This is a fresh, comprehensive critical study of Samuel Beckett's first and best-known dramatic work, Waiting for Godot, which has become one of the most frequently performed, widely discussed, and influential plays in the history of the theatre. Professor Graver discusses the play's background and provides a detailed analysis of its originality and distinction as a landmark of modern theatrical art. He reviews some of the differences between Beckett's original French version and his English translation, and discusses the liberating influence of Godot on such important playwrights as Harold Pinter, Tom Stoppard, and Athol Fugard.