Blog Assingment # 5

“The Epilogue: Prospero’s Masterpiece”

In order for a play to be successful, a playwright must always look for ways in which the audience can be involved, both mentally and emotionally. Presenting a play to an audience is not an easy task; it requires the use of certain techniques such as prologue, plot, climax and conclusion or epilogue. Although each technique plays in important role, the epilogue - the concluding statement of a character towards the audience- is of extreme importance. An epilogue’s main purpose is to make a good impression on the audience so that they can consider broader issues, make new connections, and elaborate the significance of their findings during performance of the play. This is particularly true in the Tempest, where the epilogue is designed to clarifying any misconceptions. One “misconception” the epilogue is designed to dispel is the play’s unsettling idea that the universe may not “naturally” be in control of benevolent beings or forces. Thus, to prevent the audience from dwelling on such unpleasant thoughts, Prospero comes out at the end of the play to assure that the play’s ending really is a “happy ending”. He does this by invoking images of masters and servants and (this time) carefully placing himself in the role of the weak, subservient, harmless servant. Relying on pathos, Prospero’s epilogue does not only fulfill the expectations for an epilogue, but it also restores Prospero’s image as a harmless old man.

Prospero’s epilogue at the end of the play ultimately restores his image before the eyes of the audience. What appears to be a malignant magician whose magical powers control the sea and skies at will, turns out to be an honest old man whose only intentions are to regain what rightfully belongs to him. At the beginning of the play; however, the audience might “doubt the sincerity” of his actions without further persuasion. As such, the use of a good epilogue arises for this character because it is his only change to explain his mischievous deeds. After Prospero gives up his magic he addresses the audience directly, “ Now tat my charms are all o’erthrown, and what strength I have’s mine own, which is most faint.” Here, the audience cannot help but feel sympathy for him. Prospero’s use of pathos in the introduction shows the human underneath all the magic. The use of the word “faint” has a positive effect on the audience as he tells the audience that he is not only a human as any other inhabitant on the island, but that he is also approaching the old age.

Having offered a good introduction to the epilogue, Prospero now grants the “master-role” to the audience saying: “ Now ‘tis true I must be here confined by you… and pardoned the deceiver, dwell in this bare island by your spell, but release me from by bands with the help of your good hands”. Notice the shift of roles hereafter. Having granted the audience a role of authority shows that Prospero is, and has been all along during the play, a servant to the audience just as Ariel is to Prospero or Caliban for that matter. Interestingly, Prospero’s role as servant allows the audience to make a new connection showing how the theme of “mastery and servitude” is employed throughout the play and allowing them to see how both depend on each other in order for the entire play to be successful.

Subsequently after having appealed to pathos and shown a theme in the play through his epilogue, Prospero concludes his epilogue saying: “Or else my project fails, which was to please…unless I be relived by prayer that assaults mercy itself and frees all faults. As you from crimes would pardoned be, let you indulgence set me free”. Prospero’s mastery of the epilogue is what allows him to succeed. In the first part of the quote, Prospero points out that all his deeds had to be done in order to please the audience. The use of this phrase reinforces once more the “mastery and servitude” theme in the play and justifies his actions. Prospero’s clever use of words such as “mercy”, “faults”, “crimes”, “indulgence”, and “free” strengthen his epilogue and create a sense of sympathy from the audience towards his persona. In the end, Prospero’s epilogue does not only fulfill the expectations for an epilogue, but it also lessens the disturbing impact of his actions, by confirming that they were interesting “flukes” in the natural order—they are not meant to that godlike powers can really be usurped by weak and corrupt individuals. The “image that is restored” to the audience here is the image of Prospero as a harmless old man, and image that the audience needs if it is to retain its faith in the idea of the Great Chain of Beings controlled by a benevolent power.