Thinking Activity: Waiting For Godot

 

Thinking Activity: Waiting For Godot

This Blog is a response to Thinking Activity on Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, given by Professor Dr.Dilip Barad Sir.

About Author:-

Samuel Beckett was a Nobel Prize-winning Irish playwright, novelist, and poet, born on April 13, 1906, in Foxrock, Dublin, Ireland. He was best known for his avant-garde plays, including Waiting for Godot, which is considered a landmark in the history of modern drama. Beckett's work is characterized by its bleak and absurdist humor, which reflects his existentialist philosophy. He was also an accomplished writer of fiction, publishing several novels and short stories, including the novel Molloy and the short story collection More Pricks Than Kicks. Beckett passed away on December 22, 1989, at the age of 83, leaving behind a legacy of innovative and thought-provoking works that continue to inspire audiences and artists around the world.

Waiting for Godot:-

"Waiting for Godot" is a play written by Samuel Beckett, first performed in 1953. It is a two-act play in which two characters, Estragon and Vladimir, wait by a tree for the arrival of the mysterious character named Godot. Despite their wait, Godot never arrives, and the play ends with the characters still waiting.

The play is considered a landmark of absurdist and existentialist literature, as it explores themes of meaning, purpose, and human existence through the characters' seemingly endless wait for Godot. It has been widely performed and interpreted, and remains one of the most significant works of 20th-century theater.

Q.1 Why does Backet grow a few leaves in Act II on the barren tree-The tree has four or five leaves? 

The appearance of leaves on the tree in Act II of "Waiting for Godot" is often seen as a symbol of hope or renewal, and it is often interpreted as a sign of change or progression in the characters' situation. However, the exact meaning of the leaves is left open to interpretation, as is typical of much of Beckett's work. Some interpret the leaves as representing the fleeting nature of hope and happiness, while others see them as a sign of the characters' continued waiting and the cyclical nature of their existence. Overall, the leaves on the tree in "Waiting for Godot" serve as a visual representation of the themes of the play and are open to various interpretations.

Q.2 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' ? 

Yes, it is possible to make political readings of Samuel Beckett's play "Waiting for Godot" by connecting the characters to different European nations as you mentioned. However, it's important to note that Beckett himself did not provide a specific interpretation of the play and discouraged specific political readings.

In regards to the play being written just after World War II, it has been interpreted as a commentary on the absurdity and meaninglessness of existence in a post-war world. The idea of waiting for Godot, who never arrives, can be seen as a metaphor for the futility of hope and the lack of certainty in a world affected by war.

It is not specified in the play which country represents Godot. The character of Godot is meant to be symbolic and open to interpretation, representing different things to different people.

Q.3 In Act I , in reply to Boy's question: 

"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? What is the significance? 

In Act II of "Waiting for Godot," the same conversation between Vladimir and the Boy occurs, with a slight variation. The dialogue goes as follows:

Boy: Did you see Mr. Godot, sir?

Vladimir: Did I see him? (Pause). Yes, I did. (Pause) To tell you the truth, I forget. (Pause) But that's how it is with God. Thousands of years waiting for him to hold out his hand, and then nothing!

The repetition of this conversation in Act II highlights the cyclical nature of time and the characters' ongoing wait for Godot. Despite the passage of time, nothing has changed for Vladimir and Estragon, and their wait remains unresolved. The fact that Vladimir forgets whether he actually saw Godot serves to emphasize the futility of their wait and the lack of certainty in their situation.

The significance of this repetition lies in its commentary on the human condition, particularly the idea that hope can be a persistent but ultimately fruitless endeavor. Through the repetition of this conversation, Beckett highlights the cyclical and repetitive nature of waiting and the disappointment that often follows.

Q.4 In both Acts, evening falls into night moon rises. How would you like to interpret this 'coming of night and moon' when actually they are waiting for Godot?

Beckett has used one single tree in both the acts and makes slight changes by showing two three leaves in the second act. Even the day falls into night and moon rises, but their waiting for Godot never stops.

The repetition of evening falling into night and the rise of the moon in both acts of "Waiting for Godot" can be interpreted as a symbol of the passage of time. As the characters wait for Godot, time continues to pass and their wait remains unresolved. The rise of the moon can also symbolize the cyclical nature of time and the repetition of the characters' waiting.

In the play, the arrival of Godot is expected to bring change and resolution to the characters' situation, but the coming of night and the rise of the moon instead serves as a reminder that time is passing and their wait continues. This can be seen as a commentary on the futility of hope and the persistent sense of waiting that characterizes the human condition.

Q.5 What is the meaning of the terms Apathia, Aphasia and Athambia' in Lucky's speech?

  "... Divine apathia divine Athambia divine aphasia loves us dearly with some expectations for reasons unknown…"

Lucky’s monologue is the most confusing and, of course, the deepest part of the play. Towards the middle of part one in Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”, the character called Lucky gives a “speech” to the audience. Of course, the first time viewing this, nobody understood the message given.

Q.6 'A better solution to the tramp's predicament than to wait-is, suicide ". Is it really so? Why they fail to commit suicide?

In the play the characters Vladimir and Estragon, often referred to as "the tramps," discuss suicide as a potential solution to their predicament of waiting endlessly for the mysterious character Godot. However, their consideration of suicide is meant to be a darkly humorous commentary on the meaninglessness of their existence and the futility of their situation.

Throughout the play, Vladimir and Estragon make several attempts to carry out suicide but ultimately fail. This failure is part of the play's comedic aspect, but it also suggests that the characters are unable to escape the cycle of waiting and are trapped in their situation.

In the context of the play, the tramps' inability to commit suicide is meant to symbolize the lack of control they have over their lives and the absurdity of their existence. It is not meant to be taken as a suggestion that suicide is a solution to anyone's problems in real life.

Q.7 Explain: "Godot become as image of what Satre calls "bad faith".

In Jean-Paul Sartre's philosophy, "bad faith" refers to a state of self-deception in which an individual denies or hides their true desires and motivations. In this sense, Godot in "Waiting for Godot" can be seen as an image of bad faith because the tramps' waiting for Godot represents a denial of the reality of their situation and a refusal to take responsibility for their lives.

By constantly waiting for Godot, the tramps avoid confronting the fact that their existence is meaningless and that they have no control over their lives. Their waiting becomes a way of avoiding responsibility and denying the truth about their situation. In this sense, Godot can be seen as a symbol of the ways in which individuals can use false hopes and expectations to avoid confronting the realities of their lives.

 The play can be interpreted as a critique of bad faith and a commentary on the human tendency to avoid facing the truth about one's existence.

Q.8Explain: “One hardly feels the absurdity of some things, on the one hand, and the necessity of those other things, on the other (for it is rare that feeling of absurdity is not followed by necessity), when one feels the absurdity of those things of which one had just felt the necessity(for it is rare that the feeling of necessity is not followed by the feeling of absurdity).”

This quote is a commentary on the human experience of the cyclical and seemingly contradictory nature of existence. It suggests that our understanding of what is absurd and what is necessary is constantly changing and often inconsistent.

The quote suggests that one moment, we may feel that something is absurd and unnecessary, only to feel the opposite in the next moment. This can be a frustrating and confusing experience, as our beliefs about the world and our place in it are constantly shifting.

The quote also highlights the circular nature of these feelings and how they often seem to follow one another in a never-ending cycle. This cycle reflects the characters' experience in "Waiting for Godot," where they are trapped in a meaningless existence and are constantly questioning the purpose of their lives.

The quote highlights the theme of existentialism in the play, which is concerned with the meaning and purpose of life in a world that often seems senseless and absurd.