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Eugene O’Neill (1888 – 1953) is known to be one of the most outstanding playwrights of the twentieth century. America has given him a special position in the literary society. O’Neill’s plays are replete with the theme of isolation and loneliness permeating family and social relationships. The present work aims at exploring the theme of isolation and loneliness in the “Hairy Ape”, and “Desire under the Elms”. It is therefore devoted to the theme of isolation and loneliness and brought out by analyzing the plays. Basically and essentially, O’Neill’s plays are the embodiments of a cosmic anguish. As he himself says, he has studied man not in relation to man, but man in relation to God. Living in an impersonal, mechanical, urbanized and industrialized social environment, man today is alienated from God, traditions and religions of the past, nature and his fellow beings. He suffers from loss of identity, inner emptiness, isolation, powerlessness and sense of insecurity. Thus isolation and loneliness, man’s disorientation, or man’s bewilderment from within and from without are major themes in the plays of Eugene O’Neill. The most important characters, especially the protagonists are victims of their situations and for the most part, play in the hands of fate. Owing to their mental conflict and insecurity, they struggle hard to get a place either in society or in the heart of some specific person. But their ill-luck stands life rock in their way and isolates them from one another. They have lost the harmony of situations. One of the most notable features about these plays is that they are dominated by female characters. The male characters are puppets in the hands of their women counterparts. Man’s inner conflict and his suffering in utter loneliness seem to fascinate Eugene O’Neill. He effectively delineates this isolated state of man through his dramatic skill. Sometimes, man’s own ego is responsible for his sufferings while at times he is forced by some outer force. Ultimately, through this conflict he reaches a state of isolation.
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