Act V

This is the final act of The Tempest and concludes all of the seperate plots from throughout the play. It consists of only one act.

Scene I
This act starts with Prospero conversing with Ariel as his plans come to a close. During this Ariel affirms that all the people brought to the island seem worthy of forgiveness, thus solidifying Prospero’s final stance on the matter. At this Prospero asks Ariel to bring them all to him, and while this is being done he draws a large, magical circle on the ground. Ariel then returns with the others who are then stopped motionless as they enter the circle. While they are stupefied Prospero muses over each person, and one by one forgives them for their wrongs against him, then sends Ariel to retrieve the Master of the Boat and the Boatswain. Following this he removes the charm from them and introduces himself as the wronged Duke of Milan, to which the castaways are incredulous. After verifying that Prospero is the Duke of Milan, the group finds Miranda and Ferdinand, who most of the castaways believed to be dead, playing chess together. Alonso is overjoyed at the return of his son and with Gonzalo offers the couple his blessing for their marriage. Ariel then returns with the Master of the Boat and the Boatswain, who verify that the ship is safe and ready for departure. Ariel then leads in Caliban and a drunken Stephano and Trinculo, who all repent for their treacheries and plottings. At this Prospero offers the entire group to stay for the night at his dwelling. As the characters leave the stage Prospero stays to give an epilogue monologue, in which he breaks the fourth wall and asks for the audience to set him free from the island with their applause and cheers.

Symbolism
The ending monologue given by Prospero is commonly interpreted as Shakespeare’s final farewell to theater, with this play being one of his final productions. Shakespeare, through Prospero, asks to be freed from theater with a good reception on his final production, and if it is not well received he will then continue to produce plays. With this understanding it is possible to interpret the entire play as a commentary on stage productions, with Prospero being the writer/ director, the island being the stage, and Ariel being special effects.