Lesson 5 Essay Outline
Essay Outline
Introduction
Topic: Comparing the element Hamartia, to the central characters from “Hamlet,” “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” and “Agamemnon.”
Thesis Statement: The central characters from “Hamlet,” “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” and “Agamemnon,” embodies the element, Hamartia. Hamartia is commonly understood as a protagonist’s error or flaw that determinately leads to a chain of plot actions culminating in a reversal from their good fortune to bad. Their flaws evidently becomes the reason to their misfortune that leads to each character’s tragic fate.
Outlining Arguments: Differences between how Hamartia is expressed can be analyzed through each characters differing personalities and struggles. Each character becomes a victim due to their greatest flaws or decisions which is clearly signified through Hamlet’s indecision of killing Claudius, Alfred’s inability to take action and Agamemnon sacrificing his daughter Iphigenia, thus leading to each characters own tragic fate and further consolidating the use of the element hamartia.
First Point:
Claim: Hamlets greatest flaw is his indecision to act upon his plan for revenge against Claudius, his father’s murderer. Given much opportunities to carry out his plan, he refrains from following through and instead finds himself in great self-doubt in the wake of opportunity. He reveals his state of mind in Act 3 Scene 1 of the play:
Evidence: “To be, or not to be—that is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep….” (3.1.56-87).
Significance: Hamlet falls into a state of depression as he contemplates suicide. He is unable to act upon his plan for revenge by killing Claudius and contemplates on ending his life instead. His inability to kill Claudius drives him to the brink of suicide. He compares death to “The Undiscovered country,” in which
Introduction
Topic: Comparing the element Hamartia, to the central characters from “Hamlet,” “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” and “Agamemnon.”
Thesis Statement: The central characters from “Hamlet,” “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” and “Agamemnon,” embodies the element, Hamartia. Hamartia is commonly understood as a protagonist’s error or flaw that determinately leads to a chain of plot actions culminating in a reversal from their good fortune to bad. Their flaws evidently becomes the reason to their misfortune that leads to each character’s tragic fate.
Outlining Arguments: Differences between how Hamartia is expressed can be analyzed through each characters differing personalities and struggles. Each character becomes a victim due to their greatest flaws or decisions which is clearly signified through Hamlet’s indecision of killing Claudius, Alfred’s inability to take action and Agamemnon sacrificing his daughter Iphigenia, thus leading to each characters own tragic fate and further consolidating the use of the element hamartia.
First Point:
Claim: Hamlets greatest flaw is his indecision to act upon his plan for revenge against Claudius, his father’s murderer. Given much opportunities to carry out his plan, he refrains from following through and instead finds himself in great self-doubt in the wake of opportunity. He reveals his state of mind in Act 3 Scene 1 of the play:
Evidence: “To be, or not to be—that is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep….” (3.1.56-87).
Significance: Hamlet falls into a state of depression as he contemplates suicide. He is unable to act upon his plan for revenge by killing Claudius and contemplates on ending his life instead. His inability to kill Claudius drives him to the brink of suicide. He compares death to “The Undiscovered country,” in which