Death Thought in Samuel Beckett’s Works

One of the dominant acts of Samuel Beckett’s characters is their “death thought” or “deathliness.” They are either waiting to die or want to commit suicide. Disappointed with the proceedings of their life in modern society and to free themselves from deep crisis, these characters prefer death to life. Since ancient Greek tragedies, death has always been a basic theme in the works of many writers, poets and philosophers one of which is the famous Iranian poet, philosopher and mystic, Rumi. Using Rumi’s system of thought on death, this topic will be examined first; then the belief in death in thetwo cultures of East and West will be evaluated to provide a clear understanding of the role and nature of deathliness in Beckett’s works only to further treat the following questions in that context:What is the reason that Beckett’s characters are deathly or commit suicide? Does Beckett intend to promote death and non-existence or he is pursuing a more constructive goal in human life? Certainly, paying attention to the findings and beliefs of the audience in Iran, including the influence of personalities such as Rumi in the intellectual sphere of the Iranian people, would lead to a deep understanding of Beckett’s work in the culture of Iranian theater. Accordingly, the research method of this paper would be descriptive-analytical.