Book dossier

En attendant Godot

by Samuel Beckett

*Waiting for Godot* is a play by Irish author Samuel Beckett. It is Beckett's best-known literary work and is regarded by critics as "one of the most enigmatic plays of modern literature." It was written (1948–1949), first published (1952), and first performed (1953) in French as *En attendant Godot. Waiting for Godot* is Beckett's own English-language adaptation. Subtitled "tragicomedy in two acts", it was published in 1954. As one of the foundational works of theatre, the play remains widely studied in academic and literary circles. In *Waiting for Godot,* the two main characters, Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo), spend their days waiting for someone named Godot, who they believe will provide them with salvation. They pass the time with conversations, physical routines, and philosophical musings, but their hope fades as Godot never arrives.