💠 Hello learners. I am a student. For this blog task assigned by Dilip Sir, I will complete the worksheet to by handwriting them and submit both scanned and physical copies. The blog will feature these worksheets, along with embedded videos accompanied by abstracts. Additionally, I will include a reflection on the theme of hope in Waiting for Godot.
💠 click here (Teacher's Blog)
🔹 Using Gen AI in Literature Classroom: Two Worksheets
🔷 1.1. Why does Beckett grow a few leaves in Act II on the barren tree - The tree has four or five leaves?
➡️ In waiting for godot, the few leaves on the tree in act 2 symbolize ambiguous time passge , the illusion of change , fleeting hope and possible biblical allusions. They creat a paradox - suggesting both renewal and stagnation rain forcing the plays existential themes and abusrdist humour.
🔷 1.2. 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'?
➡️ A political reading of Waiting for Godot is possible if the characters symbolize European nations post-WWII:
Vladimir (Russia) – Rational, dominant, reflecting Soviet influence.
Estragon (France) – Emotional, forgetful, mirroring France’s struggles.
Pozzo (Italy) – Once powerful, now in decline, like post-fascist Italy.
Lucky (Britain) – Burdened and obedient, representing Britain’s fading global role.
The play reflects postwar Europe's paralysis, waiting for salvation (Godot), possibly symbolizing the U.S. (Marshall Plan, NATO) or an unattainable political resolution. Beckett’s absurdism captures the continent’s disillusionment and endless cycle of expectation.
🔷 1.3. 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?
➡️ Beckett never confirmed a specific country but interpretation suggest godot could symbolize Western nations, post-war European stability, or only external
saviour figure that never arrives.
Act l vs act ll - the boys question.
Act l : vladimir says , " tell him you saw us "
Act ll: he says , " tell him you saw me"
Significance:
🔹 Reputation & circulurity - the unchanged situation emphasizes endless waiting .
🔹 Isolation - the shit from "us" to "me" suggest vladimirs growing.
🔹 Futility of hope - waiting for godot is meaningless, rainforcing existential despair.
🔷 1.4. In both Acts, evening falls into night and the moon rises. How would you interpret this ‘coming of night and moon’ when actually they are waiting for Godot?
➡️ The transition from evining to night and the rising of the moon in waiting for godot symbolize the passage of time, exestinal uncertainty and the cyclical nature of human exasitance who never arrives time itself become ambiguous and almost meaningless.
The arrival of night can be seen as a metaphor of despair the end of hope or even death . It reinforce the idea that their waiting is futile another day passes, but nothing changes. Sins this pattern repeat in both acts, it emphasizes the endless cycle of waiting , where each day mirror the last, reflecting the absurdity of existence.
🔷 1.5. 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 exceptions for reasons unknown …”
➡️ In Waiting for godot, lucky' s speech is a chaotic monologue filled with fragmented ideas but the terms apathia, aphasia and athambla, stand out as significant. They seem to describe the nature of God.
1) Apathia (apathy) : suggest divine indifference, meaning that God is emotionally detached from human suffering.
2) Aphasia : refers to an inability to speak, implying that God does that communiete with humanity or remains silent in response to human struggle.
3) Athambla ( impassivity) : suggest divine unshakability or an inability to be disturbed, reinforcing the idea that God is unffected by human concerns.
Together, these words describe a god who , " love us dearly" but remains distant silent and indifference mirroring the plays theme of uncertainty suffering and the search for meaning in an absurd universe.
🔷 1.6. ‘A better solution to the tramp’s predicament than to wait – is, suicide”. Is it really so? Why did they fail to commit suicide? (Pg 36 in the article)
➡️ In Waiting for Godot, Vladimir and Estragon contemplate suicide but never act, reflecting the play’s nihilistic undertones. Their inaction stems from:
1. Fear of the Unknown – Uncertain about what lies beyond life.
2. Physical Inability – Doubts about the tree’s strength and risk of one surviving.
3. Habit and Inertia – Trapped in the cycle of waiting.
4. Mutual Dependence – Their bond prevents solitary action.
Beckett portrays them as figures of the absurd, caught between the search for meaning and the recognition of its futility, yet continuing to exist.
🔷 1.7. Explain: “Godot might become an image of what Sartre calls Bad Faith”. (Pg 39 in the article)
➡️ In Waiting for Godot, Godot symbolizes Sartre’s concept of bad faith—self-deception to avoid existential freedom. Vladimir and Estragon use waiting as an excuse for inaction, relying on an external figure instead of creating their own meaning. Their hope in Godot mirrors how people cling to illusions or authority to escape responsibility. His perpetual absence traps them in this cycle, shielding them from facing their own agency.
🔷 1.8. 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)”
➡️ In Waiting for Godot, the paradox of absurdity and necessity is central. Vladimir and Estragon see waiting for Godot as essential, yet it is ultimately meaningless. Their belief gives purpose, but once they see its futility, necessity turns into absurdity—only for the cycle to repeat. This reflects the human tendency to impose meaning on actions, even when faced with their ultimate meaninglessness.
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Thank you.
Be learners.
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