Waiting for Godot

 Thinking Activity

Waiting for Godot

               This blog is Written as a part of a thinking activity on the Modernist play, 'Waiting for Godot' assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir, Department of English MKBU. In this blog I am going to discuss some of the questions given by sir.

Introduction:

      

   'Waiting for Godot' is a play written by Samuel Beckett. It was first written in French under the title ‘En attendant Godot: tragicomedy in two acts', published in 1952 and first produced in 1953. It was later translated into English by Beckett himself. It does not contain the conventional way of writing plays but rather it is the Absurd play. Waiting for Godot was a true innovation in drama and the Theatre of the Absurd’s first theatrical success.

         The whole play consists of conversation between its two central characters Vladimir and Estragon, Who are waiting for the arrival of mysterious person Mr. Godot, who continually sends word that he will appear but who never does. They encounter Lucky and Pozzo, they discuss their miseries and their losts in life, they consider hanging themselves, and yet they wait. Often are perceived as being tramps, Vladimir and Estragon are a pair of human beings who do not know why they were put on earth; they make the tenuous assumption that there must be some point to their existence, and they look to Godot for enlightenment. Because they hold out hope for meaning and direction, they acquire a kind of nobility that enables them to rise above their futile existence.

1. Why does Beckett grow a few leaves in Act 2 on the tree- “Tree has four or five leaves”?

        In the beginning of Act II of Waiting for Godot, Beckett grows a few leaves as it is said that

“Tree has four or five leaves”. 

       Thereafter Beckett puts in bracket about Vladimir who enters agitatively. He halts and looks at the tree. He continuously comes and goes and halts.

         The use of this description right after the few leaves grown on the tree denotes, at the first place, continuity of nature and thus of each and every individual. The continuous moving - going and coming and then halting and observing suggests something going inside Vladimir. He first looks at the tree with a few leaves which were not there yesterday. This portion also denotes hope. As there grew leaves on the barren tree, his purpose of waiting will come one day.

        It also serves as a metaphor for the characters’ existence. This “a few” leaves suggests that there may be some positive changes in the lives even if only small, as it said “a few leaves”. 

            The tree remains barren, likewise the overall tone of the play remains bleak and hopeless, which emphasise the idea that while there may be moments of growth and renewal, they are fleeting and ultimately insignificant in the larger scheme of setting.

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?

Yes. We can do political reading of the play if we see European nations represented by the names of the characters. Where Vladimir represents Russia, Estragon represents France; Pozzo-Italy and Lucky England.

      Vladimir and Estragon know each other from years ago and refer to better times. Perhaps this is a reference to Franco-Russian alliance formed in 1891. This time also represents the end of the Russian golden age and the beginning of La Belle Epoque in France. Despite everything being lost, Russia finds Estragon in a ditch. This loss in status is also seen in their clothes, they now wear rags and are lost in their thoughts.

        Estragon wakes up from his private nightmares in Act I, and this could be a reference to World War I. Vladimir says he is heavier, perhaps referring to bigger and yet heavier history and challenges. France and Russia also have had wars for so long that they no longer know what peace is but keep waiting for it and hoping that he will come. Likewise Estragon and Vladimir fight each other and reunite after a while.

          Lucky and Pozzo's relationship is master-slave kind. Lucky represents Italy and Pozzo represents England. This relationship denotes the relationship between Italy and England, which were also like the relation of Lucky and Pizza.

           If we consider the political comparison for Godot, Godot stands for Germany and most probably the rule of Hitler. Throughout the play Vladimir and Estragon are waiting for him but never come, rather he sends a messenger boy who everyday tells Vladimir that "Mr. Gogot will definitely come tomorrow". In the conversation between Vladimir and the messenger boy, the boy admits that Mr. Godot beats his brother. So in a way Godot is a tyrant like Germany who doesn't care of anyone.

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 conversation between Vladimir and the messenger boy in act II is very much significant. When Vladimir asks the boy that has he seen him? He said No. And then when the boy asks him if he wants to convey message or tell something to Mr. Godot, Vladimir tells him with inner pain "Tell him... (he hesitates)... tell him you saw us. (Pause). You did see us, didn't you?" In this dialogue the silence, hesitation and pause are more significant. This denotes the pain of Vladimir of waiting for Godot.

            In a way he wants the messenger boy to convey his message to Godot how they are living, suffering from what they want to get rid of. Likewise, Human life also filled us with such things. We want from God to consider our condition- in which we are living and resolve this condition by grace. As a human we always have ultimate hope that God will spread the divine light and thus our sadness into Happiness - Pain and suffering into relief. But like Godot never came- perhaps will never come, thus the question of our existence will never get its answer. Our lives will move in a circular way which will never come to an end.

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?

        Coming of the night and moon represents the endless passage of time- continuity of time in a first place or surface manner.

           Both the central characters are waiting for Godot, but the hope of coming to Godot ends with the night as he will come in the day and therefore is vital. The darkness of the night represents the end of hope, whereas the Moon symbolises a ray of hope- there is still hope. So the combination of both gives an idea that we should not lose hope as there is still a ray of hope. 

        Though 'Coming of night and Moon' seems not important as they are actually waiting for Godot, it pushes both of them to continue waiting.

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..."

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 act I, Lucky's speech denotes the break of the connection of God with human beings and absence of God in the human world, as he uses three words Apathia, Athambia and Aphasia. God doesn't have any concern with us, is not interested in us and cannot communicate with us. He uses the word 'Divine' before each of these three words. 

          These statements of Lucky go against the Christian faith of God. The Christians believe that God is not apathetic with us, imperturbable, and God is not aphasia to humans, as praying is an easy way to communicate with him.

         These three words also represent human society as a whole. Lucky in a way also admits metaphorically that human civilization is gradually becoming wrapped in Athambia, in aphasia as there is no more voice, just a bunch of meaningless words used to fill up space.

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.

         In existential philosophy we all humans are tramps on this earth whose existence is meaningless- the questions like Why are we here? What are we doing here? Where do we have to go? - it bothers us. Many times we have heard somebody say it's better to die.  

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).”

This one statement contains two statements:

“The feeling of absurdity is not followed by necessity”.

“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 realise 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.

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