The quote from Dante’s inferno references a conversation between Dante and Guido. In this quote, Guido expresses how he can freely speak now that he is in a hell where there is no escape. Guido’s feelings on this issue correspond with Prufrock’s, who feels that he is trapped within a living hell due to the frustration of not being open and voicing the question trapped within. In that way, they are both trapped in hell.
One of the possibilities for the “you” being referred to in this poem is Prufrock himself. The poem speaks on several occasions of feelings of alienation. It is, therefore, unlikely that he is actually speaking to another person. He is most likely speaking to his other self, as he is divided between speaking out and staying silent.
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Michelangelo was a famous high Rennaisance painter, sculptor, and architect much revered in art circles. In this section, Prufrock is highlighting his alienation by demonstrating how different their situations in life are.
In the line "there will be time to murder to create," Prufrock refers to the creation and destruction of the different faces or identities that he feels one must put on to interact with others.
Prufrock’s protest that he is not Prince Hamlet references to how he feels he is not good enough to approach women. However, it is also ironic that he uses Hamlet to describe princely characteristics since Prince Hamlet a troubled and eccentric character, much like Prufrock himself.
Prufrock represents the urban twentieth-century man, who is living the appearance of a stable modern life while actually feeling alienated and stifled by society and people’s expectations. Sweeney, on the other hand, represents a de-urbanized man who indulges in base pleasures and is more aggressive and open about his sexual desires than Prufrock.
Prufrock imagines beautiful mermaids, but he fears that they will take no notice of him, as is usual with the other women in the poem. Additionally, he fears that losing himself in the fantasy of being among them will make reality hurt more when he awakens from the daydream.
