Traces of Self-alienation and Identity Crisis in Peter Shaffer’s The Gift of the Gorgon

Abstract

The authors of this paper seek to examine the concepts of self-alienation and identity crisis in Peter Shaffer's famous drama- The Gift of the Gorgon. The method of the study is chiefly based on Jacques Lacan's theories in terms of alienation and the otherness of individuals. Since, the major characters in thi s drama suffer from self-alienation and identity crisis, the primary work to do is to first elucidate the definitions of each term, including the Self, the Other and alienation and then examine it according to Lacan's viewpoints.