Preview

MA English

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
347 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
MA English
MEG - 2 Question - 8 : Comment on the title of waiting for godot.

Ans: The play Waiting for Godot was first performed in France and the original title is En Attendant Godot. Samuel Beckett's play transformed post-World War II theater by introducing a play in which nothing cohesive happens, unless two old men sitting and talking while two other old men pay disruptive and disturbing visits cohesive. This was the introduction of what came to be aptly called Theater of the Absurd.

In French the "en attendant" is from the transitive infinitive verb form "attendre" meaning "to wait." Secondary meanings of attendre are "to expect" and "to await." Defining attendre gives a broader understanding to the meaning of the original title that was translated to English as simply Waiting for Godot. To French speakers, En Attendant Godot would register as a Shakespearean-style word play in which a primary meaning suggests other deeper meanings. In this instance, to expect someone is more fraught with meaning than merely to wait for someone: the former imbues the waiting with the emotional import of expectation, whereas the latter ismerely waiting...maybe there is a task to perform; maybe you were just asked to wait with no particular attachment involved, etc. In addition, to await also conveys a sense of immediacy and anticipation, a feeling that something is imminently in store. These subtle meanings underlying the word play associated with en attendant is wholly missing in the flat "waiting" of the English translation.

On the one hand, "waiting" may add to the absurdity of the play being as it is a simple straightforward word that, in the context of the play, leads to nothing. But on the other hand, "waiting" strips the play of some of the most poignant absurdist elements. When the act of waiting calls up expectation or anticipation of something imminently in store, the old men sitting and talking about misery and suicidal thoughts carries a heavier and more absurd

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    English

    • 374 Words
    • 1 Page

    The article began by saying how a ‘splendid but hugely expensive garden would be created in the grounds of Alnwick castle’. This gives us the impression that she is rich and is wasting her money away on some project that is costing 5 million pounds. It is until around line 70 when the readers get a bad impression of the Duchess as until then it says how ‘the locals’ ‘were less than impressed’ asking who ‘does she think she is’. This gives us the impression that the locals don’t think that she is a worthy Duchess and are not fond of her. It then goes on to say how the ‘duke and duchess believed they just had to click their fingers and everyone else would come running’. This gives the impression that they think they can do what they want and they think they are so powerful that everyone will come running to them and do whatever they please. By line 70 however, the readers start to see a different side of her when Rachel Cooke’s actually goes to see her when she realises that she’s not actually a bad person. The Duchess goes on to say how she ‘should try to win the critics round’ but she cannot be bothered. This gives the impression that she doesn’t care about impressing the locals and if they don’t like her then she will deal with it and not chase after them persuading them to like her. When she speaks she then says how she never expected to be Duchess and how it was ‘difficult for [her] to leave the farmhouse’. This gives us the impression that she’s actually a normal person and her background isn’t from royalty. Just because she is a duchess doesn’t mean that they have ‘unlimited cash’ she goes on saying. This gives us the impression that she feels that people instantly judge and think that she is very rich and doesn’t have any money problems but she has to ‘pay card bills’ just like anyone else. Furthermore it gives us the impression that she doesn’t feel like royalty she…

    • 374 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The language used by Shakespeare here eloquently describes the deep passion that they feel for one another, and the audience are well rewarded for their patience in waiting for the two lovers to meet.…

    • 415 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    English

    • 1798 Words
    • 8 Pages

    In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth's corrupt ways and mind causes him to do evil doings and actions. In Act four, he shows many visions of malevolent doings. First, he visits the witches. Then, he plans the murders of Lady Macduff and her son. Next, Macbeth makes Macduff and Malcolm question their thoughts about him. Also, Macbeth vows that he will not be hasty in his moves any longer. Finally, he acts as a foil towards Malcolm.…

    • 1798 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    English

    • 349 Words
    • 2 Pages

    * Salinger has influenced a whole generation of writers, among which notably include John Updike, Harold Brodkey and Philip Roth.…

    • 349 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    English

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages

    I have studied the novel, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, by Harper Lee. This novel is set in Alabama in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. The story is told by Scout Finch, a young tomboy, who lives with her lawyer father, Atticus, and her brother, Jem. This novel dealt with many interesting themes but the one which interested me most was the theme of prejudice.…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    English

    • 684 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Eclipse is the third novel in the Twilight Saga, written by Stephanie Meyer. It is an amazing novel that explores the theme of love by using the techniques of characterisation, settings and language. The evidence of these points will be discussed to demonstrate the effectiveness of Meyer's ability to develop love. The book is basically about a human, Bella Swan, and a vampire, Edward Cullen, who fall in love and the battles they have to face to be together.…

    • 684 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    English

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages

    This article mainly educates the readers on which foods last the longest if properly stored. It gave me information on some of the everyday foods such as sugar, salt, wheat, etc. It’s broken down on what is the food item and what is used for. The author says “The best way to store food for the long term is by using a multi-barrier system.” The system protects the food from moisture and sunlight and from insect infestations. It’s a very useful method that people could follow and save lots of money.…

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    English

    • 588 Words
    • 3 Pages

    You 're not born prejudiced; you 're taught it”(Swindoll). Prejudice is the attitude and opinion held by one person or group about another. Any unequal or different treatment directed toward another group is considered discrimination. Often we are quick to make a firm judgement about someone before even knowing them. Parents often pass down prejudice to thier children which shelters children from having their own opinion. Pressure to accomidate to views of families, friends and associates and not forming your own opinion, is one of many reasons that people are prejudiced. We act a certain way towards a group of people to fit in with the people that we like; prejudiced is a learned trait.…

    • 588 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    english

    • 2666 Words
    • 11 Pages

    When instruments are manufactured, there is a specified uncertainty within which the instrument is designed to deliver accurate results. You do not need to remember the various uncertainties of instruments exactly, however you are required to know the probable range (to within a power of 10) within which an instrument should operate. Typical uncertainties are:…

    • 2666 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Waiting for Godot

    • 1465 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The tragicomedy Waiting for Godot, written by the Irish playwright Samuel Beckett, is one of the pioneering pieces of literature which were a part of a new genre, called Theatre of the Absurd. Upon reading it, one can easily infer why this is the case- throughout the 2 acts the play consists of, there is virtually no plot. Two vagrants, Vladimir and Estragon, loitering around a rather vague setting- a country road next to a tree- with only a passer-by every now and then, wait for a certain Godot, who never arrives. Despite this uneventful storyline, Waiting for Godot has somehow managed to keep the audiences glued to their seats ever since its premiere in 1953. Dealing with the issues of sollitude and meaninglessness of our lives in such an obscure manner, Beckett left much room for interpretations. While Vladimir and Estragon have bulit a strong bond througout the years they have spent on their tedious quest for a faceless stranger, much of their communication is based on habits, patterns and meaningless banter. Yet, given the fact that both of them are nescient of whether their exertions will be worthwhile or not, their relationship might just be the only significant element of their lives. A number of existential questions can be derived from such a problematic situation and it is the aim of this essay to investigate the possible answers to Beckett's intriguing, yet evasive view of man's eternal search for true purpose and companionship.…

    • 1465 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    English

    • 699 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Letter E is incorrect because rhetorical questions do not have an emotional appeal. “But what would happen if a paper were to print ideas which were critical of the basic policies and beliefs of the Communist government?” This is a logical appeal coming from his own mind but without emotion…

    • 699 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    dots (...) used to create a break in speech) to express a feeling of waiting and…

    • 582 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    English

    • 710 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Every year, thousands of families welcome a new baby in their home. The upcoming years are spent watching Disney channels, buying ice cream from the truck, paining fingernails, and going to the zoo. Almost all those children that was bought into this world get to experience what it is to have a loving family, but for a small percentage. Life isn’t perfect. Some are forced to deal with the things that most of us would never imagine in our worst nightmares. In the U.S, majority of the children’s experience more than one type of maltreatment. 62. 8% confirmed to be victims of neglect, 16.6% confirmed to be victims of physical abuse, 9.3% confirmed to be victims of sexual abuse, and 7.1% confirmed to be victims of emotional abuse. People should be aware of these kinds of incidents because it could be a reaction to problems other than child abuse such as death in a family, divorce or other severely disruptive forces.…

    • 710 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Humour within absurdist plays is often found as black humour in which disturbing or sinister subjects like death, disease, or warfare, are treated with bitter amusement, usually in a manner calculated to offend and shock. In absurd theatre it is used to express the absurdity, insensitivity, paradox, and cruelty of the modern world. ‘Waiting for Godot’ by Samuel Beckett and ‘The Real Inspector Hound’ by Tom Stoppard. The plays are constructed into the form of meta-theatre, blurring the line between what is scripted and what goes on by accident, completely demolishing the “fourth wall" and engaging the audience. Both plays draw on Greek Theatre, with their small number of actors and absent divinity, including some ingredients from “commedia dell’arte”, vaudeville, and circus.…

    • 1680 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    English

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Pink Floyd has been around since the middle sixties and has produced many platinum hit albums. Albums like the wall, Animals, The Final Cut, and The Division Bell. Pink Floyd has gotten over 30 million record sales for the wall album and over 13 million copies sold for their Wish you were here album. But, what Pink Floyd’s greatest achievement is The Dark Side of the Moon album. The Dark Side of the Moon is Pink Floyd’s best album and one of the greatest albums ever sold.…

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays