TheGreatDeadenerbyEstellaAviles

Intheplays
Hamlet
and
WaitingforGodot,
theprotagonistsareeachgivenatasktocompletebyanauthority
figure:VladimirandEstragonmustwaitforGodotdayafterday,andHamletmustfinditinhimselftorevengehis
fathersmurderbytakinghisuncleslife.Thoughthesetasksdiffergreatlyinnature,theyshareacertain
nearimpossiblequality,whichmayleadonetoquestionwhyonetask(VladimirandEstragons)isachievedwhilethe
other(Hamlets)isleftundone.Themainreasonforthisishabit:specifically,thattheformertaskcanbecompleted
withoutsacrificinghabit,whilethelattercannot.Toreachthepointwherewecandefinitivelysaythis,however,we
muststepbackandexaminethetasksoftheseplaysmoreclosely,aswellasthenatureoftheconflictsthatarisefrom
them.
In
WaitingforGodot
,actionisvirtuallynonexistent,andthewholeoftheplaycentersaroundthe
conflictofinterestVladimirandEstragonfacebecauseofthis.TheyarecalledtostayandwaitforGodot,torefrain
fromactionandremaindutifullyatattention,readyforthemomentwhenGodotfinallycomes.Theydosointhehope
thatGodotwillprovidethemwithabetterlife.Godotissaidtoownalargeestateandkeepmanyservants,andthetwo
vagabondsbelievetheymayfindaplacethere.Thoughreducedtopitifulcircumstances,theydonotleaveandsearch
foranotherpotentialmaster,butreturndayafterdaytowaitforGodottocome.
Bycontrast,Hamletsconflictstemsfromacommandtoact.Inthissituation,theghostofHamlets
fatherplaysthesameroletoHamletthatGodotplaystoVladimirandEstragon.ThespiritistheonlyauthorityHamlet
seemstofeelanyobligationto,andHamletistiedtohimwiththesamelifealteringstrengththattiesVladimirand
EstragontoGodot.JustasthelattertwocentertheireverydayaroundGodotsrequestthattheywait,sotooHamlet
centershiseverydayaroundhisdeadfatherswishes.UnlikeVladimirandEstragon,however,Hamletfindshimself
unabletodoashisGodotfigurecommands.Thisleadsustothequestionofwhyofwhatissodifferentinthesetwo
situations.
TheobviousanswertothisquestionisthatGodothasaskedVladimirandEstragontodosomething
easyandHamletSr.hasaskedHamlettodosomethinghard.Itcanhardlybearguedthatcomingtoaparticularplace
andwaitingforsomeoneelsetoshowupismoredifficultthantakingthelifeofanotherhumanbeing.Thisanswer,
however,isflawedinthatitunderestimatesthesignificanceofGodotsrequesttoVladimirandEstragon.Iwillnot
speculateastowhichofthetwotasksaremoredifficult,butIwillarguethatneitheriseasilydone.Theheartofthe
difficultyofVladimirandEstragonstaskliesinthefactthat
itneverends.
Godotisnevergoingtocome.Andyetthey
mustcontinue,fortherestoftheirlives,tocometothesameplaceeachdayandwaitforsomethingthatwillnever
cometopass.Theirlivesbecomeaneternal,meaninglesscycle,andthoughtheymaybecomedissatisfiedwiththis
situation(astheyexpressthroughouttheplay),theyhavenoescapefromitotherthandeath.Whileofaverydifferent
naturethanHamletsmission,thisisundeniablyasignificantcommitment.
HavingestablishedthatHamletSr.scalltoactionandGodotscalltoinactionarebothincredibly
difficultcommands,wemayreaddressthequestionofwhyGodotsinstructionispossibleforVladimirandEstragonto
carryout,whilethatofHamletSr.isnotpossibleforHamlettocarryout.Todothis,wecanlookatthecharacters
ownreasoningfortheiractions.

ThemainforcesdrivingVladimirandEstragonseemtobehope,habit,andfear.Vladimirmentions
allthesemotivationsatdifferentpointsoftheplay,beginningwithhopeintheplaysfirstscene,demonstratedbyhis
linesWhatsthegoodoflosingheartnow,thatswhatIsayandOneofthethieveswassaved.Itsareasonable
percentage(Beckett,ActI).Hekeepsthisoptimismforanimpressivelylongtime,asfarastheendofActI,wherehe
says,Tomorroweverythingwillbebetter(Beckett,ActI).Heeventuallylosesthishopeandfallsbackonhabitinthe
secondact,statingthathabitisagreatdeadenerandcontinuingwithhisusualinteractionswithEstragonandGodots
dailymessenger(who,asusual,instructsthementocomebacktomorrow)withresignation(Beckett,ActII).Finally,
heendswithfearinthelastscene,replyingtoEstragonsquestionofwhatwouldhappeniftheystoppedwaitingon
Godotwiththestatementhedpunishus(Beckett,ActII).Thiscombinationofmotivatorsleavesthemliterally
unabletoactagainstGodot.Inthefinallineoftheplaytheyresolvetoleaveandthecurtainfallsastheystand
immobile(Beckett,ActII).
However,ifthesereasonsareenoughtoforceobedience,surelyHamletwouldhavebeenableto
obeyhisownfathersorder.Thereisnolackofmotivationonhisparttodoso:hecertainlyhasfear,statingthathis
deadfathersappearancehorridlyshake[shis]disposition(Shakespeare,ActI,SceneIV),andhehasakindofhope
thathisfathersspiritwillresteasierafterClaudiusisdead,asthereisnootherreasonfortheghosttomakethe
request.Whatshouldbeevenmoremotivatingistheobviouslovehehad,andstillhas,forhisfather,asevidencedin
hisdescriptionofhisfatherintheclosetsceneashavingagraceseatedon[his]browaformindeed,whereevery
goddidseemtosethisseal,togivetheworldassuranceofaman(Shakespeare,ActIII,SceneIV).Yetsomehow,
despitethesemanyandpowerfuldrivingforces,Hamletisunabletocarryouthisfathersorders.Somethingabouthis
situationisdifferentfromthatofVladimirandEstragon,whoareunabletodoanything
but
followtheirorder.
AnotabledifferencethatmayshedsomelightonthisisthatunlikeVladimirandEstragon,Hamlet
doesnothavehabitonhisside.Tocarryouthisfathersorders,Hamletmustbreakthepatternofhislifeinadramatic
way,andconsideringhislifeuptothispoint,itishardlysurprisinghefindsthisimpossibletodo.Hamletisyoung,a
prince,andusedtoacomfortablelifestyle.Heisascholar,notawarriorlikehisfather,andisevenreferredtoassuch
byOpheliainthenunneryscene(Shakespeare,ActIII,SceneI).Committingmurderwillinevitablyendthislifestyle,
andnomatterhowstronglyhewishesforjustice,hecannotbringhimselftogivethis,hishabit,up.Whilehis
performanceofmadnesscertainlychallengesthisthought,consideringthewayitchangeshisrelationshipswiththose
aroundhim,HamletsliferemainsfarmorestablethiswaythanwerehetokillthekingofDenmark.
Furthermore,Hamletcannotbuildupahabitinthewayhiscounterpartsdo.ForVladimirand
Estragon,Godotscommandwaslikelyasmallsacrificeinitially,simplywaitingforoneday.Whentheseconddayof
waitingcame,itiseasytoseehowtheywouldconvincethemselveshewouldcome,thistime.Thispatterncouldthen
continuewiththesubsequentdaysfallingslowlyintoapatternuntilwaitingseamlesslybecamehabit.Hamlethasno
suchtransitionavailabletohim:hemustmakeadecisivemovethatwilldrasticallychangehislife.IfVladimirand
Estragonareunabletoactagainsttheirauthorityfigure,Hamletisunabletoactinaccordancewithhis.Habit,then,
wouldseemtobethetruedeterminingfactorbehindthecharactersability(orinability)tofulfillthetasksgivento
them

Evenmoretellingisthecharactersdesiretoactoutofhabit.VladimirandEstragonoftenfantasize
aboutwhattheirliveswerelikepriortothedaytheybeganwaitingforGodot,aswellaswhatitwouldbeliketocease
waitingforhim.Aspreviouslymentioned,theyevenresolvetogoaway.Hamlet,meanwhile,istormentedimmensely
byhisdesiretobringjusticetoClaudius.Hetalksfrequentlyofhisdesiretoact,andofhisdisgustwithhimselffor
delaying.Yetinbothcases,itisnotthecharactersdesiresthatwinthebattle,noreventheirfearofpunishmentfrom
theonewhohascommandedthem.Instead,itishabit.
Theimportanceofhabitraisesmanyquestionsaboutbothoftheseplays.HadHamletbeenmorein
thehabitofkillingforinstance,hadhebeenasoldierfreshfrombattleattheplaysbeginningwouldhehavebeen
abletoavengehisfathersdeath?IfHamletwerealreadyacriminal,andnotusedtoacomfortableoreasylifestyle,
wouldhehavebeenabletokillClaudius?IfGodotweretofinallyappeartoVladimirandEstragon,wouldthey
welcomeorfearhim,giventhegreatdisruptionthiswouldbringtotheirdailyhabit?Whilesuchspeculationisbeyond
thescopeofthispaper,thesequestionsareworthmentioning.HabitisnotoftenemphasizedindiscussionsofHamlet
inparticular,andsoopensupaslewoffascinatingquestionsfordiscussion.