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Warten auf Godot / Endspiel / Glückliche Tage
Rare Book
- GenresClassicsPlaysLiterature
211 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
3 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Samuel Beckett
916 books6,556 followersNovels of Samuel Barclay Beckett, Irish writer, include
Murphy
in 1938 and
Malone Dies
in 1951; a wider audience know his absurdist plays, such as
Waiting for Godot
in 1952 and
Krapp's Last Tape
in 1959, and he won the Nobel Prize of 1969 for literature.
Samuel Barclay Beckett, an avant-garde theater director and poet, lived in France for most of his adult life. He used English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black gallows humor.
People regard most influence of Samuel Barclay Beckett of the 20th century. James Augustine Aloysius Joyce strongly influenced him, whom people consider as one modernist. People sometimes consider him as an inspiration to many later first postmodernists. He is one of the key in what Martin Esslin called the "theater of the absurd". His later career worked with increasing minimalism.
People awarded Samuel Barclay Beckett "for his writing, which—in new forms for the novel and drama—in the destitution of modern man acquires its elevation".
In 1984, people elected Samuel Barclay Bennett as Saoi of Aosdána.
Samuel Barclay Beckett, an avant-garde theater director and poet, lived in France for most of his adult life. He used English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black gallows humor.
People regard most influence of Samuel Barclay Beckett of the 20th century. James Augustine Aloysius Joyce strongly influenced him, whom people consider as one modernist. People sometimes consider him as an inspiration to many later first postmodernists. He is one of the key in what Martin Esslin called the "theater of the absurd". His later career worked with increasing minimalism.
People awarded Samuel Barclay Beckett "for his writing, which—in new forms for the novel and drama—in the destitution of modern man acquires its elevation".
In 1984, people elected Samuel Barclay Bennett as Saoi of Aosdána.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 21, 2025
As plays these are amazing. It just doesn’t quite work for me on the page. As a reading experience it is quite jarring. I still got a lot from this. For instance the chance to watch the recordings of these plays with a clearer understanding of the source material.
Tragicomic absurdity:
Waiting for Godot: two men wait endlessly for “a man”(?)called Godot. They don’t know what he looks like or what he even wants. They don’t know what they want either.
Endgame: the horror of dependency and contingency. Characters helplessly bound by fate, ergo inhibition.
Happy Days: We are never happy, we just get used to the mundane and our ultimate dissatisfaction with life. We settle down.
Looking forward to more of Becketts work.
Tragicomic absurdity:
Waiting for Godot: two men wait endlessly for “a man”(?)called Godot. They don’t know what he looks like or what he even wants. They don’t know what they want either.
Endgame: the horror of dependency and contingency. Characters helplessly bound by fate, ergo inhibition.
Happy Days: We are never happy, we just get used to the mundane and our ultimate dissatisfaction with life. We settle down.
Looking forward to more of Becketts work.
July 10, 2025
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
Hoping that God will show up
Waiting for Godot is a fascinating play, although it took me a while to grasp a little more of its flavour and get to like it. This morning I have listened to the play for the third time. Once I saw it on stage, at Nottara.
Godot seems to be a symbol for God, with Death included perhaps in the name.
Beckett has denied the explanation found for the name “Godot”, but I have read that critics feel this is the meaning and because Tod means death in German, the title of the play may make us think of that too.
Indeed, at one point in the play there is talk of Christ and his walking barefoot. The tone is quite often light and the undertones may be humorous and comical. There is a rebuttal:
- Christ walked barefoot, but we must think of the weather he had there. It was all dry, warm and sunny- words to that effect.
I am influenced by the actor who is playing one part or another. Because I loved the interpretation of Pozzo, that character is the one I prefer, even if Vladimir or Estragon play more important roles and should have been the first choices
When I saw Godot (or better said, waited for him to show up) on stage, the actor playing Pozzo gave an excellent performance and the same thing happened in the adaptation for the radio that I enjoyed last. I am speaking of different actors, but similar, wonderful acting.
The play made me think about Godot- or is it God? Most of us wait for Him (it could not be her with a name like that- could it?).
In expectation, we may act silly, like Vladimir and Estragon. We even get depressed and suicidal- the two tramps talk about hanging themselves.
The idea that Godot id God gains some ground- I think – when a child appears as a messenger of the said Godot. Angelic, innocent- he may be playing the angel.
Even if, the next day, the same “angelic” creature seems to be playing an evil game for a “God „that tricks and fools men. It may be just the confusion in the mind of both Estragon and Vladimir who act foolishly most of the time.
There may be a different explanation or no significance at all. We are dealing with absurd theater and this may be exactly the point:
We are living in a world where there is no God
Godot seems to encourage that message, without going into details like when he shows up, if he does, I will say that Godot seems to act irrationally and not at all like the “God” that we have read about in the bible
This is an absurd deity, if he is one at all.
Vladimir and Estragon are entertaining and we get some good doses of fun:
- Let’s go…nobody moves
Very often I get amused just by hearing Pozzo, say …Pozzo! But it is the excellent acting that can make me enjoy simple lines and make them extraordinary.
There is a kind of miracle, whereby a tree without leaves becomes green and with full foliage…over night.
“…Estragon recoils.) You stink of garlic!
VLADIMIR:
It's for the kidneys. (Silence. Estragon looks attentively at the tree.) What do we do now?
ESTRAGON:
Wait.
VLADIMIR:
Yes, but while waiting.
ESTRAGON:
What about hanging ourselves?
VLADIMIR:
Hmm. It'd give us an erection.
ESTRAGON:
(highly excited). An erection! „
There a few ways to read Waiting For Godot, I guess
- One would be to look for symbols, hidden significances, meaning behind the words
- Another way is to just enjoy the hilarious situations, with erections, smelly feet and craziness
It seems that pazzo is the Italian word for crazy.
And that’s how we could look not just at Pozzo, but at all the characters and play.
You can read it online or download it legally at the Gutenberg Project site
http://www.samuel-beckett.net/Waiting...
Hoping that God will show up
Waiting for Godot is a fascinating play, although it took me a while to grasp a little more of its flavour and get to like it. This morning I have listened to the play for the third time. Once I saw it on stage, at Nottara.
Godot seems to be a symbol for God, with Death included perhaps in the name.
Beckett has denied the explanation found for the name “Godot”, but I have read that critics feel this is the meaning and because Tod means death in German, the title of the play may make us think of that too.
Indeed, at one point in the play there is talk of Christ and his walking barefoot. The tone is quite often light and the undertones may be humorous and comical. There is a rebuttal:
- Christ walked barefoot, but we must think of the weather he had there. It was all dry, warm and sunny- words to that effect.
I am influenced by the actor who is playing one part or another. Because I loved the interpretation of Pozzo, that character is the one I prefer, even if Vladimir or Estragon play more important roles and should have been the first choices
When I saw Godot (or better said, waited for him to show up) on stage, the actor playing Pozzo gave an excellent performance and the same thing happened in the adaptation for the radio that I enjoyed last. I am speaking of different actors, but similar, wonderful acting.
The play made me think about Godot- or is it God? Most of us wait for Him (it could not be her with a name like that- could it?).
In expectation, we may act silly, like Vladimir and Estragon. We even get depressed and suicidal- the two tramps talk about hanging themselves.
The idea that Godot id God gains some ground- I think – when a child appears as a messenger of the said Godot. Angelic, innocent- he may be playing the angel.
Even if, the next day, the same “angelic” creature seems to be playing an evil game for a “God „that tricks and fools men. It may be just the confusion in the mind of both Estragon and Vladimir who act foolishly most of the time.
There may be a different explanation or no significance at all. We are dealing with absurd theater and this may be exactly the point:
We are living in a world where there is no God
Godot seems to encourage that message, without going into details like when he shows up, if he does, I will say that Godot seems to act irrationally and not at all like the “God” that we have read about in the bible
This is an absurd deity, if he is one at all.
Vladimir and Estragon are entertaining and we get some good doses of fun:
- Let’s go…nobody moves
Very often I get amused just by hearing Pozzo, say …Pozzo! But it is the excellent acting that can make me enjoy simple lines and make them extraordinary.
There is a kind of miracle, whereby a tree without leaves becomes green and with full foliage…over night.
“…Estragon recoils.) You stink of garlic!
VLADIMIR:
It's for the kidneys. (Silence. Estragon looks attentively at the tree.) What do we do now?
ESTRAGON:
Wait.
VLADIMIR:
Yes, but while waiting.
ESTRAGON:
What about hanging ourselves?
VLADIMIR:
Hmm. It'd give us an erection.
ESTRAGON:
(highly excited). An erection! „
There a few ways to read Waiting For Godot, I guess
- One would be to look for symbols, hidden significances, meaning behind the words
- Another way is to just enjoy the hilarious situations, with erections, smelly feet and craziness
It seems that pazzo is the Italian word for crazy.
And that’s how we could look not just at Pozzo, but at all the characters and play.
You can read it online or download it legally at the Gutenberg Project site
http://www.samuel-beckett.net/Waiting...
May 31, 2017
Warten, doch worauf?
Die Geschichte hat mich wirklich nicht sonderlich angesprochen. Ist vielleicht mein eigenes Manko, doch erschließt sich mir kein tieferer Sinn, außer der, dass Warten sinnlos zu sein scheint. Mag der Autor dazu aufrufen wollen, dass der Mensch selbst agieren soll? Bin nicht schlau daraus geworden.
Eigentlich eher enttäuschend, trotz des großen Namens.
Die Geschichte hat mich wirklich nicht sonderlich angesprochen. Ist vielleicht mein eigenes Manko, doch erschließt sich mir kein tieferer Sinn, außer der, dass Warten sinnlos zu sein scheint. Mag der Autor dazu aufrufen wollen, dass der Mensch selbst agieren soll? Bin nicht schlau daraus geworden.
Eigentlich eher enttäuschend, trotz des großen Namens.
August 18, 2017
Warten auf Godot:
Natürlich ist das alles irgendwie ziellos und zufällig trifft den Menschen das Leid, aber ich finde das Stück nicht deprimierend, nur düster.
Im Gegenteil ist es seltsam schön, dass Estragon und Wladimir es schaffen, sich immer eine gewisse Hoffnung zu bewahren.
4/5
Endspiel:
War das seltsam.
Düster, wahnhaft. Der immer alte Trott, Nihilismus, Gewohnheit. Ein Ausbrechen aus den Mustern kann nur gut sein. Ich bin froh, dass Clov geht und Hamm sich umbringt.
4/5
Glückliche Tage:
Was will mir das sagen?
Dazu kann ich wirklich gar keinen Bezug aufbauen.
Immerhin Becketts Sprachgebrauch gewöhnt schön.
2/5
Natürlich ist das alles irgendwie ziellos und zufällig trifft den Menschen das Leid, aber ich finde das Stück nicht deprimierend, nur düster.
Im Gegenteil ist es seltsam schön, dass Estragon und Wladimir es schaffen, sich immer eine gewisse Hoffnung zu bewahren.
4/5
Endspiel:
War das seltsam.
Düster, wahnhaft. Der immer alte Trott, Nihilismus, Gewohnheit. Ein Ausbrechen aus den Mustern kann nur gut sein. Ich bin froh, dass Clov geht und Hamm sich umbringt.
4/5
Glückliche Tage:
Was will mir das sagen?
Dazu kann ich wirklich gar keinen Bezug aufbauen.
Immerhin Becketts Sprachgebrauch gewöhnt schön.
2/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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December 26, 2022Ich weiß wirklich nicht wie ich das bewerten soll... Godot war immerhin noch irgendwie spannend, aber die anderen beiden fand ich leicht verwirrend. Ich musste sogar das Bühnenbild googeln, weil ich mir nichts darunter vorstellen konnte...
May 24, 2021
Angsteinflößend. Alptraumhaft. Wahr?
March 6, 2025
«Das Beste hinter sich. [Pause]. Nicht mehr jung, noch nicht alt».
April 25, 2016
3.5 Sterne
Die Stücke sind theoretisch sicher grossartig, leider konnten sie nicht ganz so auf mich wirken, wie sie es "sollten".
Mehr: http://imagoala.blogspot.ch/2016/04/w...
Die Stücke sind theoretisch sicher grossartig, leider konnten sie nicht ganz so auf mich wirken, wie sie es "sollten".
Mehr: http://imagoala.blogspot.ch/2016/04/w...
english-language-literature
October 11, 2013(auf deutsch gelesen Warten auf Godot)
January 28, 2025
4,5*
Warten auf Godot: 5*
Endspiel: 4,5*
Glückliche Tage: 4*
Warten auf Godot: 5*
Endspiel: 4,5*
Glückliche Tage: 4*
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews