The passages from five works are discussed in this comparative literature essay: Shakespeare's Hamlet, Ibsen's Ghosts, Kafka's The Trial, Buber's I and Thou, and Nietzsche' The Gay Science. This paper examines how these works are united by the fact that they each explore what it means to be human, and address the question of whether effective human action is possible given the human condition. 13 pgs. 5 sources.
