| Abstract: |
Abstract
This research paper explores the manifestation of existential themes in the dramatic works of Eugene O'Neill, the Nobel Prize-winning American playwright, and Girish Karnad, the acclaimed Indian dramatist. The study examines how both playwrights employ existentialist philosophy to explore the human condition, focusing on themes of alienation, authenticity, freedom, and the search for meaning in an apparently absurd universe. Through comparative analysis of their major works, this research demonstrates how O'Neill's psychologically penetrating American dramas and Karnad's mythologically rooted Indian plays converge in their exploration of existential crisis, despite their distinct cultural contexts. The methodology employs textual analysis, comparative literature approach, and existentialist theoretical framework to examine selected plays including O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey into Night," "The Iceman Cometh," and Karnad's "Tughlaq," "Hayavadana," and "Yayati." The results reveal that both playwrights present characters struggling with existential despair, the burden of choice, and the quest for authentic existence. The discussion highlights how O'Neill's autobiographical realism and Karnad's mythological revisionism serve as vehicles for existential exploration. The research concludes that both dramatists effectively demonstrate that existential themes transcend cultural boundaries, offering universal insights into the human predicament of existence in a seemingly meaningless world
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