The principles of the modern world are variable to every individual. William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night celebrates the idiosyncrasies of misplaced love and ends happily with every worthy character finding joyful resolution. On the other hand, Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot illustrates the tragedy of missed opportunities and concludes with the characters bound in a circle of habit. While both plays differ greatly, they feature socially-rooted themes of love and friendship which create unique types of relationships. However, one cannot help but feel some deception and unfairness as people are rejected if they do not conform to cultural mores. Both plays illustrate the bipolar spirit of the modern world where a person's destiny ultimately resides in their social position.
             A clear theme in both plays is that of chaos. They both feature extremely erratic plots which, at times, leave the reader dazed. The plays differ in how they deal with the disorder that inundates the storylines. For example, Twelfth Night continues to advance through its chaos. By the end of the play, the problems have solved themselves in one way or another. Waiting for Godot never moves forward as it stays stuck in an endless circular day. The pandemonium is only heightened by numerous references to insanity, messengers, and ambiguous identities that plague the lives of the characters in both plays.
             The idea of mental instability is featured in both plays. In Twelfth Night, Malvolio is branded mad after he follows the false recommendations outlined in Maria's forged letter. The level of disorder is raised as he is maliciously imprisoned by Sir Toby. At times, Malvolio seems "mad" as he pleads for understanding from Feste. His madness is one of immense distress and anxiety. In fact, his madness seems to stem from a sense of megalomania. He only strives for Olivia's love so that he can obtain a higher social status. At one p...