Waiting for Godot Discussion Questions

We will finish Act II of Waiting for Godot today.  After we are finished, please answer the following questions that will guide our discussion.  Also, please consider your responses to the Act I discussion questions.

1.    What do Vladimir and Estragon represent/symbolize?  Are they interchangeable, or are there important differences?

2.    What does Pozzo represent/symbolize?  (the pipe, the chicken, the bones, the vaporizer, his eventual blindness)

3.    What does Lucky represent/symbolize?  (the rope/leash, the picnic basket, the stool?)

4.    What does Godot represent/symbolize?  What are they waiting for?  Why do they continue to wait?

5.    Why do the boys appear?  What function do they serve?  (think about the things they say)

6.    What does the tree represent/symbolize?  What about the few leaves that appear in the second act?

7.    What do the hats represent/symbolize?

8.    What do the boots represent/symbolize?

9.    What does the play mean?  What is Beckett trying to say?

1.  Do you think this play would make more sense with subsequent readings?  What about a live viewing?

1.   Did you like it?  Did you hate it?  Why?  Think about your answer.

1.   Did you find it interesting?

1.   Like it or not, what did you gain from reading it?

1.   Imagine you had to write an essay about this play in which you had to address the theme.  What would you write?