Waiting For Godot Samuel Beckett

Question 1

What is socio-political context of WFG?

Answer 1

-WW2
-Atomic bomb
-New emergence of theatre to understand the the brutality of war, atomic bomb, nuclear war in 1950s
-humans ability to act rationally

Question 2

Name ONE stylistic influences of WFG.

Answer 2

Commedia delle’arte
-A form of physical comedy.
-Very visual
-Use of mime unable to understand the simplest logical ideas or arguments and release human inhibition through laughter.
Use of verbal nonsense
-Physically reflected in the cyclical trapped nature of characters

Question 3

Describe the staging in WFG.

Answer 3

The stage had a road, a single tree bare
no shelter, dead set to show hostile environment
mound-grave

Question 4

What was the lighting like in WFG?

Answer 4

-Lighting indicates mood, atmosphere and not the time of day
-Subtle changes in colour reflect the changing in moods

Question 5

Costume in WFG

Answer 5

Influence of the bucket hat from loral and hardy
torn clothing

Question 6

Three symbols found in WFG

Answer 6

Tree
-symbol of life, hope and renewal
-mocking the characters they are incapable of this
-cyclical nature of their lives stuck day by day
-small little bit of hope
-more things change the more they stay the same

Pozzo’s Watch
-His obsession with man made concept of time
-loses his watch in act 2 foreshadowing his downfall and maybe the downfall of colonial empires
-desecrates the status power

Crossroads
-possibility of movement
-the potential to move on and journey faith
-symbolise choices
-are they capable of making them or moving

Question 7

Becketts themes

Answer 7

Humans Metaphysical Plight
The fundamental nature of being and the world that encompasses it.
Birth astride a grave

Time and Waiting
Everything between birth and death is a distraction
Unending cycle
The unity of time and place is rejected
time contracts and expands
Emphasised throughout the play as it gives the appearance of providing structure in absurd, chaotic and purposeless world.
illusion that time adds value to our lives

Question 8

Good quote for time

Answer 8

“Have you done tormenting me with your accursed time”

Question 9

Plot of WFG

Answer 9

Does not tell a story but explores a situation
nothing happens nobody comes nobody goes
“mr godot wont come this evening, but surely tomorrow”
Nothing happens twice