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The painkillers that Hamm asks Clov to give him throughout the play are an embodiment of the fact that Hamm is waiting in vain for something to happen that will ease his misery. In this case, he wants the painkillers because he hopes to decrease his physical suffering, but Clov repeatedly tells him that it isn’t time for him to take the medication yet. Then, when Clov finally agrees that it’s time for the painkillers, he informs Hamm that there are no more painkillers. Consequently, Hamm is forced to continue waiting for something to ease his pain, though now there is no hope that anything in his immediate environment will help him do this. In this sense, then, the painkillers—and the eventual reveal of their nonexistence—represent the notion that it’s impossible to escape suffering, which is an integral and unavoidable part of being alive.
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Hamm’s Painkillers Symbol Timeline in Endgame
The timeline below shows where the symbol Hamm’s Painkillers appears in Endgame. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Endgame
...bled a little bit. Hamm then asks if it’s time for him to take his painkiller, but Clov says no. Going on, Hamm wonders why Clov doesn’t kill him, and Clov...
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...after all. Hamm then asks once more if it’s time for him to take his painkiller, and Clov says no before announcing that he has things to do in his kitchen....
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...the trashcans. Then, without waiting for Clov to follow his instructions, Hamm asks for his painkiller, but Clov doesn’t give it to him.
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...is “terrific,” but Hamm says he likes the middle better. He then asks for his painkiller, but Clov says it’s not yet time for him to take it. Switching subjects, Hamm...
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...saying that the opposite is also true. Hamm then asks if it’s time for his painkiller, and Clov finally says that it is, but he also says that there is no...
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