The Tempest

Bringing it all together

The Epilogue of the Tempest by William Shakespeare is an excellent -- if not the best -- example of

Shakespeare's brilliance. In 20 lines Shakespeare is able to write an excellent ending to his play, while

speaking through his characters about Shakespeare's own life and career. Even more amazingly, he

seemlessly ties the two together.

In the context of the story Prospero's monologue makes perfect sense. He has lost his magical power, so

his "charms are o'erthrown, and what strength [Prospero] have's [his] own, which is most faint." He is now

"confined" on the Island, for his other choice would be to go to Naples and reclaim his dukedom, but he

doesn't want to do that because he has already "pardoned the deceiver" who took his position many

years ago. Prospero then says something a little strange, but it makes sense in the context of the story,

he ask us to "release [him] from [his] bands with the help of your good hands." In other words, clap so

that the sails of the boats his friends are riding in will be safely returned and Prospero can be "relieved by

prayer" of the audience.

All of what Prospero has said is very nice cute, but the most interesting part of this monologue is what

Shakespeare himself is saying. "Now that my charms are all o'erthrown, and what strength I have's mine

own" means, now my plays are over, and it's no longer my characters speaking. The "Island" or stage

Shakespeare is on is now "bare" and it is time for "you" the audience to release Shakespeare and his

actors from this play with the "help of [y]our good hands." Shakespeare was not only being released for

the performance of the play, he was being release from his career as a playwright. But there are more

reasons to clap besides the obvious reason that the play is over, Shakespeare could not allow his final

play to be bad,