Waiting for Godot - The Hat

In Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, main characters Vladimir and Estragon wait the entire play for a man named Godot to arrive.  During this play and their time waiting, the men have little to keep themselves occupied, and with little scenery in the play, they only have their boots and hats to keep them busy.  For example, Vladimir seems to be obsessed with his hat and turns to it when he is contemplating the arrival of Godot.  With little action in the play, this inanimate object actually plays a huge role in representing the struggles of Vladimir.  He is constantly seen shaking, knocking, touching, and looking at his hat, almost as if he is searching for something inside of it.  By constantly examining this hat in times of trouble and confusion, one may think that he is turning to his hat for answers and knowledge for what to do or say.  Whenever Vladimir fails to find the solution to his problems (like where Godot really is), he adjusts his hat and seems to be disappointed because of his lack of knowledge.  Because of the lack of plot and conflict and characters in this play, this hat is really crucial object that helps the audience discover more about Vladimir as a character and his role in finding Godot and answers to life.