This course examines the life and work of Irish playwright and author Samuel Beckett (1906-1989), and seeks to demystify Beckett’s art, which has garnered a reputation as serious and obscure. Students will learn how to appreciate Beckett’s drama, as well as how to make sense of it.  Particularly of interest to the course is the way in which Beckett’s private life, as well as major world events, had a profound impact on his literary career.