Isolation In Hamlet

In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, The Stranger by Albert Camus, and Automat by

Edward Hopper, all three main characters portray loneliness and isolation. Within the three works, isolation creates an emotional backdrop and the context for the characters’ relationships and personal struggles.

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the eponymous character experiences extreme isolation and loneliness, mostly self-inflicted. Hamlet’s quest for revenge overshadows his life, and because of this, he separates himself from essential relationships, including his lover, Ophelia.

Simultaneously, due to his antic disposition, Hamlet distances himself by acting insane around others. Eventually, Hamlet’s only real confidante is his friend, Horatio. Hamlet’s isolation begins

By expressing his loss of “mirth,” Hamlet is melancholy about his lack of amusement since King

Hamlet’s passing. Subsequently, Hamlet goes through a personal conflict when he reflects on his loneliness and even questions whether his life is worth living. Hamlet, conflicted by his self-planted obligation to avenge his father’s death, goes through moments of extreme isolation.

In Hamlet’s famous soliloquy, he declares, “To be, or not to be: that is the question" (3.1.57) By questioning the purpose of life, and whether or not to commit suicide, Hamlet expresses significant loneliness. He then continues by stating, “A sleep to say we end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to” (3.1.62-64). Through this dismal juxtaposition,

Hamlet sees death as a painless alternative to the life he is stuck in. Lastly, Hamlet’s self-induced separation from Ophelia alienates any possible love for Hamlet, therefore propelling him more into his isolated state. By stating, “You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock, but we shall relish of it. I loved you not” (3.1.118-119), Hamlet is

Due to Hamlet’s actions, he lacks meaningful relationships and alienates all that could have saved him and would have pulled him from his insanity.

Meursault in Albert Camus’ The Stranger shares a similar predicament. Meursault is an incredibly isolated individual, separating himself from his lover, Marie, his small circle of friends, his mother, and eventually, society and human reason itself. By building his isolation,

Meursault creates a lonely life with little purpose. In the very beginning of the novel, it is apparent that Meursault is a significantly lonely individual when he mentions his mother’s funeral. “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home:

“Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours.” That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday” (Camus 1). Meursault’s blunt indifference and lack of emotion expose how he was rather distant from his mother, a primary relationship that should be important to him.

Concurrently, Meursault expresses a similar lack of concern regarding his girlfriend, Marie. His blatant apathy further emphasizes his self-perpetuated isolation. After being with Marie for the day, she asked Meursault if he loved her, to which he responded, “I told her it didn't