Waiting for Godot

Thinking Activity

Hello Readers! 

    As a part of our academic study, we have had a movie screening of "Waiting for Godot" By Samuel Beckett, after discussion of sir on this movie screening, we have a task to give a review or answer the question given by sir, so let's discuss. 

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 Standford and Stephen Brennan, respectively.

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

Ans:

   The setting of the play is inspired by two paintings by Caspar David Friedrich. The title of this painting is 'longing', here longing means deep desire for something. Waiting is connected with longing. In the painting two person see towards sunrise and sunset, it stand for bright hope and despair and in the play we find similar things.and also represent the time is passing on. 

Q.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 second act we find that there is 2,3, leaves come it's reflect that nature has no connection with humanity or there is no connection between nature and human being just because nature has grown on itself nature never wait for anything and when time come nature will change that is the reflection of second act.

Q-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?

In both the act we find that when night comes its reflection of there life how are absurd  they are waiting for something is not come so finally the night is reflection of there lost or something that they want to achieve but then not achieve or then not get success,

And when the moon rise it's  reflect that there is one hope that The Dark night will be end with this beautiful moon and there life darkness is also and just like night will end and morning comes so the moon is reflection of hope in Dark night.

Q-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. 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.

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

Just becauseboth the character do lots of activity to " kill time " but there is nothing happen in the life it represent that a failure person that never achieve something or that person's life is nothing or absurdity we find just because there is no hope for good thing happened that's why and after doing all the things still there nothing to be done y just because they are waiting for someone or like they want to achieve something in the life and they are in the way but still that don't find it that's why the life is " nothing to be done."

Q-  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 just because its representation of absurdity and philosophy an existentialism, that's why display is not negative or Pessimistic just because it's a reflection of hope that at the end of the life there is good thing happened up till and of the last breath we have to wait for something which give us success peace honour or some kind of social important anything which we are waiting for.

Q-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?

Suicide in existentialism we find that it's a symbolically represent the death by philosophy  suicide means philosophical suicide at that moment person stop to thinking that is the suicide which we call philosophical suicide