In T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the speaker, J. Alfred Prufrock, is depicted as a man trapped in his own personal hell. The evidence for this can be found throughout the poem, as Prufrock expresses feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, and a sense of being trapped in his own mind. One of the main pieces of evidence for Prufrock's personal hell is his constant self-doubt and insecurity. He is plagued by thoughts of inadequacy, as seen in lines such as, "Do I dare? / And do I dare? / And should I then presume?" (lines 71-73). Prufrock is also tormented by the idea that he is not good enough for the woman he desires, as he says, "I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. / I do not think that they will sing to me" (lines 129-130). …show more content…
He is constantly questioning himself and his actions, and he is unable to escape his own thoughts. He says, "I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be; / Am an attendant lord, one that will do / To swell a progress, start a scene or two" (lines 65-67). This suggests that Prufrock feels that he is not living up to his full potential, and that he is trapped in a role that he did not choose for