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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. During the conversation about Lucky and the packages, Pozzo yanks on the rope to get his attention and calls him a

2. When Estragon and Vladimir first see Pozzo and Lucky, they

3. During a conversation in Act I, Estragon says he is hungry. Vladimir offers him

4. During the beginning of the first act, while Vladimir is pacing back and forth, Estragon

5. When Estragon pushes Vladimir to tell him the story about the Englishman in the brothel, Vladimir

Short Essay Questions

1. What are Estragon and Vladimir doing when the play finally ends?

2. Vladimir is closely associated with a particular prop. What is that prop? Why do you think Beckett chose that prop and what does it contribute to the play?

3. Estragon and Vladimir can't seem to figure out who Pozzo and Lucky really are in Act II. In their confusion, they call them two names that are related. What are those names, and how do these names give some additional depth to the relationship between Pozzo and Lucky?

4. Briefly describe the relationship between Lucky and Pozzo.

5. Estragon is closely associated with a particular prop. What is that prop? Why do you think Beckett chose that prop and what does it contribute to the play?

6. The set is very bare with the exception of one significant thing. What is it, and why do you think Beckett used this particular thing?

7. In Act II, what does Estragon remember about Lucky and Pozzo from the day before and why?

8. After the discussion about radishes in Act II, what does Vladimir suggest he and Estragon do to pass the time?

9. What is the subject of Vladimir's song, and why do you think Beckett used this particular song?

10. What does Pozzo have for dinner and what do Estragon, Vladimir, and Lucky eat?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why do you think Beckett created the characters of Pozzo and Lucky the way he did? Do you feel that other characters would have worked better? For instance, Pozzo and Lucky are just as locked in their lives and unable to change as Estragon and Vladimir. Would characters who were happy, contented, and successful made Beckett's message stronger because of the contrast? Why do you feel the way you do?

Essay Topic 2

Use words to paint a picture of the setting of the play. Talk about how this setting contributes to the message Samuel Becket is trying to send to the reader. There is little mention of lighting and sound, but describe how you think lighting and sound could enhance the feeling of the play. Describe how you would design the set, lighting, and sound if you were directing this play.

Essay Topic 3

Estragon is beaten during the two nights the play covers. He seems to accept the beatings as a part of life. What do you think Beckett was trying to say? Keep in mind that when Vladimir tells Estragon he would have stopped the beating, he doesn't mean that he would have stopped the people who beat Estragon, but that he would stop Estragon from doing whatever he had done to antagonize those who beat him.

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