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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. Pozzo tells Estragon and Vladimir that the reason Lucky won't put the packages down is that Lucky wants to

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

3. When Pozzo wants to sit down toward the end of Act I but needs help. He asks Estragon to

4. When Estragon tries to make Lucky feel better in the way Pozzo suggested, Lucky

5. What does Estragon do as soon as his leg feels good enough to walk again in Act 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Act II, Pozzo finally decides that he and Lucky must leave. Vladimir asks Pozzo if Lucky can sing for them before he and Lucky leave. What does Pozzo tell Vladimir?

2. 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?

3. When Vladimir wakes Estragon up in Act II and he finds Lucky's hat, what does Vladimir suggests they do to pass the time?

4. How does Estragon react in Act II when he decided to kick Lucky and ended up hurting his foot in the process?

5. Why do you think Beckett uses the moon to illuminate the stage? Remember that moonlight is different than sunlight and that the moon becomes part of the play in the same way that the tree does.

6. In Act 1, when Vladimir leaves the stage to go to the bathroom, what do Pozzo and Estragon stare at off stage? What does Estragon tell Vladimir about it when he returns?

7. After Estragon and Vladimir help Pozzo get up in Act II, Pozzo asks them if they are his friends. How do Estragon and Vladimir respond?

8. Estragon and Vladimir frequently fall asleep throughout the play. Why do you think Beckett uses that as a thread throughout the play.

9. In Act I, when Pozzo tells Estragon and Vladimir that he has to leave and keep to his schedule, what does Vladimir tell him?

10. In Act I, Estragon and Vladimir have a long conversation about waiting for Godot and their helplessness. Finally, Estragon exclaims he is hungry! What food does Vladimir offer Estragon, and what food does he actually produce? Why might Beckett chose these particular foods?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Beckett has very few stage directions. He makes a point of describing the rising of the moon. He could have simply relied on a darkening stage to show the coming of night, but he describes the role of the moon. Why might he have done that? How does it contribute to the feeling of the play at that point? How do the stage directions that Beckett did include contribute to the play? Cite specific examples.

Essay Topic 2

There are times that all of us feel as if life is pointless. How did "Waiting for Godot" help you understand that feeling? Did it encourage you because you can see that you are going somewhere in your life, after all, considering what your are doing with your life like going to school and reading plays. Or did it show you that like the characters in the play, you are not doing anything to move your life ahead?

Essay Topic 3

Why do you think Beckett uses the character of the boy to bring word from Godot? Does this "prove" Godot exists? Is the boy real or part of a delusion shared by Estragon and Vladimir? After all, Estragon, especially, questions the accuracy of his memory.

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