A programme of Music, Visual Arts and Drama education
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Summary STUDY NOTES ON ' WAITING FOR GODOT' BY SAMUEL BECKETT
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A programme of Music, Visual Arts and Drama education
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12
Book
Waiting for Godot
waiting for godot
-theatre of the absurd
definition, influences of absurdism, characteristics, general structure and more
-overview of samuel beckett’s life
-summary of the play
1. socio-political context
2. influences
3. playwright intention
4. characters
-stock characters, e...
A programme of Music, Visual Arts and Drama education
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The Existential (Absurdist) hero is one who is persistent and
perseveres
in a meaningless and hostile world”
Albert Camus
WAITING FOR
GODOT:
AN ANALYSIS
,CHARACTERISTICS: GENERAL STRUCTURE: ABSURDISM:
Broad comedy, often similar to vaudeville -Plotless narratives that are cyclical
§ The absurd arises by the contradictory nature of
mixed with horrific or tragic images. -Unrelated scenes
the two existing simultaneously.
1. Themes -Open or unexpected endings
§ In the philosophy of ”the absurd” refers to the
-Meaningless world -Dismissal of realism and the well made
conflict between:
-Characters seek meaning and value [sense of play structure 1. Human tendency to seek inherent value and
struggle to do this] -No sense of direction or progression
meaning in life.
-Isolation of the individual [blockage] 2. The human inability to find any.
-“the void” § Some absurdists state that one should embrace the
Some Absurdist Playwrights:
-Challenging tradition 1. Jean Geneat absurd condition of humankind while conversely
2. Eugene Lonseco’s continuing to explore and search for meaning.
2. Characters
3. Samuel Beckett
-caught in hopeless situations
4. Albert Camus
-anti characters who are:
1. Contradictory
2. 2 - dimensional Influences of Absurdism:
3. Confused about about who they are and
where they are going THEATRE OF 1. World War 2:
-Made life seem senseless, dark, doubtful and ultimately
4. Linked to clown-like characters absurd.
5. Vaudeville! ABSURD 2. Jean-Paul Santre:
3. Language -This sense of free will - having control of our lives.
[Devaluation of language] -We are responsible for ourselves.
-anti-language when includes:
1. Cliches being celebrated 3. Martin Esslin :
2. Word Play -A journalist and dramatist who wrote about a new form of
3. Automatic Writing theatre.
4. Nonsense with it’s paradoxical nature -He played on the sense of realities VS nightmares
5. Long Pauses 5. Myth of Sisyphus:
-Links to Greek mythology [has to push a rock up a 4. The Philosophy of Existentalism:
4. Set hill and watch it roll down for eternity] -Life doesn’t have an objective or value
-Fantastical, Mythical and Stage Craft -Mans futile search for meaning, unity and clarity. -An individual must create value by affirming and living it,
-Symbolist quality -Seen as can example of our lives. not merely just by talking about it.
-No specific location with a timeless and -However we as humankind should not be broken -We should have our own answers.
placeless feeling by this desperate search for a purpose. -Freedom can become restrictive.
, § An Irish novelist, playwright and
poet (very original and important)
in the 20th century.
§ Won a nobel prize in literature
[1969]
§ His parents were fairly strict and
devoted protestants.
§ He had a major love for cricket.
§ Beckett would have been exposed to
two great political events including:
1. The Easter Uprisings
2. World War 2
SAMUEL BECKETT -He was a harsh critic of the war
[worked against the Nazi’s]
-His dismay in humanity would echo in
[FATHER OF ABSURDISM] his writing.
-The war had left people everywhere in
search of solutions to fill the void left by
the shattered pre-war ideals.
-It was this search which produced lively
political debate, compelling
§ Beckett started writing in French as he philosophical ideas and a revolution in
believed writing in another language the arts.
§ Beckett suffered from panic would assist him in using a style that -The major artistic statements of Paris in
attacks, depression and was too personally suggestive\too hard the 1920s emanated from (grew from,
anxiety. to grasp. originated from) the Surrealists. Their
§ He seemingly had a bleak § He tried to express the inexpressible ideas were to have a major influence on
view of life and a morbid [the pure anguish] Beckett.
sense of humour. § He wanted to reject traditional rules
and give a more truthful portrayl.
, SUMMARY:
ACT 1.
Two men, Vladimir and Estragon, meet near a tree. They converse on various topics and reveal that they are waiting
there for a man named Godot. While they wait, two other men enter. Pozzo is on his way to the market to sell his
slave, Lucky. He pauses for a while to converse with Vladimir and Estragon. Lucky entertains them by dancing and
thinking, and Pozzo and Lucky leave.
After Pozzo and Lucky leave, a boy enters and tells Vladimir that he is a messenger from Godot. He tells Vladimir
that Godot will not be coming tonight, but that he will surely come tomorrow. Vladimir asks him some questions
about Godot and the boy departs. After his departure, Vladimir and Estragon decide to leave, but they do not move
as the curtain falls.
ACT 2.
The next night, Vladimir and Estragon again meet near the tree to wait for Godot. Lucky and Pozzo enter again,
but this time Pozzo is blind and Lucky is dumb. Pozzo does not remember meeting the two men the night before.
They leave and Vladimir and Estragon continue to wait.
Shortly after, the boy enters and once again tells Vladimir that Godot will not be coming. He insists that he did not
speak to Vladimir yesterday. After he leaves, Estragon and Vladimir decide to leave, but again they do not move as
the curtain falls, ending the play.
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