Thinking activity of Waiting for Godot play

 Thinking activity according to this link

https://dilipbarad.blogspot.com/2014/09/worksheet-screening-movie-waiting-for.html

Waiting for Godot play is written by Samuel Backett.
Tragic comic play
Absurd Theatre of the play
 Characters - Vladimir, Estrogen, Pozzo, Lucky, a little Boy (messages)

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

They inspired Beckett for the 'Setting' of his play - 'Waiting for Godot'.The 'longing' may be 'waiting' but then there is no further comparison possible. The 'waiting' for Beckett is in the indifference and uncaring universe. It means doesn’t matter for universe, you are doing anything but nature doesn’t change. If we feel sadness so we say nothingness in life but universe never change according our emotions. This is fact of the universe longing and waiting are only human emotions not for universe.

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 -? 

Yes, we can say tree is the only important thing in the setting. In the first act tree shown as like barren and the second act tree shown as a few leaves may be that is sign of hopeless and second act a few leaves are there may be it is sign of rebirth of hope. Beckett shown same setting may be its through he shown nothingness in life like barren tree and sometimes a few (leaves)hope may be alive reason for human life.

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 wwaiting for Godot?

In both Acts, evening falls into night and moon rises it is just like time passed. Human beings act like waste of time and waiting for death. If we are stay away our life in one place and constantly waiting for some thing so universe can’t change their routing.

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?

Yes, I can read various meaning in the contours of debris in the setting of the play. It is show world war after situation and when I try to connect with present time so it like strong philosophy of the life everything it becomes worst at the end of our body parts like stone and mixed with stone.

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 the dialogue “Nothing to be done” this dialogue repeatedly come again Vladimir and Estrogen waiting for Godot but Nobody come there and they are wasting time throughout in the play. And I try to find other means Nothing to be done means whatever our age when we ask ourselves so ourselves answer may be same – Nothing to be done.

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 the play is positive play, not negative, not pessimistic because Vladimir hope didn’t broke for waiting Godot and universe never change for anyone it routine continue happens without difference but sometimes we killed ourselves for something even we can’t kill life. For example sometimes our hope or desire may be not fulfilled but we can’t kill our self and if we can able to have that much courage to killed our self so it like to run away from situation.

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

The props like hat and boots are symbol of trivial things of human life in this play Estrogen try to make free from feet boot but it is more tit for his feet and Act II his boot comfortable for his feet so it suggests how life unfit become one time suitable or habits.
Hat is also symbol of intellect person how their hat on other person hand as like Lucky's hat.

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?

One sence I think that the obedience of Lucky is extremely irritating and nauseatic because Lucky didn't want to think himself when Vladimir suggest him even he against him because his slave mindset. That why he couldn't want to think himself and follow his master voice even his master blind he didn't try to run way from his master chain.

Pozzo - Lucky: Master-Slave

9)   Who according to you is Godot? God? An object of desire? Death? Goal? Success? Or  . . .
According to me Godot is my presence to give best in my interesting field and others thing like desire and success automatically come after your footprint. And Death is reality of the every living object so why I wait for death it will be come in anytime and anyway so to be readiness for all.

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?

Yes, I am agree the subject of the play is not Godot but ‘Waiting’ because here author more focused on waiting for example most of Estrogen forget and speak why are we here? Then Vladimir answer him we are waiting for Godot. This dialogue repeatedly show it sign they are waiting for Godot. Simply I say struggle is more important than success because without struggle it doesn’t become success here the same thing waiting is most important than Godot because Godot means may be searching self is not happen without experience(waiting).

11) 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?

I think sometimes reading is helpful to be active visual various image in our mind while viewing play during we can understand various tone and contest of dialogue how some of repeatedly sentences speak as differences level and we can understand better than reading. Like one dialogue speak by both characters in different tone-
 Hurts! He wants to know if it hurts!
Nothing to be done.

12) Which of the following sequence you liked the most:
o   Vladimir – Estragon killing time in questions and conversations while waiting
Vladimir and Estragon: The Had and the Boot 
  Pozzo – Lucky episode in both acts
• Converstion of Vladimir with the boy

I like Vladimir and Estragon between sequence because their each dialogue give depth means.- For example –
VLADIMIR:
(stooping). True. (He buttons his fly.) Never neglect the little things of
life.
ESTRAGON:
What do you expect, you always wait till the last moment.
VLADIMIR:
(musingly). The last moment . . . (He meditates.) Hope deferred maketh
the something sick, who said that?

 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?

Yes, I feel the effect of existential crisis or meaninglessness of human existence in irrational and indifferent universe during screening of the movie –
ESTRAGON: What?
VLADIMIR: Suppose we repented.
ESTRAGON: Repented what? (Memory & Conscience . . .Memento movie!)
VLADIMIR: Oh . . . (He reflects.) We wouldn't have to go into the details.
ESTRAGON: Our being born?

 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

Vladimir and Estragon talks about ‘hanging' themselves and commit suicide, but they do not do so. Because suicide is immediately thing if someone want commit suicide so they try as soon as because if frustrated person own self find one hope then they didn’t able to commit suicide in this play same thing happened –
 ESTRAGON: Let's hang ourselves immediately!
VLADIMIR: From a bough? (They go towards the tree.) I wouldn't trust it.
ESTRAGON:We can always try.
VLADIMIR: Go ahead.
Vladimir has again hope to meet 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'?

If we can do political reading of the play Characters present this country :- Vladimir – Russia, Estragon -France, Pozzo- Italy, Lucky – England these countries were dominated by Germany ‘s Hitler that why those countries might be waiting for Godot it means Germany country stands for Godot.

16)  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 and Lucky are concerned as master slave relation like England and Ireland because Ireland status like slave even it is separated country even it want to become England slave as like Lucky his master become blind even he is slave of his master. Ireland has reason to become slave of England because may they believe  for good stating to join powerful country.

17)  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, in the Act II Vladimir ask about Godot look and boy answer his question -

VLADIMIR : Did you meet anyone?
BOY: No Sir.
VLADIMIR: Two other . . . (he hesitates) . . . men?
BOY:  I didn't see anyone, Sir.
Silence.
VLADIMIR:  What does he do, Mr. Godot? (Silence.) Do you hear me?

Other Question like his doult may be therefor he ask questions like that- 

VLADIMIR: Fair or . . . (he hesitates) . . . or black?

BOY: I think it's white, Sir.

Silence.

VLADIMIR: Christ have mercy on us!

Silence.

BOY: What am I to tell Mr. Godot, Sir?

That type of questions through Vladimir try to conform really Godot exist after his confirm he felt proud on his self he is not like Estragon but he always waiting for Godot so he has hope Godot mercy him not Estrogen.