Waiting for Godot

 Thinking Activity:- Waiting for Godot

Hello Readers! This blog is a response to the Thinking Activity assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir, Department of English, MKBU. In this blog I am going to discuss  questions related to the waiting for Godot.

Samuel Beckett:-

Born: 1906

Died: 1989

Samual Barclay Beckett was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. He was awarded the 1969 Nobel Prize of Literature for his writing. He wrote in both French and English. He is  considered one of the last modernist writers, and one of the key figures in what Martin Esllin called the Theatre of the Absurd. His notable works are as below.

• Murphy
• Watt
• Molly
• Waiting for Godot
• The Unnameable
• Endgame
• Krapp's Last Tape
• How it is 
• Happy Days

Waiting for Godot:-

Waiting for Godot is a French play and one of the most famous plays of Modern literature. It was originally translated to English by Beckett himself. The subtitle of the play 'The tragicomedy in two acts'. It was originally published in 1952. It is divided into 2 Act. In the play two characters Vladimir and Estragon engage in various useless discussions to pass their time waiting for titular character Godot who is mute and never comes. The play shows the meaninglessness of life, absurdity and boredom in people's lives. This play seems connected to today's time to a great extent. Even watching the waiting for Godot film makes us feel bored. This play is read from various points of view; Existentialism, religion, political, Psychoanalytical and deconstructive. The play is also about man's hopelessness and loss.

Waiting for Godot is considered among the three greatest plays with Hamlet, Oedipus Rex. It appeals to an uncertainty: why are we here? Are we alone in the uncaring universe or not? What are we to do while we are here? How can we know? And, ultimately, what does it matter? For more understanding watch the video below.

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

Beckett has used one single tree in both the acts and makes slight changes by showing two three leaves in the second act. 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. Beckett very cleverly highlights the indifference nature of human beings through this tree, as in real society also, when someone is suffering, then the other will be happy or celebrating their happy days, no one cares about the suffering. Humans always remain indifferent towards the suffering of others. So, Beckett grows a few leaves in Act II on the barren tree-The tree has four or five leaves.

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' ? 

European nations are represented by the names of the characters, Vladimir represents Russia and Estragon represents France. There is a history of power politics between France and Russia. Many Russians are in favour of France and many against and vice versa. But still they are together just like Estragon and Vladimir. Pozzo represents Italy and Lucky represents England, as in political reading Italy tries to impose their ideas and rule over England. Germany stands for Godot. As Hitlar was ruling in Germany, and the way he excommunicated the Jews from his country is very much significant and relevant to the play. Both the tramps one or another way thrown by their nations. The way they wait for their nations. The way they wait for Godot is similar as the way Jews wait for Hitler to accept them.

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? 

The change in Act II between the conversation of Vladimir and messenger boy is very much significant. Vladimir tells the to boy  to tell Godot that you saw us. In a way Vladimir wants the  boy to describes 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 turn our sad days into happy days but this will never happen.

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?

Vladimir and Estragon are waiting the whole day for Godot. It does not arrive and the falling of night seems to be fall of their hope of Godot coming. And the rising of the moon seems like hope in the dark night which reflects the brighter side and motivates them to wait. They both are waiting for the whole day for Godot but Godot but Godot doesn't visit and in waiting night falls and sun rises, this also reflects that nature is distinct from human life. Human's desire or waiting doesn't affect nature; it will continue doing its work. 

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..."

Meaning of Apathia, Aphasia and Athambia

Apathia:- Apathy, a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern

Athambia:- Impartibility, to be incapable of being upset or not easily excited

Aphasia:- loss of the ability to comprehend or express speech 

In Lucky's speech, he says outright god is not concerned with us, and cannot be made to be. He makes this clear by stating that God is divinely apathetic, and therefore, is not interested in us. Then he says that God is calm, and has great self-assurance, indicating that God has no need for humans. He then says that God is aphasia towards us, and cannot communicate with us. These statements go against the popular Christian viewpoint of God. The Christian viewpoint of God is that God is not apathetic with us, and that God is in control of every moment of our lives. It's also a common perspective that God is not imperturbable, as God is vsin, and demands worship. And it is also common belief that God is not aphasia to humans, and that praying is an easy way to communicate with him.

Interpretation of words:-

To begin his speech, Lucky first paints a picture of a pious God that is " personal". He later destroys that image in the reader's mind by describing God using three words: Apathia, Aphasia and Athambia. When he uses the word divine, he is referring to God as God is often portrayed as a divine being. So he is saying that God is apathetic, meaning that he does not intervene. God is imperturbable; he has never been reached or could be reached by living human beings. And God is aphasic, meaning that he is silent and has never spoken and never will, even to prove his very own existence. The three words also represent human society as a whole. Lucky interprets that the 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.

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?

There is one feature in the play that leads one to assume there is a better solution to the tramp's predicament, which they themselves both consider preferable to waiting for Godot - that is suicide. 

"We should have thought of it when the world was young, in the nineties.... Hand in hand from the top of the Eiffel tower, among the first. We were respectable in those days. Now it's too late. They wouldn't even let us up." 

Suicide remains their favourite solution, unattainable owing to their own incompetence and their disappointment at their failure to succeed in their attempts at suicide that Vladimir and Estragon rationalize by waiting, or pretending to wait, for Godot.

The act of suicide is always significant in the idea of Existentialism. The question of our existence in this world always makes us  think about why we are living in this world? For what reason? And when we get no answer in reply to this question we think to committing suicide, when we find everything in the world useless and meaningless, then we think of suicide. In this play also when Vladimir and Estragon tired of their work of waiting they think of committing suicide by hanging themselves on tree. But they won't be able to do this because they  lack tools. 

Q . 7 Explain: "Godot might become an image of what Sartre calls "Bad faith"".

Meaning of Bad faith:-

In the philosophy of Existentialism, bad faith is the psychological phenomenon whereby individuals act authentically, by yielding to the external pressure of society to adopt false values and disown their innate freedom as sentient human beings. Bad faith also derives from the related concepts of self-deception and resentment.

Bad faith is a concept introduced by French Philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre in his work "Being and Nothingness". It refers to the situation where an individual denies their own freedom and responsibility, and instead acts in a way that is inauthentic or in contradiction to their true self. 

The suggestion that Godot might become an image of "bad faith" likely refers to the idea that Godot symbolizes a situation or state of being where one is waiting passively for something without actively taking control of their own life. In this way, waiting for Godot could be seen as an example of an individual denying their own life. In this way, waiting for Godot could be seen as an example of an individual denying their own freedom and responsibility, and acting inauthentically.

Q.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 the feeling of 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)". 

The statement is discussing the fluctuations between feeling the absurdity and feeling the necessity of certain things. It suggests that it is rare to feel only the absurdity of something  and vice versa. The feeling of absurdity and necessity tend to alternate and follow each other.

The statement is interpreted in the context of "Waiting for Godot" as a commentary on the characters 'experiences as they wait for Godot. The absurdity of their situation - waiting for someone who never comes - is followed by a feeling of necessity, as they feel compelled to continue waiting. This creates a cyclical pattern of absurdity and necessity, reflecting the repetition and futility of the characters' lives. 

  Thank you for reading! 

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