Waiting for Godot is a play by Samuel Beckett in which two characters, Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo), wait for the arrival of someone named Godot who never arrives, and while waiting they engage in a variety of discussions and encounter three other characters. 

Waiting for Godot is Beckett's translation of his own original French play, En attendant Godot, and is subtitled (in English only) "a tragicomedy in two acts".The original French text was composed between 9 October 1948 and 29 January 1949

 Q 1. What connection do you see in the setting("A country road. A tree. Evening.) of the play and these paintings.
In this setting there is symbolic representation longing for nature and as well as absurdity of life. Evening suggest that next day will come and their waiting will have end. Tree symbolize hopefulness of them.

 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 2 on the barren tree- The tree has four or five leaves?


 Tree symbolize hope , growth and life . In act 2 barren tree has leaves means their hope and desire will also satisfied. It also suggest that nature change by the time . So it is connected with hope that their waiting will be beneficial.

3) 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 two acts ,same sequence and repetition of  scene . Each scene ends with rising of moon. It suggests night which is symbol of darkness and death. Night symbolize that day is gone and Godot not come. They have to still wait next day. 


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?

In this play setting used wastage of collapsed building . It shows that our life is also deals with debris. It is passed through this wastage which is  no permenent . Life becomes out of this materials which actually no more useful.

5 ) The play begins with the dialogue "Nothing to be done". how does the theme of 'nothingness' recurs in the play? 

Life itself is nothing but continuously waiting for something or death. Some come and some go nothing happens . In the play in we see nothing happens , " nothing to be done . There is no answer of their questions . Purpose and meaning of life which ends in death. In play both only " Waiting " for Godot but Godot not come and nothing happens or change . So theme is very appropriate with depth of message. 

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)?

I agreed the play was a positive play because life itself is habit we can't escape from it . After satisfied all the desires adesires and wishes there is also question remains , : " We are happy now what to do ? " Thus we can kill ourself by end or death. But life goes on as usual nothing will happen it is only absurdity . 


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

Vladimir focuses almost on his hat . He is thinking man and intellectual man. Estragon focused on his boots. It shows that he is more ' earthy ' character involved in materialistic of life rather than intellectual of things. Hat symbolize civilization and boots materialistic personality.

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?

Yes ,the obedience of Lucky is extremely irritating and nauseatic . Because this slavish behaviour suggest that you are binded or habituated with this thing. Even if you try to make them free out of bad treatment , they will reacted negatively because they don't want to be free. Same way like Vladimir and Estragon we waiting for Godot , even if we know he will not come , no answer , we waits and become slave of God.

9) Who according to you is Godot? God? An object of desire? Death? Goal? Success? or...
According to me, Godot is death . After doing all the things , we waiting for death. After all success and happiness , all desires  in life nothing left. What to do ? What purpose of life ? Nothing . Then we waits for end , that is Godot that is death.

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?

The play deals with ' waiting ' because throughout our life we only do that is waiting of something or someone or events. The act of waiting as essential and characteristics aspect of human life. Same way Vladimir and Estragon not meet Godot but waits and do nothing . That shown by Beckett that Godot will never come and still we are waiting . 



11) Do you think 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 both way is beneficial reading and viewing of the play. Because while watching audio - visuals help in better understanding of the play. Visual of the scene and character expression have more effect to understand it. Audio and different sounds also helpful. From reading effect of dialogue and language give space to think.


12) Which of the following sequence you liked the most:

  •  Vladimir-Estragon killing time in questions and conversationa while waiting
  • Pozzo-Lucky episode in both acts
  • Conversation of Vladimir with the boy
In this I liked the most is conversation of Vladimir with the boy . That Vladimir asked him whether they are happy or not. God beat them . What is he doing ? Such questions asked by him. This conversation is more interesting.


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?

 There is effect of existential crisis and meaninglessness , we find when nothing happens by the time. Vladimir and Estragon waiting for Godot but boy said that he will come tomorrow not today. Ultimately waiting is the meaningless act. It will not be fruitful at all. Life itself is nothing our existence is absurd and our waiting for death. So in play theme of nothingness creates effect of existential crisis.
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?

 In existentialism suicide is best art ever done. After happens everything, there is a need of national thinking, that is suicide. It is a favourite solution when feeling of absurdity came in life. Vladimir and Estragon ' s Waiting is significant of their steadfast hope and faith. They thought about suicide but not commit , because of hope of salvation that Godot will come.


 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'?

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?

Lucky as slave Ireland , pozzo as England , Vladimir as Russia and Estragon as France. Godot stand as Hitlar ( Germany ) or a psychopathic God. As pozzo controlled Lucky same way England trying to control Ireland and Italy.


16) 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?

In act 1 Vladimir said to boy that tell Godot that He Had seen both them and they are waiting for him. In act 2 Vladimir said that tell Godot that , " You saw me ." He not mention Estragon in the dialogue . It means he became self centred and selfish person. He now no more want Estragon with him bacause he thought he deserve more then him at every aspect. So he became selfish.