After reading the play for the first time it struck me as a play about nothing with no particular meaning or plot. Only after analyzing it further did I begin to see the purpose behind the script. Basically the play involves 4 characters that are waiting around for something to happen. The other two characters, Nagg and Nell, are Hamm s parents who live in trashcans on the stage.
Endgame is a term used in chess.
It is the absolute final stage where the outcome is already known. Beckett chose his title carefully. The title already implies the one fact that we are certain of- that we were all born to die. The settings of the play are dark and remind me of a place somewhere between life and death. They are not meant to be taken literally and are more of an abstract view of the world- a means of alienating the audience.