Lesson 5 Essay Outline

Introduction
Topic:
The protagonists in all three stories have experienced some sort of loss. This loss affected their
actions in a negative way.

Thesis Statement:
In the stories of Hamlet, Agamemnon and Prufrock, all three protagonists endure some sort of
personal loss in their lives. Agamemnon and Prufrock had the chance to change their initial loss
which might have changed the series of events that occurred thereafter, whereas Hamlet was not
involved in his initial loss and could not have changed the loss he endured. However, all three
characters experienced a sense of negativity regarding their future due to the losses they
experienced and this negativity was induced by their own actions.

Mapping Scheme/Main Points:

Hamlet experienced the loss of his father which led him to learn about his father's murder and
inspire the idea within him to enact revenge. The dire need for revenge upon his fathers killer,
the protagonist led to many unfortunate future events such as the death of his mother, his lover
and even himself.
Agamemnon was a king full of pride and in order to win a battle and appease the God Artemis,
he had to sacrifice his daughter. It was an internal loss to him yet it did not affect him as fiercely
as one might have thought. Rather, due to the fact that Agamemnon was ready to give up what is
closest to him so easily, in a way he was punished by losing his own life all due to his pride and
arrogance. Agamemnon believed that he was worthy of a welcome fit for the Gods because he
had won his battles and this caused him his own life. Therefore, his sacrifice caused a rise in
pride in his behavior which lead to his demise.
On the other hand, Prufrock did not experience a physical loss of another human being.
However, he experienced a loss in life as he did not make anything special of himself, took any
risks or did anything spectacular. The fact that Prufrock recognized himself as being an elder at
the end of his poem shows his inner dismay towards his personality and the life he led. Prufrock
lost out on the opportunity to do anything with himself. Therefore, this loss was something that
governed his every move and decision. It seems as if he was presented with another chance to do
something, yet because his loss on life was so overbearing, he continued to live life how he
always had. The fact that his past losses could not be put behind him, they made him continue to
lose out on the future.

Therefore, it is clear that all three characters experienced some sort of loss. However, the type of
loss differs among the characters. Regardless, the ending for all three characters is rather
unpleasant and negative.

First Point
Claim (Argument for this Paragraph):
All three characters experience some sort of loss in their lives.

Evidence (Your Sources/Quotations):

Hamlet: Hamlet loses his father in fatality and finds out his father was actually murdered.
Act One Scene Two - "All that lives must die, Passing through nature to eternity" - Gertrude, the
mother of Hamlet is speaking to her son. She is telling Hamlet that he should stop feeling so
gloomy because death is a natural phenomenon and everyone who lives, goes from this earthly
existence to eternity.
Act One Scene Two - "Your father lost a father, That father lost his" Claudius, the uncle of
Hamlet is speaking here. Claudius is explaining to Hamlet that sooner or later every person
eventually loses their father, so he should stop overdoing mourning.
Act One Scene Two - "Nor customary suits of solemn black, Nor windy suspiration of forced
breath, Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, That can denote me truly" Hamlet is
explaining his grief for losing his father as he states that none of his actions or displays of grief
can truly depict his inner woe.
Act One Scene Five - " But know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy fathers life
Now wears his crown" The Ghost of Hamlet's father approaches him to tell him who actually
killed him, pointing towards Claudius so that Hamlet understands the nature of his fathers
demise.
Agamemnon: Sacrifices his daughter in order to win one battle and recover one woman.
"for one woman's promiscuous sake" (62) so much suffering occured for one woman.
"lest [Artemis] make contrary winds for the Danaans, long delays that keep the ships from
sailing, in her urge for a second sacrifice" (148-150) - The goddess Artemis demanded a sacrifice
from Agamemnon and because he was more concerned with winning his battle, appeasing
Artemis and sailing on to Troy, he sacrificed his daughter.
Prufrock: Loses out on time that life provides because he does not make anything of himself or
make a move towards what he truly desires.

Time for you and time for me / And time yet for a hundred indecisions, / And for a hundred
visions and revisions (31-33) - Prufrock presumes that he can delay forever, and there is plenty
of time for indecisions and corrections. He constantly believes that if he misses out on one
opportunity, there will always be another.
I have measured out my life with coffee spoons (51) - Prufrock compares the achievements of his
life with coffee spoons because he feels that his life is as unimportant as a coffe spoon and that
his place in the world is not important to anyone around him, or even Prufrock himself. He
realizes that he has wasted his life and hasnt done anything exceptional in life or contributed
much in the society.
I grow old I grow old I shall wear the bottom of my trousers rolled (120-121) - Prufrock
realizes near the end of the poem that he is getting older and there is actually not much time left
for him, so he should make decisions now.
Till human voices wake us, and we drown (131) - The ending of the poem where he hopes that
we as an audience will not smear him for never building up the courage to actually tell us his
compulsive question. He is embarrassed of his story and is anticipating we will have suffered
with him.

Significance (Relate your evidence to your theme):

The quotations and evidence prove that each character did indeed loose something in his life.
The loss of each character is different but even so it is related because it does represent the act of
losing something that one would normally have.

Second Point
Claim (Argument for this Paragraph):
Agamemnon and Prufrock caused themselves to experience their initial loss whereas Hamlet did
not cause his initial loss. Therefore, Agamemnon and Prufrock could have changed the fact of
whether or not they were to lose something in their lives. However, Hamlet could not have made
this change as he was not involved in the initial loss.

Evidence (Your Sources/Quotations):

Agamemnon: Agamemnon made the decision to sacrifice his daughter because winning the
battle, appeasing Artemis and sailing on to Troy was more important to him than saving his
daughter. However, this loss that he experienced which caused him to lose his own life in the
future could have been avoided if he was more concerned about keeping his family safe.
Therefore, Agamemnon could have avoided his future death by making a better decision.
an architect of feuds born in the family, with no fear of the man; for there stays in wait a

fearsome, resurgent, treacherous keeper of the house, an unforgetting Wrath which avenges
children.'" (146-155) - Calchas is foretelling that Agamemnon will kill his daughter, which, in
turn, will incite Clytemnestra to seek vengeance on him and therefore Agamemnon will be the
cause of his own demise.
Prufrock:
With a bald spot in the middle of my hair(They will say: How his hair is growing thin!)
(Line 40-41) - Prufrock fears that society will judge him because of his balding head and
thinning hair. He is most concerned with what everyone else will think. He desires something
very much, yet he is afraid to act. Prufrock waited until he was old to come to the realization that
it may actually be too late to make anything of himself or to make a move or put his mark on the
world. Therefore, he could have changed the way he lived his life if he would have come to this
realization sooner.
(They will say: But how his arms and legs are thin!) Do I dare Disturb the universe? (Line 4446) - Prufrock is concerned with what people will say about his thinning arms and legs as he
ages. He is still wondering and unable to decide whether he should actually do something out of
his comfort zone or not. Therefore, Prufrock is the cause of all of his sorrow and time lost.
I should have been a pair of ragged claws Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.(Line 73-74) Prufrock believes that he would have been better off as a crab scuttling across the sea so that he
could be free from responsibilities and stay self-protected. He feels that he does not fit into this
world that we live in and that he should have been someone else. However, the loss of time and
experience of life is his own fault because it was completely under his control.
Hamlet:
Hamlets father was murdered but it had nothing to do with him as he was not involved in the
murder or the planning of it.
Act One Scene Five - "Murder most foul, as in the best it is. But this most foul, strange and
unnatural" - The Ghost of Hamlets father is telling Hamlet that he was murdered and did not die
a natural death. This proves that Hamlet was not involved in this murder and therefore could not
have changed this loss that occurred in his life.
Act One Scene Five - "Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole, With juice of cursed hebenon in a
vial, And in the porches of my ears did pour" The Ghost of Hamlets father is telling him how
Claudius poured a hebenon poison in his ears which eventually lead to his death.
It is clear that it is Hamlet's decision in choosing how to deal with the loss of his father.
However, there is nothing that Hamlet could have done to prevent the murder.

Significance (Relate your evidence to your theme):

There are some differences that exist among the characters and the nature of their loss. However,
the loss experienced by each character enabled them to make bad choices for their future and
resulted in negativity.

Third Point:
Claim (Argument for this Paragraph):
All three characters made bad decisions due to their loss, and the loss that each character
experienced affected them negatively in their future.

Evidence (Your Sources/Quotations):

Hamlet: Hamlet decided to enact revenge upon his uncle and this caused many future problems
and deaths for him, including his own.
Act one Scene 5 - Ill wipe away all trivial fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all
pressures past That youth and observation copied there Is she to be buried in Christian burial when she willfully seeks her own salvation? - Act 5 Scene
One
I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers Could not with all their quantity of love Make up my
sum. What wilt thou do for her? - Act 5 Scene One
No, no, the drink, the drink!O my dear Hamlet! The drink, the drink! I am poisoned. (dies) Act
5 Scene 2
Absent thee from felicity a while, And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain To tell my
story. - Act 5 Scene 2
Agamemnon: Agamemnon made the decision to sacrifice his daughter and walk along the red
carpet which is only fit for the God's. However, due to his pride he felt that he should be able to
walk along it. Agamemnon's wife did convince him slightly but it was mostly because of his
pride that he made this decision. Therefore, his death was now acceptable as he acted as God
which is something he should not have done. Agamemnon returned from his journey happy that
he won and he was puffed up with pride due to this. Therefore, this caused him to make yet
another bad choice and inevitably both the sacrifice of his daughter his walking upon the carpet
led to his demise.
Let none among the gods look down, With jealous eye on me 1096-1097
Fear notsuch footcloths and all gauds apart, Loud from the trump of Fame my name is blown;
1060-1080

Prufrock: Prufrock decided to let time slip away from him and inevitably the fact that he made
no choices regarding his life made him a very unhappy old man with little time left to use
according to his will. Prufrock allowed his shy nature to get the best of him and he used up all of
his spare time in his life and now is left waiting for death. He had the chance to change his future
but he did not.
No I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be - 146
I have heard the mermaids singing each to each but I do not think they will sing to me - 124-125
We have lingered in the chambers of the sea -129

Significance (Relate your evidence to your theme):

All three characters experienced some sort of loss that in the end negatively affected their
foreseeable futures.

Conclusion:
Rewording of Thesis:
In the stories of Hamlet, Agamemnon and Prufrock, the main characters all experience a sort of
loss in their lives. Some of these characters, namely Agamemnon and Prufrock could have
prevented the loss they experienced and perhaps changed their outcome regarding their loss.
However, all three characters experienced a sense of negativity regarding their futures due to the
losses they experienced.

Summary of Main Points:

All three characters experienced some sort of personal loss. Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter
and lost his own life. Prufrock lost out on all that life has to offer and Hamlet lost his father,
mother, lover and even his own life.
Agamemnon and Prufrock could have prevented their loss. Agamemnon killed his own daughter
and walked upon a carpet only suitable for the God's and these two actions allowed his Wife the
right to murder him. Therefore, he caused his own demise. Prufrock lost out on life by
convincing himself he had more time until oneday he realized how old he was and that his life
had passed him by without him making any mark on the earth. Therefore, Prufrock could have
changed his sad outcome. Hamlet was unable to change the outcome of his Fathers death as he
was not involved in the planning of it.
All three characters experienced negativity in their future due to their loss. Prufrock grew old
with no prospects. Hamlet died and lost his family. Agamemnon died and was betrayed by his
Wife.

Significance - why is your argument important?

This argument shows how three people can suffer different kinds of losses and how such loss
affects their lives from that point forward.