Waiting for Godot

1. When Estragon shrugs off the suggestion that without Vladimir, he would be “nothing more than a little heap of bones,” Vladimir muses, “We should have thought of it a million years ago, in the nineties. [. . .] Hand in hand from the top of the Eiffel Tower, among the first. We were respectable in those days. Now it’s too late.” What is Vladimir suggesting they should have done?

A) helped each other climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower

B) had their photograph taken at the Eiffel Tower

C) pledged their loyalty to each other at the Eiffel Tower

D) jumped off the top of the Eiffel Tower together

2. What does Vladimir repeatedly remove and peer inside, as if trying to find or see something?

A) his boot

B) his hat

C) his jacket

D) his shoulder bag

3. Why is Vladimir puzzled by the story of the two thieves as it is told in the Gospels of the Bible?

A) Only one of the four Gospels mentions the thieves.

B) Only one of the Gospels speaks of a thief being saved.

C) Only one of the Gospels says Christ wouldn’t save them.

D) Only one of the Gospels speaks of the thieves' crimes.

4. Why do Estragon and Vladimir start to worry about keeping their meeting with Godot?

A) They cannot remember what day it is.

B) They have to leave soon for another appointment.

C) They are worried about getting home before dark.

D) They cannot remember where he lives.

5. Why do Vladimir and, especially, Estragon wonder if Pozzo is Godot when he first appears?

A) They cannot see well in the dark.

B) Pozzo strongly resembles Godot.

C) They aren’t really acquainted with Godot.

D) Pozzo pretends to be Godot.

6. In what way does Estragon’s character differ from Vladimir’s?

A) Estragon has a much better memory.

B) Estragon is more devout or religious.

C) Estragon has more courage and self-confidence.

D) Estragon is more interested in eating and sleeping.

7. According to Pozzo, why does Lucky continue to hold his heavy burdens instead of setting them down when the opportunity arises?

A) He wants to impress Pozzo.

B) He wants to build his strength.

C) He is not very intelligent.

D) He is so strong he doesn’t need to.

8. Why does Pozzo command Lucky to “think” aloud for Estragon and Vladimir?

A) because Pozzo wants them to buy Lucky

B) because Estragon complains that nothing ever happens

C) because Pozzo is proud of what he has taught Lucky

D) because Vladimir keeps falling asleep

Answer each of the following questions with a brief response of one to several words.

9. When Estragon asks Vladimir if they are “tied to Godot,” whose relationship does this foreshadow? (short answer)

10. From whom did Pozzo learn about “Beauty, grace, truth of the first water”? (short answer)

Discussion Suggestions: Use Question 8 to begin a discussion on the Theatre of the Absurd. During the 1950s and 1960s, a number of European and American dramatists wrote plays in which, as Estragon says, “nothing happens.” The Theatre of the Absurd, as these plays are collectively known, presents characters who cannot determine the purpose of life and often feel trapped in a universe that has no clear, objective meaning behind its existence. In what ways do Estragon and Vladimir express the absurdity of the repetitive cycle of existence? How do their perceptions of their situation cast doubt on the objective reality of time, progress, and even knowledge itself? What lines and character actions in the play support your thinking?

11. Why is the repetitive, circular form of the song Vladimir sings at the opening of Act II significant?

A. It helps him remember the song.

B. It emphasizes the cause and effect nature of stories.

C. It echoes the repetitive structure of the play.

D. It shows that suffering always follows misconduct.

12. How are Estragon’s limited memories related to one another?

A. They mainly focus on Pozzo and Lucky.

B. They primarily relate to eating and feeling pain.

C. They focus on grape-harvesting in Macon Country.

D. They center on the tree’s former appearance.

13. Just like the “billions of others” who have lived and died, what do Vladimir and Estragon agree they are unable to do?

A. keep silent

B. keep from changing

C. forget about the past

D. forget about helping others

14. Because Vladimir believes they were waiting at the same spot the previous day, what puzzles him about the tree that stands nearby?

A. It now has leaves.

B. It has lost all its leaves.

C. It now looks smaller, like a shrub.

D. It now has apples on it.

15. When Pozzo and Lucky arrive once again, why does Vladimir exclaim, “Time flows again already. The sun will set, the moon will rise, and we away . . . from here”?

A. He thinks Pozzo will take them away with him.

B. He hopes Lucky will be able to think of solutions.

C. He can now learn the time from Pozzo’s watch.

D. He believes their arrival means things are changing.

16. Although Lucky is the only character whose life has a clear purpose, what does Vladimir say is the “one thing” that is certain about his and Estragon’s existence?

A. They are free, unlike Lucky.

B. They are waiting for Godot.

C. They are rational beings.

D. They are destined to be saved.

17. How does Pozzo respond to Vladimir’s question regarding when Lucky became mute?

A. He says it happened after Lucky ate chicken bones.

B. He says it happened after Lucky lost his hat.

C. He says it doesn’t matter because Lucky will recover.

D. He says the time when anything happens is meaningless.

18. What does Vladimir instruct the boy to tell Godot?

A. that they won’t wait for him any longer

B. that they are losing faith in him

C. that the boy saw them

D. that the boy is tired of disappointing them

Answer each of the following questions with a brief response of one to several words.

19. What does Vladimir find on the ground that convinces him they are in “the right place” after all? (short answer)

20. Taking into account the events of Act II and how the act ends, what will Vladimir and Estragon most likely do the next day? (short answer)

Discussion Suggestions: Use Question 6 to begin a discussion on who or what Godot represents in the play. There are a number of Christian references in the play, most of which concern judgement and salvation. Moreover, as the play comes to an end, Vladimir tells Estragon that if Godot comes, “we’ll be saved.” For understandable reasons, many people have interpreted Godot as a symbol of God, but Samuel Beckett discouraged this notion when questioned about it. What, then, are Vladimir and Estragon waiting for? Will it ever come? If not, why not? Use specific lines and character actions and reactions in the play to support your ideas.