Possibly Beckett's most famous play, Waiting for Godot has a plot that centers around two protagonists, both bums who sleep on park benches at night. Vladimir and Estragon; Vladimir represents the intellect, or emotion, and Estragon the body itself. Estragon relies upon Vladimir to remember what happens to him each day because he has no memory. The men are reliant upon each other and the purpose of the play is to show that the mind and the body cannot exist independently of each other.
Human Wishes
This play dramatizes some of the key events in the life of Samuel Johnson, specifically his relationship with Hester Thrale. The play is based on Thrale's own diaries and is therefore told from her perspective rather than Johnson's.
Eleutheria
This play tells the story of Victor Krap, a young bourgeoisie man who has cut himself off from his family and from society as a whole, although he is willing to be supported by his mother and accepts her money quite regularly. The play is set in Paris and takes place over three successive days.
This play takes place in a desert that is bathed in bright white light. The play begins when a young man is flung backwards onto the stage. He moves towards the right of the stage after hearing a whistle coming from there, but each time he does so he is propelled by something back where he started again. Over the course of the play various objects are put in front of the man but he is never able to use them. The theme of the work is frustrated effort.
Play
There are three grey funeral urns on the stage facing the audience. They contain three characters, a man, his wife and his mistress. The characters all speak at the same time which means that each of their lines is almost impossible to hear. The only time a character speaks individually so that the audience can understand them is when a spotlight is shone in his or her face. The main event in the husband's affair and each of the characters speaks their own truth about it. None of them are able to agree on anything and consequently the impression is given that the three individuals have never really had a proper knowledge of each other.
Breath
The entire play is a mere thirty five seconds in length. It opens with a long drawn-out birth cry, and this is followed by the sound of someone breathing in and out in measured intervals. There are no characters on the stage at any time.
Rockaby
A woman who is prematurely old before her time sits in a rocking chair on the stage, and does not move until the end of the play. The chair, however, rocks back and forth but it does this of its own accord as her feet can be seen on the footrest. The woman listens to her own voice in a recording of her memories of her life.
