Name-Surname: Mislina Beyza Ak

Student No: 2023211084

Compare and contrast the issue of alienation in The Metamorphosis, Hamlet and Oedipus Rex. Is
each character unique in his alienation from the surrounding world, or do they serve as a symbol
of all humankind? Support your conclusion with details from the story

The human condition is the duality of isolation and connection. We are built in with a yearning
for a warm house filled with family and friends, for a group of people to have solid relationships
with, for a sense of belonging, yet we often end up finding ourselves lost in the void of
misunderstandings and confusion. This could very well be the theme of our existence. The
reoccurring concept is deeply explored (given it’s complexity and familiarity) by great authors in
every day and age such as William Shakespeare, Franz Kafka and Sophocles, who gave in-depth
analyses of the topic of alienation. In their works Hamlet, the Metamorphosis and Oedipus the
King the protagonists Hamlet, Gregor Samsa and Oedipus all go through alienation in their own
stories unique to their own. Despite the fact that these characters have very specific series of
events happening to themselves, the clever handling of the topic ultimately reveals the
universality of this human struggle.
Alienation itself is a discordant combination of psychological and social isolation that could be
considered a branch of existentialism if investigated philosophically. The sense of disconnection,
which is at the core of alienation, is like one’s ties with their loved ones or even society have
been ripped off emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes physically. This haunting situation can
lead to a fracturation in one’s sense of self as well as in the eyes of others, as they are deprived of
their original person. Raising profound questions about existentialism, this state of deep
segregation causes individuals to struggle with feelings of insignificance. Ending up in social
isolation, they start to feel ostracized, discriminated against, sometimes powerless, and betrayed
by those in their immediate circle. By understanding these different facets of alienation, we are
able to analyze this weighty subject further and understand the underlying themes and metaphors
more clearly in the works that have been mentioned above.
In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, alienation is a constant force which leads to his sorrowful demise
rather than only a consequence of his horrible actions. Being abandoned as a baby by his parents,
raised in ignorance of his true identity, his isolated life is established. He bears the burden of an
unknown, secret past. The swollen ankles, a consecutive physical reminder of his departure, is a
metaphor for his alienation. As the play progresses, the truth about his ancestry unfolds. Killing
his father and marrying his mother he violates the sacred rules and gets penalized by the Gods.
Bringing curse into his land Oedipus’ perception of himself shatters. The revealing of patricide
and incest throws his world into chaos, “Now evil I am revealed, evil from birth.” (Oedipus Rex,
line 1397) he says, emphasizing his alienation from the very moment he opens his eyes to this
world. He starts to talk about himself as “pollution” highlighting his disconnection from his
former self and society he led. Before this action happens, we see him being set apart from his
family as well, blaming those around him and not listening to his wife/mother Jocasta when she
says, “My dear, forget all that.” (Oedipus Rex, line 707) and tries to get him to abandon his
inquiries. After the disclose he chooses isolation as his punishment for the horrific deeds he has
committed, “Expel me from this land, as soon as you can, to some place far from the sight of
man, where I cannot hear another human voice” (Oedipus Rex, lines 1436-1437) further
separating himself from life as a sacrifice for his kingdom, in the end, dying.
Similarly to Oedipus Rex, alienation in Shakespeare’s Hamlet is not a consequence, it is the
suffocating web that strangles Hamlet’s soul form the very beginning. After his father’s passing
his mother marries Claudius (Hamlet’s uncle), displeased by this engagement the way he views
his family changes drastically: “You are the queen, your husband’s brother’s wife, And, would it
were not so, you are my mother.” (Hamlet, Act I, Scene II). Describing Denmark as a prison
Hamlet is choked by a sense of suffocation, taking on the role of an avenger. This isolation leads
to him spiraling into the role of the insane he claims to be playing, pushing others away with his
erratic behavior. Tormenting his lover Ophelia with cruel declarations and confronting his mother
Gertrude with disgusting accusations, he is left with almost nobody by his side and his madness
turns into an immense loneliness. His famous soliloquy “To be or not to be” (Hamlet, Act III,
Scene I, lines 57-91) exposes his existential contemplations and his heavy burden. As the play
goes on and Shakespeare explores themes of betrayal, grief and madness more extremely,
Hamlet’s alienation becomes the driving force of his tragic downfall as many others loses their
lives on his road of vengeance, including himself.
Lastly, Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis which is a story of alienation fully, inspects the topic
through Gregor Samsa grotesque transformation to a giant insect. This physical transformation
becomes a potent metaphor for the human experience of feeling disconnected, misunderstood
and shunned by others. Even before his transformation, as the sole breadwinner of the house
Gregor leads a distant life, sacrificing his personal wishes for his parents and his beloved sister.
The very opening “As Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from uneasy dreams, he found
himself transformed into some kind of monstrous vermin” (Kafka, Metamorphosis, page 29)
marks the moment Gregor’s alienation goes beyond the mental and manifests itself into the
physical. From this point on Gregor’s seclusion from his family intensifies as he is no longer
able to hold a two-sided conversation and is a terrifying creature, making the household avoid his
unsightly view, locking him up and feeding him sparely. After the horrific incident of the
transformation, the Samsa household takes on jobs and lodgers into their home. At some point,
Grete, Gregor's sister, plays the violin for the lodgers in the house in a desperate attempt to reach
a slight normalcy. The beautiful sound touches her brother; it evokes memories and yearning for
connection, a hope to break free out of his quarantine. However, this results in the lodgers
spotting him as he gets too close to the living room. Completely disgusted, they storm out
without paying a penny. This event pushes his sister to wish for his brother to leave: “It has to go,
that is the only way, father. You must just try to get rid of the thought that it is Gregor” (Kafka,
Metamorphosis, page 69) alienating Gregor completely, not even seeing him as human any
longer, resulting in his miserable end.
Though all tussling with alienation, Oedipus, Hamlet, and Gregor Samsa all experience it in their
own unique ways. Gregor’s physical metamorphosis is a stark symbol of ostracization, while
Hamlet’s internal turmoil and madness isolates him. Oedipus is casted out from society upon the
revelation of his past. Whilst all three face their own fates differently, they all begin and later
take a taste of the devastating consequences of isolation. In separated times, circumstances, and
places, they have a similar destiny, showing the omnipresence of alienation, sharing the universal
human struggle in a world that appears uncaring and indifferent.

Sources
Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Leipzig, 1915
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. England, 1599-1602
Sophocles. The Theban Plays. Ancient Greece, 429 BCE