Act 5, Scene 1 and Epilogue

1. Act 5, Scene 1 and Epilogue 1. He wants to have mercy on those who have wronged him in the past. He acknowledges to Ariel that he is furious with Antonio and the others who have wronged him, but that “…the rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance.” He thanks Gonzalo; he warns Antonio and Sebastian that he could reveal them as traitors but will not, for now; he tells Antonio that he forgives him but expects his dukedom back; he shows Alonso his son is alive and playing chess with Miranda.

2. 2. With Ariel’s help he has created the storm, made spirits appear in different guises-banquet servers, goddesses, and dogs-and he has shut out the sun, called forth the winds, uprooted trees, and opened graves. 3. Shakespeare was ready to give up his “magic”-stop writing. 4. Only Alonso seems truly sorry.

3. 5. Maybe he was making a religious statement-to err is human, to forgive divine. 6. When he first sees Ferdinand playing chess with Miranda, he is almost afraid to believe his eyes. Then he says that he is a “glad father” and tells his by-then-kneeling son to rise. 7. He sees how fine Prospero looks in his royal clothes and worries that he will be “pinched to death” by an angry Prospero. Caliban realizes he was a fool to worship a drunkard like Stephano.

4. 8. Alonso realizes what he did to Prospero in the past was wrong and Prospero is perhaps for compassionate than he was in the beginning. 9. He asks the audience to clap. Like Ariel and Caliban who wanted to be released from their slavery, Prospero wants others to “release me from my bands.”