Overview
English Lit: AQA GCSE The Tempest, topic 7.1.1
Overview of Act 5
Here is an overview of the key ideas and themes of Act 5:
Forgiveness
- Prospero forgives all of the people who have betrayed him in this scene - even if they don't seem particularly remorseful.
- This shows that he is virtuous and a more noble man than the others.
Illusion
- In the final scene and The Epilogue, Shakespeare reveals several illusions, from the hidden ship to the fact that Ferdinand is still alive.
- In The Epilogue, Prospero speaks to the audience, asking them to release him from his own service to them (by applauding his performance).
- This reminds the audience that it is all illusion and trickery.
Test yourself on Overview
How is Prospero shown to be virtuous and more noble than other characters in Act 5?