Samuel Beckett was an Irish playwright, novelist, and poet, recognised as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century and a leading figure in the Theatre of the Absurd. Born in Foxrock, Dublin, Beckett was raised in a Protestant middle-class family, the youngest of two sons of William Frank Beckett, a quantity surveyor, and May Roe, a nurse. He attended Portora Royal School in Enniskillen, the same school Oscar Wilde attended, before moving on to Trinity College Dublin, where he studied French, Italian, and English, graduating in 1927.
After completing his studies, Beckett moved to Paris, where he became part of an artistic and literary circle, forming a close friendship with James Joyce, who had a significant influence on his early writing. Beckett’s time in Paris shaped his intellectual and creative outlook, leading him to experiment with modernist themes and forms. He returned briefly to Ireland but eventually settled in Paris permanently. During the Second World War, Beckett joined the French Resistance, and after narrowly escaping arrest by the Gestapo, he spent much of the war in the unoccupied zone.
Beckett wrote in both English and French, often focusing on themes of existential despair, human suffering, and the inadequacy of language. His most famous work, Waiting for Godot (1953), epitomises his minimalist style and dark humour, establishing his reputation as a leading playwright of his time. Beckett was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1969, although he remained characteristically private and averse to public recognition, famously avoiding the awards ceremony.
Throughout his life, Beckett maintained a reclusive and enigmatic personality, preferring to live simply. He married Suzanne Déchevaux-Dumesnil in 1961, his long-term partner who had supported his work and shared his reserved approach to life. Beckett continued to live in Paris for the remainder of his life, where he produced numerous works including Endgame (1957) and Krapp’s Last Tape (1958), known for their stark and poignant portrayal of the human condition. Beckett’s writing is celebrated for its deep exploration of human existence, distilled through a unique blend of pathos, dark comedy, and minimalism.
