DefinePK

Abstract

This study examined the intersection of absurdism and existentialism in the dramatic works of Samuel Beckett, with particular emphasis on Waiting for Godot and Endgame. Using a qualitative-textual methodology combined with quantitative content analysis, the research investigated how Beckett's minimalist style, fragmented dialogue, and cyclical structures express the existential dilemmas of meaning, alienation, and absurdity. Grounded in the philosophical frameworks of Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Martin Heidegger, the study explored how Beckett's characters navigate a purposeless world marked by repetition, silence, and existential inertia. Six thematic indicators—absurd action, lack of progression, language dysfunction, isolation, time stagnation, and metaphysical ambiguity—were coded and analyzed in both plays. The results confirmed Beckett’s intentional destabilization of narrative logic and his emphasis on human resilience in the face of nihilism. The findings contributed to existing literature by demonstrating that Beckett’s dramaturgy not only encapsulated the core tenets of existentialist thought but also enacted them through theatrical form. This research also offered pedagogical, philosophical, and performative implications, encouraging interdisciplinary approaches to Beckett’s oeuvre. By bridging dramatic theory and philosophical inquiry, the study reaffirmed Beckett’s continued relevance in understanding the modern human condition and the aesthetics of meaninglessness in contemporary literature and performance.
Keywords: Absurdism, Alienation, Beckett, Existentialism, Modern Drama, Nihilism