I am not very happy with the way The Tempest ended. I applaud Prospero for forgiving his brother and realizing that he needs to stop using magic. However, I felt like the whole play was leading up to this big plan Prospero had and bam! We get forgiveness instead of a giant magical vengeance.
In act four, Prospero says, "at this hour/lies at my mercy all mine enemies" (291-2). Is it just me or does that not sound like he is going to exact revenge on Alonso and Antonio and everyone with them? Granted, he uses the term "mercy", but I view it more like, "yeah, I could save you if I want to, but nah, I'm good" rather than, "I'm going to forgive you because that's what you deserve." Prospero just seemed so intent on using his magical powers again his brother, which he did, but not to the level I expected him to.
In the last act, it's like he has this epiphany and decides to forgive everyone instead of acting on his first intentions. In the last act, he says, "though with their high wrongs I am struck to th'/quick,/Yet with my nobler reason 'gainst my fury/Do I take part. The rarer action is/In virtue than in vengeance" (32-6). I appreciate that Prospero grows as a person and is able to understand that holding grudges and acting on those grudges does not solve anything, but couldn't he do that AFTER he exacted his major plan? Perhaps it is the dark side of me that wanted a little more magic from good ole Prospero. But at least he got his Dukedom back, right?
The ending struck me as a giant cop out. I felt like we were expecting a juicy steak of a climax and instead were presented with a flavorless muffin. Forgiveness is great, and instilling the value of forgiveness is important. But this is Shakespeare we're talking about here! Prospero doesn't even kill anyone! The Student in me sees the appeal of such an ending, but the teenager in me (generally the person that holds more influence over my state of mind) was very disappointed.
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