The Tempest Act IV-V

I found the first half of Act IV to be much more symbolic of a romance than any other scene in the play. In this scene, we not only witness Ferdinand’s true love and devotion for Miranda, but we also see Prospero’s acceptance of their union. Prospero apologizes to Ferdinand, telling him, “If I have too austerely  punished you, your compensation makes amends…”(4.1.1-2). One thing that I noticed was the emphasis on purity and chastity in this scene. Prospero made Ferdinand swear that Miranda stay a virgin until a proper wedding ceremony. In this, we see Prospero’s need to keep his only daughter pure and innocent. I thought the showcase of the nymphs were something like a big bang before Prospero decides in the next act to surrender his magical powers. It all seemed to express the sheer happiness and enchantment surrounding the lover between Miranda and Ferdinand. The second half of Act IV was quite the opposite of the former. We witness Prospero transform from joyful to agitated in the matter of minutes because of the plot against him. This half of the scene really emphasized the stupidity of Caliban, Stefano and Trinculo. I honestly feel that besides showing the varying degrees of Prospero’s emotions, as well as his extent of magical powers, there is no real connection between the two halves.

In Act V, there are a few interactions that stuck out to me. The first was the interaction between Alonso and Prospero. Considering that it was Antonio who usurped the throne, there seemed to be much more remorse and apology coming from Alonso. There was even some embrace, which is strange and would be expected between two brothers, not two strangers. The second interaction that I noticed was the re-introduction of the Boatswain. I noticed there to be no disrespect directed towards him unlike the first scene in Act I. Im assuming that this was supposed to highlight the change and growth in the men from their tumultuous experience on the island. Last but not least, Prospero’s epilogue at the end of the play really stuck out. This is perhaps the first time in which a character has spoken directly to the audience and has also requested applause. This sort of gesture demonstrates a sort of consciousness that characters from other Shakespearean plays do not possess. I thought it was odd for Shakespeare to do that in  this particular play