149. DSC 102 Waiting for Godot (34)

1. Vladimir moves with "short, stiff strides, with legs apart” – What does it signify?

 Ans: - Vladimir suffers from the enlargement of the prostate gland- a complaint common in old age. His gait reminds us of the king of comedy, Charlie Chaplin. Again, Vladimir's movement with "short, stiff strides, with legs apart" signifies his physical discomfort and unease. It also suggests a sense of tension and urgency, reflecting his impatience and restlessness as he waits for Godot. This physical portrayal emphasizes the existential themes of the play, conveying the characters' struggle with the human condition and their search for meaning in a seemingly meaningless world.

2. "Certainly they beat me”- Who is beaten by and by whom?

Ans: - In Samuel Beckett's play "Waiting for Godot," the character named Lucky says the line, "Certainly they beat me" in reference to being physically beaten by his master, Pozzo, and Pozzo's assistant. The beating is described in Lucky's lengthy and nonsensical monologue in Act I. Estragon informs that he had been beaten by some people whom he identifies only as ‘they’. What ‘they’ refers to remain a mystery, much like the malevolent cosmic forces, the tormenters of humanity. ‘They’ are as mysterious as ‘Godot’ is to be later. 

3. Who planned to commit suicide by jumping off the Eiffel Tower?

Ans: - In Samuel Beckett's play "Waiting for Godot," the character named Lucky is the one who is said to have planned to commit suicide by jumping off the Eiffel Tower. However, it is unclear whether this is true or if it is just something that Estragon and Vladimir, the other characters in the play, have heard. Estragon and Vladimir had, during their younger days, together also planned to commit suicide by jumping off the Eiffel Tower. But, Vladimir thinks, in their present condition, they would not be allowed to go up the Eiffel Tower and will thus be denied even the most despairing choice (of committing suicide). 

4. What are the nicknames of Estragon and Vladimir?

 Ans:- "Estragon" is nicknamed "Gogo," while "Vladimir" is nicknamed "Didi" in Samuel Beckett's play "Waiting for Godot." It is interesting to note that only in the list of characters are the tramps named Estragon and Vladimir. Right through the plays the two address each other by their Gogo and Didi. The play follows the two characters as they wait for the arrival of a character named Godot who never shows up, exploring themes of non existence, no meaning, and the deplorable human condition. Thus their nick names are so trivial.

5. What is ‘mandrakes’? What is its symbolic reference?

 Ans:- In Samuel Beckett's play "Waiting for Godot," "mandrakes" refers to a mythical plant that was believed to have magical and healing properties. In the play, Estragon suggests they try to find mandrakes to help cure Vladimir's ailing foot. The two tramps by mentioning ‘mandrakes’ give an evidence of their love for knowledge. The mandrakes symbolize the characters' desire for something that can magically solve their problems, but ultimately it is just another fruitless pursuit. An ancient fertility symbols, mandrake, is believed to grow below the gallows. Notably there, death and birth being two facts of the same coin, Gallows, a symbol of death, is put side by side with mandrakes, fertility symbol.

6. Where were the Vladimir and Estragon Waiting for Godot?

 Ans: - It was a willow tree having scarcely a leave on it or it was a shrub or a bush, under which they were waiting. In fact, Vladimir and Estragon were waiting for Godot on a barren, treeless landscape with only a single tree and a country road. The location of the setting is never explicitly stated, and the play's themes of existentialism and the human condition are explored through the characters' endless waiting.

7. Estragon: I’m asking you it we’re tied:- How are the two tramps tied and to whom?

Ans:- Here Estragon asks Vladimir whether they are tied. The two tramps are not physically tied to anyone or anything. Estragon's question "I'm asking you if we're tied" is a metaphorical expression of their predicament of being stuck in their situation, waiting for someone who may never come. The two tramps are tied to their own existence and the cycle of waiting and hoping. They are tied to waiting for Godot. They can not get away from it was doing so would mean giving up hope, how so ever illusory that hope may be?

8. "Why doesn’t he put down his bags?” – Who is having the bag? Why don’t he put down it?

Ans:- There is complementarity in the master- slave relationship in Pozzo- Lucky relationship. While they enter on the stage lucky has a bag on the back. Pozzo’s treatment of Lucky as a beast of burden underscores human tragedy. ‘Lucky’ in order to impress Pozzo, doesn’t put down his bags. It is not explicitly stated why he does not put them down, but it may be symbolic of the characters' overall sense of waiting and uncertainty. The bags may represent the burdens and baggage that the characters carry with them as they wait for the arrival of Godot.

9. Why is lucky given such a name?

 Ans:-  Lucky is given his name ironically because he is anything but lucky. He is portrayed as a slave who is mistreated and abused by his master Pozzo. The name "Lucky" serves as a cruel joke, highlighting the character's unfortunate and hopeless situation. Again, there might be two suggestions about the source of his name – (i) lucky is ‘Lucky’ because he gets the bones or (ii) he is ‘Lucky’ because he has no expectations, hence he will not be disappointed further in his existence . “Blessed are those who do not hope, for they shall not be disappointed.”

10. What does it symbolize by Pozzo’s baldness?

Ans:- The intellectual barrenness of Pozzo is symbolized by his baldness, in contrast to Lucky’s abundant white hair. Pozzo’s baldness fits well in the scheme of things – as then there is all round barrenness. Pozzo's baldness can also symbolize a loss of power and authority. Without his hair, Pozzo is stripped of his physical dominance and appears vulnerable. This loss of control mirrors the play's themes of uncertainty and the search for meaning in a world that seems chaotic and meaningless.

11. What is thinking hat? Who wears it and why?

 Ans: - It is Lucky who can’t think without his hat on. And in order to terminate Lucky’s thinking someone has to remove his hat, as if an energizer has been removed from a machine. Thinking, thus, becomes mechanical.

12. Why which name the boy address Vladimir?

 Ans: - The boy address Vladimir as Mr. Albert and Vladimir responds to it.

 

13. What is the different do you find the Willow tree in act ii?

Ans:- In act. I we see that the tree, which was leafless in the first act, has four or five leaves.

14. What the tree stands for in the play?

 Ans: - The tree is associated with the central theme of barrenness, nothingness and death. As the two tramps wish to hang themselves on the bough, it reminds us for Christ’s    crucifixion. Further in act ii when few leaves are seen, it stands for spring, hope and renewals also.

15. How did the two tramps pass their line of waiting in act- ii?

 Ans: - The two tramps as a means of passing time propose different things: to sing, to think or to contradict each other, or ask each other questions.

16. What was Lucky carrying in his bag? What is the symbolic in it?

 Ans:- Lucky in his bag carries sand, a symbol of burden and of time (in hour glass) , in his bag.

17. What is the profit of Pazzo’s blindness?

Ans:- Owning  to Pazzo’s blindness, he has acquired a new might into the meaning of life. Life is a mere serious of meaningless repetitions activities. Journey from womb to tomb is full of miseries. 

18. What does the song about the dog signify in Waiting for Godot?

 Ans:- In the beginning of act ii Vladimir moves about feverishly on the stage and suddenly begins to sing a dog song – an old German Balled. It is a circular song. It is emblematic of the circularity and repetitiveness of the play as a whole.

19. What does Lucky’s ‘Dance in a Net’ symbolize?

 Ans:- Lucky’s dance amplifies the agony, strain and entanglement in life to magnify the ultimate suffering of human existence.

20. What does the bare landscape in Waiting for Godot signify?

 Ans:- The bare landscape in Waiting for Godot signifies the meaninglessness of life. It is a place of exile and despair, where nothing ever happens and nothing ever changes. The characters are trapped in a cycle of waiting, and they are unable to escape their own emptiness.

The bare landscape is also a symbol of the human condition. We are all born into a world that is ultimately meaningless, and we are all doomed to die. The only thing we can do is to try to find meaning in the meaninglessness, and to find ways to cope with our own mortality.

21. There’s man all over for you, blaming on his boot the faults of his feet – refer to the speaker and elucidate the statement.

 Ans:- The speaker of the line "There's man all over for you, blaming on his boot the faults of his feet" is Vladimir. He is talking about the human tendency to blame others for our own problems. We often refuse to take responsibility for our own actions, and we prefer to blame others instead. This is a way of avoiding the truth about ourselves, and it prevents us from growing and changing.

22. Mention the speakers who Visualize life as a moment between the womb and the tomb, in Waiting for Godot.

 Ans:- The speakers who visualize life as a moment between the womb and the tomb are Vladimir and Estragon. They both see life as a brief and meaningless interlude between two eternities of nothingness. This is a bleak and pessimistic view of life, but it is also one that is shared by many people.

23. Give two examples of the stage images of waiting as enacted in Waiting for Godot?

 Ans:- The two tramps sitting on a rock, waiting for Godot.

The tree, which is always there, but never changes.

These images suggest the futility of waiting. The tramps have been waiting for Godot for a long time, and it is clear that he is not coming. The tree is a symbol of hope, but it is also a reminder of the passage of time. It is clear that the tramps are not getting any younger, and that their chances of meeting Godot are diminishing.

24. It’s a remarkable percentage – mention the speaker and explain the concept.

 Ans:- The speaker of the line "It's a remarkable percentage" is Pozzo. He is talking about the number of people who are born and die every day. He finds this number to be remarkable, because it suggests that life is a very brief and insignificant thing.

Pozzo's statement is a reflection of the absurdist philosophy that underlies Waiting for Godot. The absurdists believe that life is meaningless and that there is no point in trying to find meaning. They also believe that the human condition is essentially futile and hopeless.

25. What is the tone of Waiting for Godot?

Ans:- Waiting for Godot is both bleak and absurdly humorous. From the moment the curtain rises, the barrenness of the set conveys loneliness and isolation, and the rundown characters exude a subtle desperation. They seem to have hope, persevering in waiting for some sort of meaning or salvation, but it is ultimately revealed to be foolish and futile. But the humor created by the absurdity of the characters and their situation saves the play from total darkness. The audience's laughter is cathartic, counteracting the sense of hopelessness to create a lighter mood. In a way, the two tones reinforce each other. Things are bleak to the point of absurdity, and the absurdity reveals bleak truths about humanity and existence. The first line of the play, "Nothing to be done," in addition to summing up the action in the play, demonstrates both bleak resignation and a comically absurd casualness. Beckett called the play a tragicomedy, and his work has been interpreted both bleakly and humorously on the stage.

26. Why is Vladimir appalled in Waiting for Godot and what does it mean in the context of the play?

Ans:- In Act 1, Vladimir is talking about "the last moment" when he says he feels "it coming." He is both relieved and appalled. He has also just tried to remember a quotation he heard before about "hope deferred" making someone sick. Presumably it is death that he feels coming, and remembering the quotation provokes these mixed feelings. Although he mentions being both relieved and appalled, the feeling of being appalled is clearly stronger because the word is repeated, written in capital letters, and broken into syllables to be spoken with strong emphasis. Virtually, the only hope demonstrated in the play is implied by Vladimir's insistence on continuing to wait for Godot despite his ongoing failure to appear and Vladimir's recurring longing for death. For just a brief minute, Vladimir seems to recognize that waiting is the cause of his suffering, leaving him appalled and perhaps even making him physically ill. However, as often happens in the play, he quickly gives up on the thought with the comment "Nothing to be done."

27. What does Vladimir mean by a man "blaming on his boots the faults of his feet" in Waiting for Godot?

Ans:- Like many statements in the play, Vladimir's statement in Act 1 sounds like a profound truth, but becomes absurd on closer examination. This is often interpreted as pointing out the tendency of humans to blame their problems on external sources (the boot) rather than looking to themselves (one's own foot) for the root of the problem. While this is something people do, the metaphor is based on the absurd premise that feet should somehow fit their boots rather than the other way around. It also is an example of situational irony that Vladimir and Estragon are never able to take it upon themselves to escape the excruciating waiting by just leaving instead of waiting for an external figure, Godot, to appear and save them.

28. What does Estragon suggest repenting of in Waiting for Godot?

Ans:- In Act 1 when Vladimir comes up with the idea of repenting of something, Estragon suggests they repent of being born. In Christianity, repentance is usually understood to involve feelings of deep regret for past wrongs, so Estragon is suggesting their very existence is a regrettable mistake. If Estragon feels they would have been better off not being born, he must not feel their lives have contained much worth living for, thus contributing to the ideas in the play about life being devoid of purpose. Another interpretation suggests itself in the idea of Estragon repenting of something that cannot possibly be his own fault—his birth. This exposes the idea of repentance as absurd.

29. In Waiting for Godot, why does Estragon say, "People are bloody ignorant apes"?

Ans:- Estragon makes this statement in Act 1 in response to Vladimir's complaint about the story of the two thieves in the Bible. Only one of the four Gospels in the New Testament says Christ took mercy on and saved one of the thieves crucified alongside him, yet Vladimir says it is the only version people know. (Another Gospel says both thieves were damned, and the other two don't mention the thieves at all.) Estragon explains this by saying you can't expect any more of people because they're really nothing but animals. Rather than thinking through complex ideas, they simply choose whatever seems likely to be better for them. It is fitting that, of the two main characters, Estragon is the one to observe that people are no more than animals because he is the character most in touch with his animal drives, including pain and hunger. Like the apes he decries, Estragon also refuses to think through complex ideas with Vladimir. It is also interesting to note that this statement, which is based on the theory of evolution, occurs during a discussion of a Bible story. It is only in evolutionary science that humans are believed to have descended from apes. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, people are created separately from animals and considered to be inherently superior.

30. What must Godot do before answering Vladimir and Estragon's request in Waiting for Godot, Act 1 and what does it reveal about Godot?

Ans:- According to Vladimir and Estragon in Act 1 (Estragon and Vladimir), before answering their "kind of prayer," Godot must "think it over" and consult with his family, friends, agents, correspondents, books, and bank account. This list is delivered in the same comic free-association format Vladimir and Estragon repeat throughout the play, in which they seem almost to compete to see which one can come up with the most ways to say the same thing. This raises the question of whether they're listing meaningful things or simply saying the next thing that occurs to them. If, however, their list is meaningful, it reveals that this higher power they are depending on to save them, instead of having final decision-making power, must first consult with pretty much everyone he knows as well as established learning and financial institutions to make a decision. This reveals Godot to be less than a definitive or divine authority and points out the foolishness of Estragon's and, especially (because he represents the mind) Vladimir's reliance on him to provide meaning to their existence.

31. Why does Vladimir stifle his laughter in Waiting for Godot, Act 1?

Ans:- In Act 1, Vladimir "breaks into a hearty laugh" and stifles it, "his hand pressed to his pubis, his face contorted." Then Vladimir claims laughter is not allowed. He is the only character who makes this claim, however, and apparently the only one bound by it because both Pozzo and Estragon laugh freely and without consequence before the end of Act 1. This restriction Vladimir imposes clearly applies only to himself. Obviously, Vladimir has a prostate problem, but on a subtler level the restriction he tries to impose on everyone implies that he sees his physical illness as a type of punishment. Later in the play, he says they cannot drop (abandon) Godot because he will punish them. It explains perhaps why Vladimir insists on waiting for Godot, and it shows that he really does believe in Godot's powers.

32. What is the significance of the confusion about Pozzo's name and identity in Waiting for Godot?

Ans:- In both acts Estragon asks whether Pozzo is Godot when he and Lucky first arrive. They have been waiting for an authority figure, and Pozzo appears to be one, at least in Act 1. The idea is chilling: This pompous person who treats a fellow human being so callously could be the higher authority Vladimir and Estragon have been waiting for. Thankfully, Vladimir is certain he is not Godot—mostly. In the confusion about Pozzo's name in Act 1, Estragon calls him "Bozzo," comparing him to a clown. Vladimir says he knew a Gozzo family, the mother of which had a sexually transmitted disease (gonorrhea, known as "the clap"). He offers this information to try to calm Pozzo, but the unfavorable comparisons only highlight the absurdity of Pozzo's demands for recognition and respect.

33. What is the significance of Vladimir and Estragon's reaction when they examine Lucky in Waiting for Godot?

Ans:- As they examine Lucky in Act 1, Vladimir and Estragon first notice that rubbing from the rope is causing a sore on Lucky's neck. Estragon declares this inevitable. After noticing he's "not bad looking," Estragon points out Lucky's "slobber," and Vladimir declares that inevitable. They speculate that he is mentally disabled. Vladimir thinks Lucky has a goiter (an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland in the neck), but Estragon says it is uncertain. Then Vladimir notices Lucky's "goggling" eyes, and Estragon says Lucky is at his "last gasp," but Vladimir calls that uncertain, too. The contrast between their two primary conclusions, things are either inevitable or uncertain, is comical, but their conclusions are also self-serving. Concluding that the sore and the slobber are inevitable is heartless; accepting Lucky's condition without question, and dismissing his signs of illness, even possible death, as "uncertain" ensures that they don't need to help him. They can continue to avoid action and resume waiting.

34. In Waiting for Godot, Act 1 how do the chicken bones help illustrate differences between Estragon and Vladimir?

Ans:- As the half of the pair that represents the body, Estragon is primarily concerned with his hunger, and nakedly shows his interest in the chicken bones. In Act 1, he holds to social conventions enough to ask permission to take the bones but feels no embarrassment about greedily scooping them up and gnawing on them once he has been given the go-ahead. Estragon can also be seen as personifying the id in Freud's theory of the human psyche, or personality. The id functions purely on instinct, is only concerned with biological needs, and demands instant gratification. As the one concerned with reason and logic, Vladimir is more bound by social conventions, and is scandalized by the forwardness of Estragon's request. In Freud's framework, Vladimir best represents the ego, the part of the psyche concerned with reasoning and social consequences. He is also the only character who occasionally demonstrates features of the superego, which is concerned with higher societal values such as morality.