Hamlet J Alfred Prufrock

People at least once in their life face a moment of true indecision. That moment-be it seconds or days long-were reaching a decision seems to be a nearly impossible task. Sometimes the decision is clear but the path to it is scary or foggy. This is the case of two very different individuals: Prince Hamlet and J Alfred Prufrock. Both of them have reached a decision, but for very different reason they can’t find a way to make that decision a reality. Prufrock’s indecision roots in his insecurity and overthinking, on the other hand Hamlet is so consumed by rage and hate that he can’t execute a plan to fulfill his wishes.

It is important to discover the object of the two characters’ obsessions. iN Hamlet’s case it is his father’s death, the desire to avenge him from his murderous uncle and treacherous mother. In J Alfred Prufrock’s case it is a woman that captured his heart. This is the first clue towards understanding the differences between the two characters’ situations. Hamlet’s indecision comes from a negative situation, the death of his father in the hands of his uncle. This causes emotions of hate and rage. Prufrock is in love, he feels the most powerful and normally positive emotion a human can feel. Ironically the emotions linked with Hamlet’s desire for revenge have more power over his actions and make him more driven towards his goal. With love comes vulnerability, when love is truly present the person is vulnerable. This is why Prufrock is dithering to declare his love, he is scared of rejection and being hurt. That is the first difference between Hamlet and Prufrock: Hamlet is decided on his ends due to the aggressive nature of his situation, Prufrock wants to do something but he isn’t completely sure that it would benefit him.

Hamlet’s position in his environment is very different to Prufrock’s. He is a Prince, a powerful and confident person. Prufrock is an insecure, shy person, a tertiary character: “I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be; I am an attendant lord”. This makes Hamlet’s path to his goal easier he has more ability and power to achieve revenge. Prufrock is unnoticed and isolated, curiously enough those aren’t characteristics that appeal to a woman.

The indecision itself isn’t the same for Hamlet and Prufrock. Hamlet can’t decide how he wants to avenge his father, he is so angry that he wants to inflict as much pain as possible on Claudius. He wants his revenge to be perfect. Prufrock decides he wants to talk to a woman but in some level he knows he can’t do it and fantasized with his love affair with this woman. He considers-somewhat hopelessly-that by changing himself he will get this woman. “Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare eat a peach?”.

Finally Hamlet achieves his goal, Claudius ends up dead. However Laertes and Gertrude die in the process, not to mention him. At the end Hamlet dies with peace, he makes amends with Laertes and dies with a heroic scene and Claudius’s agonizing shouts. Prufrock grows old, in the midst of fantasies which remain that. He dies in an ironic peace: We have lingered in the chambers of the sea/By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown/ Till human voices wake us, and we drown.” Prufrock dies in an ironic peace, he realizes that fear held him back his whole life but realizes he was comfortable being an attendant guard in Prince Hamlet’s heroic death.