Who is regarded as a significant figure in modernist literature for his impactful plays?

Samuel Beckett is regarded as a significant figure in modernist literature primarily due to his innovative and influential contributions to the genre of drama. His works, particularly plays like "Waiting for Godot," challenge traditional narrative structures and explore themes of existentialism, absurdity, and the human condition. Beckett's unique style often incorporates minimalism and lack of clear resolution, which reflects the disorientation and questioning characteristic of modernist literature. His ability to capture the complexities of human experience through sparse dialogue and unconventional plotlines has made a lasting impact on the theater and literature as a whole, placing him firmly in the modernist canon.

In contrast, the other figures listed have contributed to literature in significant ways, but their works do not align as closely with the tenets of modernism. Euripides, for example, is known for his dramatic tragedies from ancient Greece, which adhere more to classical forms. Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and William Butler Yeats are influential poets, but their works reflect the late Victorian and early 20th-century contexts rather than the radical departure from tradition seen in modernism. Thus, Beckett's association with modernist principles helps solidify his status as a pivotal figure in that literary movement.