TheGreatDeadenerbyEstellaAviles

IntheplaysHamletandWaitingforGodot,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.

InWaitingforGodot,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

difficultyofVladimirandEstragonstaskliesinthefactthatitneverends.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,whoareunabletodoanythingbutfollowtheirorder.

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.HadHamletbeenmoreinthehabitofkillingforinstance,hadhebeenasoldierfreshfrombattleattheplaysbeginningwouldhehavebeenabletoavengehisfathersdeath?IfHamletwerealreadyacriminal,andnotusedtoacomfortableoreasylifestyle,wouldhehavebeenabletokillClaudius?IfGodotweretofinallyappeartoVladimirandEstragon,wouldtheywelcomeorfearhim,giventhegreatdisruptionthiswouldbringtotheirdailyhabit?Whilesuchspeculationisbeyondthescopeofthispaper,thesequestionsareworthmentioning.HabitisnotoftenemphasizedindiscussionsofHamletinparticular,andsoopensupaslewoffascinatingquestionsfordiscussion.