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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. While relaxing and smoking his pipe, Pozzo makes the philosophical observation that the second pipe

2. What is the most significant thing on the stage? It is talked about several times during the play.

3. During the first part of Act I, Vladimir keeps looking for something that he doesn't find in what?

4. During the course of the play, Estragon and Vladimir encounter two people who are traveling together, Pozzo and Lucky. It is clear that

5. Who offers to give Lucky his hat so that he can perform at the end of Act I?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. What do Estragon and Vladimir talk about as the first act is ending, and what actually happens?

3. Lucky makes a speech. What does he tell Estragon, Vladimir, and Pozzo?

4. After Estragon and Vladimir talk about the tree, Estragon falls asleep. He is abruptly awakened by Vladimir. When he tries to tell Vladimir about a dream he was having, Vladimir is adamant that he not talk about it. Why do you think Vladimir is so vehement in his reaction?

5. Pozzo smokes a pipe after dinner. He tells Estragon and Vladimir that even though the second pipe is sweet, it is not as sweet as the first. Why might Pozzo believes the first pipe is sweeter, and why does Pozzo have the second pipe? What does this contribute to the mood of the play?

6. Estragon and Vladimir keep discussing whether they should help Pozzo while Pozzo keeps repeating his pleas for help. Do Estragon and Vladimir finally agree to respond to Pozzo's requests for help? Why or why not?

7. What does Lucky do to entertain Estragon, Vladimir, and Pozzo. What is Lucky's name for it and why?

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

9. After Pozzo leaves in Act I, a boy enters the stage with information for Estragon and Vladimir. Vladimir asks the boy if he is the same boy who came yesterday. What does the boy tell them, and what is his explanation for being late?

10. Just before he finally leaves in Act I, what does Pozzo observe about leaving? What does he feel he needs to do to be able to leave?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

How well do you think Beckett's play, "Waiting for Godot," would work as a radio play? Is it critical for the play to be seen, or is it powerful enough to carry Beckett's message with sound alone. Keep in mind Beckett's use of silence (stage directions showing delayed responses) and how that would work on the radio as well as the few things that Beckett does make use of like the tree, the moon, changes in lighting, the hats, Estragon's boots, etc.

Essay Topic 3

Why do you think that Beckett had each character wear a hat (bowler)? Was this effective in portraying a message or carrying a theme? Why or why not? How else does Beckett use clothing, like Estragon's boots, to provide depth to his characters and the play's message?

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