Waiting for Godot

Waiting for Godot (sometimes subtitled: tragicomedy in 2 acts) is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, written in the late 1940s and first published in 1952 by Grove Press, after having been refused by more mainstream publishers. Beckett originally wrote Godot in French, his second language, as En attendant Godot (literally: While Waiting for Godot). The simplicity of the dialogue reflects this French origin. An English translation by Beckett himself was published in 1955.

Directly related works (other authors)

The title character of Balzac's 1851 play Mercadet is waiting for financial salvation from his never seen business partner, Godeau. Although Beckett was familiar with Balzac's prose, he only learned of this play after finishing Waiting for Godot. Ironically, Balzac's play was closely adapted to film as The Lovable Cheat (with Buster Keaton, whom Beckett greatly admired) at about the same time Beckett was writing his own play.

Related Topics:
Balzac - 1851 - Buster Keaton

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(Similarly, Beckett only learned of the champion Parisian cyclist Roger Godeau, whose fans reportedly "waited for Godeau", after finishing his play.)

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Clifford Odets' famous 1935 play Waiting for Lefty was about workers oppressed by capitalism, waiting for the salvation in the form of union organizer Lefty. But the play ends as the workers learn that Lefty will not come after all (having been murdered).

Related Topics:
Clifford Odets - 1935

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An unauthorized prequel, of sorts, formed part II of Ian McDonald's novel King of Morning, Queen of Day (partly written in Joycean style). Two main characters are clearly meant to be the original Vladimir and Estragon.

Related Topics:
Prequel - Ian McDonald - Joycean

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An unauthorized sequel was written by Miodrag Bulatovi? in 1966:

Related Topics:
Sequel - Miodrag Bulatovi? - 1966

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Godo je došao (Godot has come). It was translated from the Serbo-Croatian into German (Godot ist gekommen) and French. Although Beckett was noted for disallowing productions that took even slight liberties with his plays, he let this pass without incident.

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Another unauthorized sequel was written by Daniel Curzon in the late 1990s: Godot Arrives.

Related Topics:
Daniel Curzon - 1990s - Godot Arrives

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A radical transformation was written by Bernard Pautrat, performed at Théâtre National de Strasbourg in 1979-1980: Ils allaient obscurs sous la nuit solitaire (d'après En attendant Godot de Samuel Beckett). The dialog consisted of excerpts from Godot, rearranged among ten actors (Vladimir, Estragon, Pozzo, Lucky and six others).

Related Topics:
Bernard Pautrat - Théâtre National de Strasbourg - 1979 - 1980

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Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, written by Tom Stoppard and first staged in 1966, contains a set of characters whose dialogue and themes are strongly influenced by the characters in Godot. Many claim that R & G overturns the dreary philosophical conclusions presented in Godot, while other critics disagree, claiming that R & G actually reinforces and strengthens those themes. Either way, R & G continues the dialogue about existentialism and absurdism that Beckett started with Godot.

Related Topics:
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead - Tom Stoppard - 1966 - Existentialism - Absurdism

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