‘Evaluate/discuss salient literary features of renaissance

vIntroduction:-

During Elizabeth’s reign in Milton’s word we suddenly see England “ a noble and puissant nation, rousing herself, like a strong man after sleep and shaking her invincible locks”. With the queen’s character, a strange mingling of frivolity and strength which reminds one of that iron image with feet of clay.

        Under her administration the English national life progressed by gigantic leaps rather than by slow historical process, and English literature reached the very highest point of its development.

·      Literary features /characteristics of this age*

•  Abundance of output:-

•  The New Romanticism:-

• ü Poetry:-

• Renaissance age

• Ø Humanism

• Ø Nationalism

• Ø A new approach to life

• Ø A new spirit in art

• Ø Architecture

• Ø Literature and learning

• Ø The growth of the vernaculars and

• Ø Scientific investigation.

• 

ü New Classicism:-

By the time of Elizabeth the renaissance had made itself strongly felt in England. In particular, there was an ardent revival in the study of  Greek, which brought a dazzling light into many places of the intellect. The new passion for classical learning, in itself a rich and worthy enthusiasm. In all branches of literature  Greek and Latin usages began to force themselves upon English, which results not wholly beneficial. English did not emerge unscathed, from the contest but applied to this slight extent, the new classical influence were a great benefit. They tempered and polished the earlier rudeness of English literature.

As we have pointed out, the historical situation encouraged a healthy production. The interest shown in literary subjects is quite amazing to a more chastened generation. Pamphlets and treatises were freely written and literary questions became almost of national importance.

        The Romantic quest is for the remote, the wonderful and beautiful. All their desires were abundantly fed during the Elizabethan age, which is our first and greatest romantic epoch. On the one hand, there was revolt against past, on the other there was a daring and resolute spirit of adventure in literary as well as other regions. And most important of all , there was an unmistakable buoyancy and freshness in the strong wind of the spirit. It was an ardent youth of eng. Literature and achievement was worthy of it.

Though the poetical production was not quite equal to the dramatic, it was nevertheless of great and original beauty. As can be observes from the disputes of the time, the passion for poetry was absorbing and the outcome of it was equal to expectation.

ü Prose:-

For the first time prose rises to a position of first rate importance. The dead weight of Latin tradition was passing away. English prose was acquiring a tradition and a universal application. And so the rapid development was almost inevitable.

ü The Drama:-

The drama made a swift and wonderful leap into maturity in this age, yet it has still many early difficulties to overcome. On more than one occasion between 1590 and 1593 the theaters were closed owing to disturbances caused by the actors. In 1594 the problem was solved by the licensing of two troupes of players. Another early difficulty the drama has to face was its fondness for taking part in the quarrels of the time.

        In spite of such difficulties, the drama reached the splendid consummation of Shakespeare’s art but before the period closed decline was apparent.

ü Religious tolerance:-

        The most characteristic feature of the age was comparative religious tolerance, which was due largely to the queen’s influence. Upon her accession Elizabeth found the whole kingdom divided against itself, the north was largely catholic, while the southern countries were as strongly protestant.

        Elizabeth favored both religious parties, and presently the world saw with amazement Catholics and protestant acting together as trusted counselors of a great sovereign. The defeat of Spanish armada established the reformation as a fact in England. And at the same time united all Englishman, in a magnificent national enthusiasm. For the first time since the reformation, the fundamental question of religious toleration seemed to be settled. And the mind of man, freed from religious fears and persecutions turned with great creative impulse to other forms of activity. It is partly from the new freedom on the mind that the age of Elizabeth received its greatest literary stimulus.

 Social contentment:-

        It was an age of comparative social contentment. The rapid increase of manufacturing towns gave employment to thousand who had before been idle and discontented. Increasing trade brought enormous wealth to England.

        The increase of wealth, the improvement of living, the opportunity for labor, the new social content- these are factor, which help to account for the new literary activity.

 Age of dreams,adventure and unbounded ENTHUSIASM:-

        It is an age of dreams, of adventures, of unbounded enthusiasm springing from the new lands of fabulous riches revealed by English explorers. Drake sails around the world, shaping the mighty course which English colonizers shall follow through the centuries, and young philosopher Bacon is saying “ I have taken all knowledge for my province”.       “ THE MIND MUST SEARCH FARHTER THAN EYES”. With new rich lands opened to the sight, the imagination must create new forms to people the new worlds. While her explorers search the new worlds for the fountain of youth, her poets are creating literary work that are young  forever. Cabot, Gilbert, Raleigh- a score of explorers reveal a new earth to  men’s eyes, and instantly literature creates a new heaven to match it. So dreams and deeds side by side and THE DREAM IS EVER GREATER THAN DEED. That is the meaning of literature.

        To sum up, the age of Elizabeth was a rime of ‘intellectual liberty’, ‘of growing intelligence’ and ‘comfort among all classes’, ‘of unbounded patriotism’ and ‘of peace at home and abroad’.

In the age of Elizabeth literature turned instinctively to the drama (rise of drama) and brought it rapidly to the highest stage of its development.

The characteristics of renaissance are…

The renaissance stood for Humanism, the sympathetic and devoted study of mankind, instead of the theological devotion of the middle ages. Petrarch is regarded as the father of Humanism. this movement could be regarded  for the turning away from the medieval tradition of asceticism and theology towards an interests in man’s life on earth.

        The rise of rational spirit and of scientific investigation gave rise to a new approach to life whereas the medieval approach was based on reason. It laid emphasis on the importance of critical examination and evaluation of ideas and principles.

   

     The Renaissance led to  significant results. It brought about a transition from the medieval to the modern age. The period witnessed the end of the old and reactionary medieval spirit, and the beginning of the new spirit of science, reason and experimentation. The Renaissance gave a great impetus to art, architecture, learning and literature which reached tremendous heights.

Hamlet by Shakespeare

It is said that "HAMLET" is the second most ever read book in the world, the first is Bible. This shows how great the text is. It is also said that there are three texts most debated and discussed by scholars & critics again and again is Oedipus, HAMLET and Waiting For Godot. Because there is SOMETHING for which we have to go there again and again.

"TO BE OR NOT TO BE THAT IS THE QUESTION." No one can forget this line who have study the masterpiece of Shakespeare.even after hundreds of year of "HAMLET" publication, the book is still alive because of Psychological depth given to the play.

"HAMLET" - a play is a tragedy of a thinking man. Thinking  and  thinking and never putting into action. Hamlet constantly remain in dilemma that whether to take revenge or not.

 Hamlet is the prince of Denmark, the title character, and the protagonist, about thirty years of age at the start of the play. Hamlet is the son of the queen Gertrude and the late king Hamlet, and the nephew of the present king Claudius. We can say that Hamlet is a play concerned with son’s revenge for the murder of his father. It is a story concerned with murder, sudden violence and the slower but more deadly reaction to that violence.

dual personality, to be or not to be

Ø      Salient features of Renaissance in ‘HAMLET

Hamlet – a Renaissance character in a medieval world.

                     In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Fortinbras and Leartes are medieval characters. As character of this era they are driven by chivalry and hence the duty of revenge through murder. However, in the medieval world that comprises the setting of the play. Hamlet represents a character of an altogether different age. Shakespeare shapes Hamlet as a thinker who questions and examines the world around him in his own pursuits of revenge. Thus, because of his fundamentally different approach to the world than the medieval character of Fortinbras and Leartes, Hamlet can be considered as a Renaissance character. More specifically Hamlet’s renaissance view on his worlds develops him both as an Elizabethan ere Humanist and Nihilist. Thus, through Hamlet, Shakespeare illustrates humanity’s struggle with the purpose and meaning of man.

ü      HUMANISM:-

As an Elizabethan character, Hamlet is part of Renaissance era movement, which believes in worth of all humans and that truth can be found through introspections.

  

     Another aspect of Renaissance thinking was what modern society would call NIHILISM, which proposes that human existence in fact has no meaning and thus there is no purpose to life. These two philosophy of renaissance, an appreciation that life is essential meaningless cause Hamlet’s inner strife and set him apart from the medieval characters, who are solely driven by chivalry.

       As a Humanist, education and individual thought bring Hamlet to examine the purpose of man’s existence. With the exception of Horatio, a fellow student from the Wittenberg. Hamlet is the only character in the play with academic and intellectual aspirations. Hamlet’s wish to go back to school in Wittenberg demonstrates his desire for Knowledge, a yearning not present in the vast majority of characters in Hamlet. Thus, with Hamlet’s humanistic intellectual pursuit, Shakespeare separates him from his medieval counterparts.

   

    Hamlet’s individual thought also leads him to exclaim to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ‘what a piece of work is man, how noble of work in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god: the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals’.

       In his speech Hamlet asserts that he values man and states that he believes that man is marvel, close to perfection and thus through these lines, demonstrates Hamlet’s Humanism. however, Hamlet’s intellect and insight leads  to his self-doubt regarding the importance of man and brings about his conflicting nihilism, establishing him as a character at odds.

   

    Hamlet’s speech to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern concludes with an expression of his nihilism. He states “ and yet, to me what quintessence of dust? Man delights not me, no, nor woman neither”. these nihilistic sentiments questions the purpose of life, suggesting that all humanity will eventually become dust. Indeed, in a sense these statement is a contradiction of hamlet’s previous words of admiration for mankind, and Shakespeare use this passage to clarify the identify the two forces pulling in Hamlet- his Humanism and his nihilism. Hamlet’s nihilism once again becomes apparent in his character close to the end of the play in the scene with gravediggers, when he states, “Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returned  to dust; and dust is earth, of earth we make loam”. His nihilism  also brought him to conclusion that Alexander, Julius Ceaser and all human eventually died.

       Despite his wish to take revenge he is not able to kill Claudius because the inability to carry out the medieval style of revenge, because  his renaissance thought pattern represent a tension between the rhetoric of medieval society and reasoning of Elizabethan  era.

       The word renaissance literally means “rebirth”, in the context of the English renaissance , the rebirth refers to a renewal of learning, especially in terms of new beliefs and ways of doing things differently from the middle ages. Characteristics of renaissance include a renewal interest in classical antiquity, a rise in humanist philosophy( a belief itself , human worth and individual dignity) and radical changes in ideas about religion, politics and science.

Here are some characteristics which we found in HAMLET

ü      Classical Antiquity:-

       Hamlet has lot if references to classical Greek and Roman stories, characters and historical events. We can find a murderous king (Pyrrhus) and a queen in mourning over the murdered husband (HECUBA) which mirrors the main plot of the play.

ü      Humanist Philosophy:-

In act 2 , scene 2 , line 311, Hamlet asks: “ what a piece of work is man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties….”. in this speech we can see a clear assertion of humanist ideas about the uniqueness and extraordinary abilities of the human mind.

ü      Politics:-

       There were a big political changes taking place during the time that Shakespeare wrote  Hamlet. This Is reflected by Hamlet’s questioning of Claudius’s to ascend the throne in his father’s place. It was new idea to question anything having to do with the ‘natural’ hierarchical structures that maintain political power.

ü      Religion:-

In Hamlet’s most famous soliloquy , which begins ‘TO BE OR NOT OT BE’, he alludes to an unknown afterlife. “the undiscovered country”, strict belief that people either go to heaven or hell when they die.

ü      Science:-

This point is illustrated by  Shakespeare’s use of the ‘Play within Play’ in Hamlet. Here prince Hamlet’s play, THE MOUSETRAP  , is presented to the court supposedly as entertainment , but Hamlet’s intent is to go rather obvious evidence of Claudius’s guilt for the murder of his father. Says Hamlet “………the play’s the thing where I’ll catch the conscience of the king”

Ø      *Conclusion*

Thus , in many ways we can say that HAMLET is a Renaissance play

John Donne's Poetry

‘JOHNDONNE’(1573-1631)

Born: between 21 Jan. and 19 June, 1573, London, England.

Died: 31 march 1631 (aged 59) London, England.

Occupation: poet, Priest, lawyer

Alma mater: oxford university

Genre: satire, love poetry, elegy, sermons.

Subject: love, sexuality, religion, death.

Literary movement: Metaphysical Poetry

        Donne is considered the pre eminent representative of the Metaphysical poet. His works are noted for their strong, sensual style and include sonnets, love poems, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, song satires, and sermons.

     
   His poetry is noted for vibrancy of language and inventiveness of metaphor, especially to that of his contemporaries. Donne’s style is characterized by abrupt opening and various paradoxes, ironies and dislocation. These features along with his frequent dramatic or everyday speech rhythms, his tense syntax and his tough eloquence, were both a reaction against the smoothness of conventional Elizabethan poetry and an adaptation into English of European baroque and mannerist techniques. His early career was marked by poetry that bore immense knowledge of English society and he met that knowledge with sharp criticism.   

Another  important theme in Donne’s poetry is the idea of true religion, something that he spent much time considering about which he often theorized. He wrote secular poems as well as erotic and love poems. he is particularly famous for his mastery  of the metaphysical concepts.

Donne’s earliest poems showed a developed knowledge of English society coupled with sharp criticism of its problems. his satire dealt with common Elizabethan topics, such as corruption in the legal system, mediocre poets, and pompous courtiers. His images of sickness, vomit, manure and plague reflected his strongly satiric view of a world populated by all the fools and knaves of England. His third satire however, deals with the problem of true religion, a matter of great importance to Donne.

Donne’s early career was also notable for his erotic poetry, especially his elegies, in which he employed unconventional metaphors, such as a Flea biting two lovers being compared to sex. In his elegy ‘To His Mistress going to bad, he poetically addresses his mistress and compare the act of fondling to the exploration of America.

Donne is generally considered the most prominent member of the metaphysical poets, a phrase coined in 1781 by Samuel Johnson. In his book Johnson refers to the beginning of the 17^th century in which there ‘appeared a race of writers that may be termed the Metaphysical Poets.  

Donne is considered a master of metaphysical conceit, an extended metaphor that combines two vastly different ideas into a single ideas, often using imagery.

An example of this is his equation of lovers with saints in ‘the colonization’. Unlike the conceits found in other Elizabethan poetry, most notably Petrarchan conceits, which formed clichéd comparison between more closely related objects. Metaphysical conceits go to a greater depth in comparing two completely unlike objects. One of the most famous of Donne’s conceit is found in “A Valediction: forbidding Mourning” where he compares two lovers who are separated to the two legs of a compass.

Almost all the metaphysical poets made an attempt to display their learning by making use of the far-faced images and conceits. They didn’t depend upon easily available images. They brought their images from the various fields just like, science, engineering, architecture, geography, agriculture and many other fields.

The poems like ‘pulley’, ‘the church porch’, ‘to his coy mistress’, the sun riding’ are some of examples of far faced images for the expression of love and also for the expression of faith in god.

John Donne and his followers made a conscious attempt to differ from the poets of the previous age- the Elizabethan age. They believed in ‘go beyond something’, ‘to do something which no one had ever done before’.

All this are the characteristics of the renaissance in John Donne’s poem.

"Paradise Lost" by John Milton

 ‘Paradise lost’

-       John Milton (1608-74)      

Milton was born in Bread street cheapside, London. He was educated at St. Paul’s school, London, and at Cambridge.

The great bulk of Milton’s poetry was written during two periods separated from each other by twenty years.  (1) the period of his University career and his study at Horton, from 1629 to 1640 and (2) the last years of his life , from about 1660 to 1674. The years between were filled by few sonnets.

        Milton’s style of writing is very Grand,(lofty style) so he became difficult to reads than other poets. it Is said that there was nothing written or printed which was not read by Milton.

Paradise Lost is a long epic poem in 12 books. The story of the epic is taken from the Bible. Major theme of this poem is Disobedience. The time and place of poem where it was written is 1656-1674, England, which is regarded as a Renaissance era of our English literature. Milton was also located in that time so that we can see effect of renaissance in his work paradise lost also.

 Renaissance features in paradise Lost

Ø Freedom

Ø Free will to exercise power

Ø Human choice (will power)

Ø Humanism

Ø Questioning spirit

Ø Adventure (of Eve)

Ø Love for human (humanism/ Adam- Eve)

Ø Wish/desire to become superior, powerful like God

Ø Challenge to God

Ø Not blind follower of Religion

Ø Ambition/aspirations

Original story of the Paradise Lost is taken from the Bible. Every character comes from the Bible. In the Bible all the characters are marginalized except god. It does not put fair emphasis on human and human perspectives. But Paradise Lost is a work of literature and literature always have human perspective. And as a result of human perspective Milton had scope to draw the characters freely. And Milton was situated in the renaissance era, so that Milton gave Paradise Lost a renaissance touch.

Renaissance spirit can be seen in the Paradise Lost. For example Eve’s quest for knowledge. Eve is not satisfied with what she had. Adam tells her many times that be careful about he Satan. But then even Satan succeeds in tempting Eve. And basic element in happening so is her desire, quest for knowledge. After so many warnings she ate forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge. In her heart she had strong desire to get something more which is the basic spirit of renaissance.

        The renaissance is the rebirth of the human consciousness, the consciousness of being an individual, aspiring for the infinite. The renaissance was a breaking free from the restrained imposed by the feudal-ecclesiastical combine of the middle ages that reduced human being to cogs in the social machinery, enforcing a struck hierarchical and preventing upward   mobility for the imaginative journey.

The renaissance was therefore the rebellion of the free mind which would seek to realize its infinite potentiality and man of universalism. ‘nothing less than infinite can satisfy man’ declared Blake, the romantic imbued with the spirit of the renaissance. Satan imbued with the same renaissance ambition would rebel against god and thereby achieve infinite power such as Troletsch has pointed out ‘ the renaissance spirit would exploit his circumstances, the government as well as religious machinery  in order to ascend , socially, intellectually and spiritually.

        In telling the story of the fall of the man , Milton fully expresses the spirit of the renaissance . one of the fundamental attributes of Milton’s character was his love of freedom and the spirit of independence. In the story of the Adam there was the conflict between pre destination and free will. Without entering into theological controversy we can say that Milton was all for freedom, and pointed out how Adam plucked the fruit  out of his free will.(included no doubt by Eve) though he had been commanded by god not to do so. And as a result of Disobedience he fell under the heavy wrath of the god.

        Paradise Lost is great by reason of its vast imaginative range, and its deep moral earnestness. It was the influence of the renaissance, with spirit of humanism.

        After eating the first bite of the fruit from  the  forbidden tree of knowledge Eve thinks to became Equal and Superior to Adam. She also asks questions a lot to Adam.

“Are we free if we are inferior?”- EVE

 Eve also questions/ challenges god by telling them that Maker (God)  told them that they are free to do anything, but they constantly live under fear of Satan. In Paradise God told them to be happy but how can be they happy? Eve asked, where is happiness and free will if they have to live under fear?- wonderful question asked by Eve. ‘MAKER IS NOT PERFECT’. EVE challenges god . above all questions and arguments shows the questioning spirit of renaissance.

        Adam and Eve are also adventurous that they  dare to eat fruit which was forbidden be god. they  were aware about the heavy wrath of the heaven, though they eat, which is renaissance spirit.

        She taste the fruit because of desire to become God. she wanted to know more, to be more powerful. Adam and Eve are free to do anything, thus free will is also renaissance spirit depicted in the Paradise Lost.

Humanism/ love for human:-

When Adam comes to know about Eve’s taste of the forbidden fruit, he told that he can’t live without Eve. So he willingly takes step to eat the fruit. He knowingly disobey the god, for the sake of love. His intention was noble. Love for Eve (human) dragged him to do so. He sacrificed himself, thinks for other. He is not selfish. He prefers Eve over paradise and god. This all are the spirit of renaissance in the Paradise Lost.

Ø conclusion

        Thus quest for knowledge, Humanism, questioning spirit, desire to became god, ambition etc are the Renaissance characteristics in the Paradise Lost.

The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter

• The Birthday Party as a Modernist text

• The Birthday Party is a play by English playwright Harold Pinter, who achieved international success as one of the most complex post World War 2^nd dramatist.

• Harold Pinter's plays are noted for their use of silence to increase tension, understatement & cryptic small talk.
• Equally recognizable are the 'Painteresque' themes - nameless menace, erotic fantasy, obsession & jealousy, family hatred and mental disturbance.
• The Birthday Party falls under the category of Theatre of Absurd or especially Comedy of Menace.

•  PLOT

• Traditional plot structures are rarely a consideration in Theatre of Absurd. Often there is a menacing outside force that remains a mystery.
• 
  
• The Birthday Party - Goldberg & McCann. Confront Stanley, torture him with Absurd question and drag him off at the end of the play but is never revealed why. The menace is no longer entering from outside but exists within the confined space.

• Language:-

• Despite its reputation of nonsense language, much of the language in this plays naturalistic. The moments when characters resort to nonsense language or clichés- when words appear to have lost their denotative function, thus creating misunderstanding among the characters- make The Birthday Party distinctive.
• Language in this play gains a certain phonetic, rhythmical almost musical quality, opening up a wide range of often comedic playfulness.

• Character:-

• The Characters in this play are lost & floating in an incomprehensible universe and they abandon rational devices and discursive thought because these approaches are inadequate.

• The more characters are in crisis because the world around them is incomprehensible. Many of Pinter's plays, for example feature characters trapped in an enclosed space menaced by some force that characters can’t understand.

•   Theatre of Absurd:-

• The Birthday Party is also part of Theatre of Absurd. The play has all the characteristics of Theatre of Absurd.
• The play presents meaningless situation of human in confusing, hostile and indifferent world.

•  As comedy of menace:-

• The Birthday Party- a comedy of menace is a tragedy with numbers of comic elements. It is a comedy, which also produces overwhelming tragic effect.
• Throughout the play we are kept amused and yet throughout the play we find ourselves also on the brink of terror. (www.ntworld.com)

• Some indefinable and vague fear keeps our nerves on an edge. We feel uneasy all the time even when we are laughing or smiling with amusement. This dual quality which is modern phenomenon makes the play Modernist literature- which is also breaking old tradition.

• Pinter Pause: -     (Something new than traditional)

• One of the two silences when Pinter's stage direction indicate pause and silence when his characters are not speaking at all- has  become a trademark of Pinter's dialogue and known as Pinter Pause.

• There are two silences:-

• (1)  When no word is spoken
• (2) When perhaps a torrent of language is being employed.

• There is always continuous fear of unknown. Human beings trapped in a situation they don’t know.

• Frustration,
• Isolation,
• Brokenness &
• Disjointedness in The Birthday Party.

• Political reading:- (Deer)

• The play is very much open for various interpretations.
• -Political interpretation of the play suggest that Nat Goldberg and Dermont McCann represents country like U.S.A. and U.K. Lulu represents the idea/concept of welfare state on the grounds of socialistic/ communist/ Marxist Leninist economics. (Nobelprize.org)
• Characters like Meg and Petey represents society- who can do nothing. Impotency of society is presented through these characters.
• Stanley - An artist represents a true individual, free thinker (Nations).
• Play is mixture of terror and amusement; it is frightening as well as funny.
• Nothing is clear in the play. This is the characteristics of Modernist literature that larger things are signified than said directly.
• Conclusion:-
• Thus, with its distinctive characteristics The Birthday Party is a modernist text- different and distinct than traditional works of literature in many ways.

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

• Waiting for Godot as a Modernist Literature

Introduction:-

• Waiting for Godot is a French play, translated into English by the author himself Samuel Beckett.
• Waiting for Godot is the most debated play, since its first premiere in very small theatre of Paris in 1953.
• This play has many characteristics of modernist literature. The play is not traditional. Protagonist of the play is two tramps.
• Making two tramps protagonist itself makes it Modernist text, because from traditional way of looking towards literature- it is believed that protagonist should be great person like king, prince, great warrior etc.
• Aristotle told that play should be of high seriousness, but if we look at Waiting for Godot, we find that nothing serious happens. Two tramps Vladimir and Estragon are just waiting on the stage for someone called Godot.
• It has no story, no plot - neither beginning nor end.
• Waiting for Godot is full of anxiety and interrogation. There are so many questions, but not a single answer- what is this all about?
• Modernist Literature is also experimentative in language & form. The language of the play is simple- but that simplicity is deceiving.
• Waiting for Godot explores the working of the human consciousness. It also rejects realism and the idea that art has to capture reality. (Bloom)
• Modernist fiction also defamiliarizes or makes strange what is common. Make it new is the modernist slogan. The play has no story or plot to speak of. Characters are almost mechanical puppets.
• If a good play must have fully explained theme, which is neatly exposed and finally solved, Waiting for Godot have neither beginning nor end.
• "Waiting for Godot does not tell a story, it explores static situation. Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it’s awful".

• Nothingness:-

• 'Nothing to be done'.

• The very first line of the play is 'Nothing to be done'. Nothingness is very remarkable characteristic of modern age. Nothing is something of the play.

• Setting:-

• A country road. A tree. Evening.

• Even in their waiting for Godot, Estragon and Vladimir are unsure of the place where they are waiting.

• V: He said by the tree. Do you see others?
• E: What is it?
• V : I don’t know.....A willow.

• In this doubt & uncertainty, there is no authenticity to the existence of Vladimir and Estragon. Therefore nothing is certain. Life is meaningless.
• Estragon and Vladimir are also coming to the opinion after long waiting that nothing can be done. So it is great satire on positive thinking.

• ·        Existentialism & Absurdism

• Existentialism became popular in the year following World War 2, and strongly influenced many disciplines besides philosophy including theology, drama, art, literature and Psychology.
• Existentialist recognizes that human knowledge is limited and fallible. Waiting for Godot falls under the category of Theatre of Absurd, a term coined by drama critic Martin Esslin.
• Vladimir and Estragon caught in hopeless situation forced to do repetitive or meaningless actions, dialogues are full of clichés, wordplay and nonsense, plot that is cyclical or absurdly expansive.

• Who are we?
• Why are we here?

• Existentialist themes are displayed in the Beckett's Waiting for Godot, in which two men divert themselves while they wait expectantly for someone named Godot who never arrives. They claim Godot to be an acquaintance, but in fact hardly know him if they saw him.
• Samuel Beckett, once asked who or what Godot is? replied, ' if I knew, I would have said so in the play'.
• To occupy themselves, the men eat, sleep, talk, argue, sing, play games, exercise, swap hats and contemplate suicide - anything “to hold the terrible silence at bay.
• The play "exploits several Archetypal forms and situations, all of which lend themselves to both comedy and pathos".

• The play also illustrates an attitude toward human experience on earth: the poignancy, oppression, camaraderie, hope, corruption, & bewilderment of human experience that can be reconcile only in the mind & art of the Absurdist. The play examines questions such as death, the meaning of human existence and the place of God in human existence.
• The characters of the play are strange caricatures who have difficulty in communicating the simplest concept to one another as they bide their time awaiting their arrival of Godot.
• Whereas traditional theatre attempts to create a photographic representation of life as we see it, The Theatre of Absurd aims to create a ritual like, mythological, Archetypal, allegorical vision closely related to the world of dreams.
• The focal point of this dream is often man's fundamental bewilderment & confusion, stemming from the fact that he has no answer to the basic existential questions:
• Why we are alive?
• Why there is injustice and suffering?
• All actions become senseless, absurd and useless...

•   Conclusion
• Waiting for Godot a drama presents distrust of language by as a means of communication. Language is nothing but a vehicle for conventionalized, stereotyped, meaningless exchange. Thus, waiting for Godot is very remarkable work of modernist literature.