Waiting for Godot

About the Author:-

Samuel Barclay Beckett (April 13, 1906- December 22, 1989) was an Irish playwright, novelist and poet.

Beckett's work is stark, fundamentally minimalist, and deeply pessimistic about human nature and the human condition, although the pessimism is mitigated by a great and often wicked sense of humor. His later work explores his themes in an increasingly cryptic and attenuated style. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1969 and elected Saoi of Aosdana in 1984.

1) Why does Beckett grow a few leaves in Act 2 on the barren tree- The tree has four or five leaves?

The tree is a symbol in the play. Many times the tree is symbolically presented in the play when Vladimir and Estragon try to be hebetate like a tree. So, leaves stand for hope and despair. In the first scene the tree was destroyed so we can interpret and connect it with world war-2 because this play written just after war and in second act this tree have leaves so it stand for hope and also we can say it is changing nature.

 2) Can we do any political reading of the play if we see European nations represented by the names of the characters (Vladimir- Russia, Esragon- France; Pozzo-Italy; Lucky- England)? What interpretation can be inferred from the play written just after World War II? Which country stands for Godot?

It is possible to interpret "Waiting for Godot" politically by seeing the characters as representatives of European nations. Where Vladimir represents Russia, Estragon represents France; Pozzo-Italy and Lucky England. However, it is important to note that Samuel Beckett, the play's author, never confirmed any political allegory or meaning. If we see the characters as representatives of European nations, one possible interpretation is that the play reflects the political and cultural landscape of Europe after World War II. Germany stands for Godot. As Hitler was ruling in Germany, and the way he excommunicated the Jews from his country is very much significant and relevant to the play. Another interpretation is that Godot also represents death or unknown authoritative figures.

 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?

The change in both the acts between Vladimir and the messenger boy is very significant. In the Act 1 Vladimir tells the boy to tell Godot that you saw us. In a way Vladimir wants the boy to describe their situation. How they are suffering and how they eagerly want to get rid of it. In human life also, we want God to look at our situation and will do something to make our pain less. We always hope that God will change our fortune and will turn our sad days into happy days but this will never happen. In Act 2 Vladimir tells the boy to tell Godot that you saw me. Here, Vladimir wants to save only his life at the end of the play. He seems selfish.

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

Beckett wants to highlight the indifferent nature. As Nature never waits for anyone, it doesn't matter whether a person is sad or happy, nature never cares for them. The natural process of the environment never stops for anyone. Similarly in this play Vladimir and Estragon are waiting for Godot, and in this process of waiting they do various things to pass their time, sometimes they feel totally disappointed. But these all things make no change in nature, the day begins as it used to be and night comes as it is, without any change. 

 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 exceptions for reasons unknown…"

Meaning:-

Apathia: Freedom or release from emotion or excitement- Lack of emotions and concerns.

Aphasia: Loss of the ability to comprehend or express speech - Lass of Communication.

Athambia: Impartibility, To be incapable of being upset or not easily excite.

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

In Lucky's speech, he said three words like Aphasia, Apathia and Athambia. Aphasia means a loss of speech, an inability to speak or communicate, Here it refers to the fact that God from his divine heights now has divine aphasia or a divine silence. Apathia means lacking emotion and Athambia means being unflappable.

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

      This question denotes the Existential crisis and suicide is the only solution to overcome it.

'A better solution to the tramp's predicament than to wait-is, suicide'

      Suicide is always remains favourite solution to Vladimir and Estragon. Disappointment of the failure leads oneself to attempt suicide but they both rationalize it with the waiting or pretending to wait. They first realise that the tree is only in their world, it will not support Vladimir's weight on the noose and therefore will not break his neck. Secondly they cannot hang themselves because they do not have the required piece of rope. They complaints about the lack of a suitable piece of rope are unnecessary, which denotes the devoid of the required tools for committing suicide.

         

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

 In Being and Nothingness , French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre referred to 'bad faith' which is our natural capacity to deceive ourselves. Bad faith exists in our tendency to believe we are not who we really are; that we have no options and therefore act in an inauthentic manner. Sartre regarded bad faith as a denial of freedom which we all have. 

 In this context, Godot is the one who is believed as a ‘Bad Faith’ by Vladimir and Estragon. They both deceives themselves by the name of Godot- they both belives that they are not free rather bound to the arrival of Mr. Godot. They claim that their action is the result of following orders of Godot- His message of arrival. And thus they are not responsible for what is going on in their lives.

8) .Explain: “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).”

 Both these statements are quite contradictory which denote the relation between the feeling of ‘Absurdity’ and ‘Necessity’. Though both are contradictory in one way, both are intertwined in other ways. If we feel something absurd, we also feel the necessity of it or vice versa.  If we observe or relate this statement in the context of ‘Waiting for Godot’, we would realize that the absurdity of both the central characters’ situation- waiting for Godot- a person who may or may not come- it is followed by the necessity.