Metamorphosis - Context.

Kafkaesque nightmares have several characteristics: 

1. Ordinary settings with nightmarish characteristics - Gregor's bedroom becomes his prison.
2. Characters are crushed by total authority -  the theme of total authority is introduced by the first clerk who comes to visit the family.
3. Bizarre and non-sensical situations - Gregor turning into the beetle is obviously not normal.
4. A sense of chaos - the family's rapid breakdown following Gregor's transformation and fast pace of novel gives feeling of chaos.
5. Leaves reader with nausea - the sinking belittling feeling of Kafkaesque nightmares is key to conveying Kafka's message.

Social Context.

1. The novel is written in and set in Prague which had a large Jewish population - the Kafka's themselves are Jewish. Prague's working class spoke Czech but the elites spoke German because Germany ruled Austria-Hungry (modern day Czech).
2. It is clear in the novel that all the women are meant to act in traditional housewife roles. Greta is in charge of providing Gregor's meals and the idea that Greta and Mrs Samsa may have to work is horrific.
3. In stark contrast, Mr Samsa claims he is the man of the house but actually does no work and relies on his son Gregor to make the money. At the time, men who did not work were considered weak and lazy and Mrs Samsa is clearly insecure about this as seen when he realises that Gregor can no longer work.

Historical Context.

1. Metamorphosis is set in the city of Prague in Bohemia. Bohemia was going through a period of civil reform when the novel was written. As Europe faced serious economic reform and while tensions rose before WW1, Prague was very austere with limited comfort or luxury. This is reflected in the novel as the Kafkas live in near poverty.
2. In many ways Kafka's novel foreshadows the collapse of the Austria-Hungary empire in WW1. Gregor wakes up as a beetle - Kafka and everyone in Bohemia wake up and find their identities have vanished.

Cultural/Political Context.

1. Kafka had extremist political views - he was incredibly anti-politics and wanted to avoid all mainstream ideas and views. Kafka said: 'It is when we look at those who appear to be on the margins of mainstream society that we see this struggle writ large.' This idea is clear in Metamorphosis as Kafka is exploring the Samsa family who are a politically extreme depiction of the working class.
2. If Kafka has to be aligned with a political belief system he was a social-anarchist. H believed in removing the authoritarian power of the government and was very anti-capitalism. This is reflected in the novel as the authoritarian figure of the first clerk is villainized.
3. Prague had a large Jewish population in the early 1900s but they faced prejudice and prosecution. Metamorphosis has an underlying political message as it conveys the alienation of the Jewish population in the city.

Social Context.

1. Berkoff felt he truly related to the character of Gregor and the themes of societal repression. Both him and Gregor would have been classed as 'Untermensch' - a Nazi term for non-Aryan people, people considered socially or racially inferior.
2. Berkoff had a difficult childhood and he had a notoriously difficult relationship with his father. After reading Kafka's Metamorphosis he felt his own story as reflected in Mr Samsa and Gregor's relationship. He described the novel as 'the best work of literature' and so was inspired to write his own version.
   

Historical Context.

1. Berkoff wrote the play in 1969 which was in a period of huge social reform in England. The 1960s saw the abolishment of capital punishment and the legalisation of homosexuality as well as the fight for freedom and equality across gender and race. Against this backdrop, Berkoff saw Kafka's work on the dread of authority as very moving and so was inspired to write the stage version.
2. The late 60s saw great social and political activism as different groups of people felt they could express more extreme views. This was the perfect setting for total theatre (see Berkoff) and this played a role in the provocative style of Berkoff's play.

Cultural/Political Context.

1. Berkoff was a Marxist and he was keen to write his own characters because it shook naturalistic theatre and encouraged experimenting using with his total theatre. Following the ideology of Marxism, Berkoff was always quick to challenge societal norms and so the shocking message of Metamorphosis stood out to him.
2. 
   
   

Dammit to hell, I'm famished! My stomach's rumbling so much it sounds like a regimental band. We'll never get home at this

rate, so whatd'yousuggest we do, eh? That's more'n amonth now, since we left Petersburg. His lordship's been chucking his money around on the road, and now he's stuck here with his tail between

his legs, and he doesn't give a damn. He could've hired post-horses, he's plenty of cash, but oh no, not him, he has to make a show of himself every place we stop. (Mimics him.) 'Right, Osip, go and find me a room, nothing but the best, mind, and order up the finest dinner on the menu: I can't eat any old muck, I must have the best.'

I mean, it'd be a different matter if he was somebody, but he's only

a jumped-up clerk! Yes, and he gets matey with some fly-by-night, next thing they're at the cards, and he's gambled himself into this hole! God, I'm sick to death of it! I tell you, you're better off in the country: all right, there's no social life, but you've no worries,

neither - you get hold of a nice peasant woman, you can spend the rest of your days stretched out on top of the stove, eating pies. Still, you can't argue- when you come right down to it, there's no place like Petersburg. As long as you've got money, you can live like a

king- them theatre places, little dancing dogs, anything you've a fancy to. And they talk so refined the whole time, you could be up there with the nobility, near as dammit. You stroll through the Shchukin market, and the traders all shout 'Your Honour!' at you. You can take the ferry-boat, and you're sitting right next to a civil servant, no less. If you fancy a bit of company, you can pop into

any shop, and some army type'll tell you all the camps he's been in, or what every single star in the sky means, so you can practically see 'em, plain as day. Then some old officer's wife'll drop in, or one of them young housemaids, and by God, she'll give you such a look - whew! (Laughs and shakes his head.) And the manners of 'em, dammit, they're so well-bred. You won't hear a single cuss word, and everybody calls you 'sir'. And when you get fed up hoofing it, you just hop in a cab and sit yourself down like a lord - if you don't feel like paying, well, there's a back door to every house, you can skip out through it and the devil himself couldn't catch you. Only snag is, one day you're stuffing your face, the next you're practicaly 110

starving. like now, for instance. And It's all his fault. I mean, what can you do with him? His old man sends him money, enough to

last him a while - huh, fat chancel Next minute he's out on the town again, riding around in a cab, and every day it's: 'Get me a theatre ticket!' till by the end of the week he's sending me to the flea-market to sell his new frock-coat. Another time he'll pawn the lot, right down to his last shirt, so's he's got nothing left but a shabby old jacket and overcoat. It's the truth, I swear to God! And nothing but the best English cloth - he'll lay out a hundred and fifty roubles on a tail-coat, then sell it at the market for twenty. And don't even mention his trousers - they'll go for practically nothing. And why's this, eh? It's because he won't give his mind to his work: yes, instead of sitting in his office, he's traipsing up and down Nevsky Prospect, or playing cards. My God, if the old master knew what was going on! I tell you, he wouldn't think twice: civil servant or no, he'd whip up your shirt tail and give you such a thrashing vou wouldn't sit down for a week! You've got a decent job, so damn well do it! And the landlord's just said he won't give us nothing to

eat till we pay for what we've had. And what if we can't pay, eh?

(Sighs.) Dear God, what I wouldn't give for a bowl of cabbage soup!

Honestly, I could eat a horse. There's somebody at the door - that'll be h i m now. (Hurriedly removes himself from the bed.)