coming for night and moon' when actually they are Waiting For Godot?

∆ I think the evening fall is shows the burning desire of both the Vladimir and Estrogen, because they are waiting for Godot till the long time but actually they don’t know whether he will come or not.
At the end,they are not losing the hope. Even the audience of the play or readers of the play even don’t know actually who is Godot? Is he Human being or God? These questions remain present throughout the play.
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?
∆ Here, The director uses the settings of debris and wastage and collapsed buildings which shows failure of materialistic world(world war-2). That’s why he shows that debris in the background that gives reminder to both of them that nothing is permanent in the end. But what gives them pessimistic way to live is the hope and meaning that they find out of that debris. And that’s why they go on waiting for Godot.
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 “Nothing to be done”, it reflects the Existentialism.
it means the weakness of the character or the negative mind-set of the character is here shown. This dialogue is more spoken by Estrogen and he has also the less memory rather than the Vladimir. Even the action of these characters also shows no any logical connection that way here nothingness is may present. Vladimir and Estragon waiting for Godot without knowing that he will come or not, is he exist or not, who is he? unclear theme shows the nothingness of the play.
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)?
∆ Yes, I agree to the point of E.G Marshal that the play waiting for Godot is positive play. In any kind of situation life is goes on we can not stop the time.We can understand the reality of our life that we doesn't get everything but Somehow same way in this play they both are not meet to Godot but they enjoy his life so we can say that In this play just represent the hope.
7) How are the props like hat and boots used in the play? What is the symbolical significance of these props?
∆ Samuel Beckett used many symbols in this play in which, Hat and Boot are interesting symbols. Vladimir plays with hat and Estragon with boots. Estragon is not a man of thinking like Vladimir. Boots suggests the ignorance and carelessness towards outside world and hat suggests the deep thinking and questioning to the world, both are important for a person.
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, Lucky is very obedient and it irritates us. It suggests deep rooted colonialism in the mind of Lucky that he is not able to get freedom of it. If we change lucky with followers of God and Pozzo with God we can find the similarity that followers cannot leave their master.
9) Who according to you is Godot? God? An object of desire? Death? Goal? Success? or...
∆ According to me, Godot is God because when we read the dialogue between boy and Vladimir that time Vladimir asked to the boy that Godot is white? then the boy said yes, so we can say that they talk about Christ. Ending of suffer can connect it,that can be possible by God.
#Godot as Desire,Ambition or Goal:-Waiting till the end shows the crave to reach towards the final destination that is goal to see and meet Godot,to be free from problems & having good life many desired there it in a means of Godot.
#Godot as Death:-It shows the ultimate journey of the life where waiting may end and itself turns with the sign of death.Moon supports this idea well in it.
10) "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?
∆ Waiting as the subject of the play instead of Godot - Changing hat,wearing boots,doing exercise,glimpse on nature,tries to hang out and such other uncertain and at some point funny activities repeatedly doing by the character that is all about waiting,passing the time to see and meet the Godot. No doubt they are Waiting for Godot but they are waiting itself lasts till the end & even may continuous and it shows the attraction as well as crave for Godot ultimately that is the person who is completely unknown to them yet immense wait of their matters a lot here.
11) Do you think 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?
∆ According to me the reading and viewing both can be beneficial. Because if you are only watching the movie then it can be bored. Because it has the continuous dialogues and less action. For the understanding of the deeper philosophy one has to read the play. Only reading also makes it boring because you will not be able to imagine Vladimir and Estragon and their useless action. We have to done both the things in the class which enriched our understanding of the play.
12) Which of the following sequence you liked the most:
Vladimir-Estragon killing time in questions and conversationa while waiting
Pozzo-Lucky episode in both acts
Conversation of Vladimir with the boy
∆ With the characters of Estragon and Vladimir, Beckett resembles reality with which we are not familiar. He indicates level of absurdity in the real world tramps themselves do not recognize that their actions are absurd so it reflects human condition because somewhere we don't know or we generally are not knowing what we do or why or what is our purpose Is everything normal in the play!!
13) 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?
∆ Many times while viewing the movie I feel the effect of Existential Crisis or Meaninglessness of human existence in the irrational and indifference Universe. When, Vladimir and Estragon were talking to each other and when Estragon asks to leave, Vladimir reminds him that they are actually waiting for Godot. And doing meaningless things. Their discussion is endless, and it goes with waiting. It is also appeals for meaning of the life, or "Search for Self ".
14) 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?
∆ We can find the Suicide is an art in Existentialism. We watched one of the video it talks about the philosophical suicide but in the play Vladimir is a strong believer of Christianity and suicide is the Sin in Christianity and we also can say that Estragon and Vladimir avoid suicide because they have hope for Godot.
15) 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'?
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?
∆ Yes, the characters of Pozzo and Lucky it was related with master and slave relations. Buckett was a disciple of Joyce and that Joyce hated England. England had power and how it was using it represented by Pozzo. But, the extreme obedience of Lucky is problematic here, that he can be free but he don’t want to be free. So we could not clearly point out the connection of Ireland and England for the play.
16) 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?
∆ Yes, there is change in both acts.
This change in conversation from “Us” to “Me” suggests two things first is Vladimir has become self-centered and another is being individual and leaving ego behind as psychologically Vladimir suggests id and Estragon suggests ego.
Thank You...
Comments
Post a Comment