Rachel Tran, Seyana Sivakumaran, Tram Nguyen

ENG 3U0-B
The Tempest Seminar Speech Analysis
Speech
[...] Now 'tis true
I must be here confin'd by you,
Or sent to Naples. Let me not,
Since I have my dukedom got,
And pardon'd the deceiver, dwell
In this bare island by your spell,
But release me from my bands
With the help of your good hands.
Gentle breath of yours my sails
Must fill, or else my project fails,
Which was to please. [...]
And my ending is despair
Unless I be reliev'd by prayer,
Which pierces so that it assaults
Mercy itself, and frees all faults.
As you from crimes would pardon'd be,
Let your indulgence set me free.
(V. 321-331, 333-338)

Modern Translation
"Now it's true that you, the audience, have the
power to decide whether to keep me here on this
island or send me to Naples. Let me leave this
island because I have my dukedom now and I
have pardoned the deceiver who now remains on
this empty island under your spell. Release me
from my ties with your loud applause. The sails of
my ship can only be filled with your kind words, or
else my goal of pleasing you would fail. [...] And
my life will end tragically unless I am soothed with
your prayers, which pierce so that they will
overwhelm God himself and undo all
wrongdoings. As you would want your crimes to
be pardoned, pardon me from mine with your
leniency."

Analysis
Line/phrase

Explanation and Analysis

[...] Now 'tis true

I must be here confin'd
by you,
Or sent to Naples.

Prosperos Characterization Prospero, who thought of himself as

the king of the island throughout the play, now considers himself
trapped on the island by the audience. There has been a transfer of
power and authority from Prospero to the audience, and this
demonstrates a significant change in Prosperos character. He has
changed from a person who had once believed he had ultimate
power, with his white magic, magic spells, magicians robe, and tight
control over the inhabitants of the island, to a person who places his
fate into the hands of others: the audience. He still wants some
power, since he wants to return to his original position of power:
Duke of Milan, but he does not want absolute reign.
Theme: The Allure of Ruling a Colony Prospero begs the
audience to free him from the island throughout this speech, which
shows that his need to maintain control over the island has
weakened significantly from the beginning of the play. This means
that the allure of ruling the island has nearly faded by the plays end,
but the allure of ruling over a dukedom, or another version of the

island, still remains.

Let me not,
Since I have my
dukedom got,
And pardon'd the
deceiver, dwell
In this bare island by
your spell,

Explanation Caliban is "the deceiver" being referenced in the

speech.
Metaphor Rhetorical Device
Prosperos Characterization Similar to the shift of power from
Prospero to the audience, Prospero has now become a person who
must seek approval of his actions before continuing with any plans
he has made. This is evident when he attempts to persuade the
audience to set him free because he has pardoned Caliban of his
deception and betrayal. He wants the audience to acknowledge his
good deed. In comparison, at the beginning of the play, Prospero
ordered Ariel to create the tempest without seeking approval from
another party. (There would not have been another party to consult
because Prospero thought himself the sole ruler of the island and
the other inhabitants incapable of advising him.)
Theme: Forgiveness
Theme: Desire to Return to More Preferable Times

But release me from

my bands
With the help of your
good hands.

Metaphor Rhetorical Device

Gentle breath of yours

my sails
Must fill, or else my
project fails,
Which was to please.

Metaphor The 'gentle breath' is a metaphor for the kind words

given by the audience about the play. The sails are part of
Prospero's ship that would return to Naples and his goals of
pleasing the audience. This metaphor compares a ship's need for
wind in order to sail to Prospero's need for kind words and reviews
about his performance (as a performer in the play and as a person)
in order to be happy with himself. Prosperos ship can also
represent his dream to return to Naples. If the audience is not
satisfied with his work, his dream will never set sail.
Allusion Prospero speaking of his desire to please the audience
alludes to Shakespeare himself and his own desire to end his
career as a playwright on a high note. The Tempest was
Shakespeares final completed play. Like how Prospero wants
audience approval of his performance as a person and as an actor,
Shakespeare probably wanted the audience to approve and enjoy
his final piece of work.
Imagery The metaphor in this part of the speech helps the
audience envision how their words can send Prospero's ship sailing
away towards Naples and his dream.

[...] And my ending is

despair
Unless I be reliev'd by

Personification Prayers and well wishes are given the physical

actions of piercing, assaulting, and liberating.
Imagery Giving an intangible object such strong actions can allow

prayer,
Which pierces so that it
assaults
Mercy itself, and frees
all faults.

the audience to visualize the intent and strength of the prayer.

Prosperos Characterization These lines reinforce Prosperos
need for approval in order to be satisfied with himself and to
continue with his plans. He explains how his ending [will be]
despair Unless [he is] relievd by prayer, or well wishes from the
audience, so that they [assault] Mercy itself and forgive any faults
he has committed, such as his cursing of Caliban, Stephano, and
Trinculo.

As you from crimes

would pardon'd be,
Let your indulgence set
me free.

Simile Rhetorical Device Prospero compares each audience

member's desire to be forgiven of his/her crimes with his own need
to be forgiven. By making this comparison, Prospero establishes a
personal connection with the audience. He makes the audience
members reflect on their own crimes and the emotions felt when
they committed them. This allows them to clearly understand
Prospero's position and emotions as well.
Theme: Forgiveness

"And pardon'd the

deceiver, dwell
"As you from crimes
would pardon'd be,...

Repetition The action of pardoning or forgiving is first mentioned in

the beginning of the speech and is repeated near the very end. This
repetition emphasizes the theme of forgiveness in this play.
Theme: Forgiveness

Throughout the speech

Rhyming Rhyming scheme is used: AABB

The speech makes the speech more lyrical and pleasant to the ear.
Most of the play's dialogues were in blank verse (unrhymed iambic
pentameter), but this final speech follows a rhyming scheme. This
puts emphasis on the importance of Prospero's final words.

Creative Writing Monologue

Line/Phrase

Literary Strategies and Themes

My men, tonight shall be our Rhyming

last heist together. After this
we shall depart forever.
I no longer wish to seek the
touch of Midas anymore.

Allusion: The touch of Midas alludes to a Greek myth of a

how a king who desired to turn everything he touched into gold
had ended up transforming his daughter to gold.

Had I not been careful, the

sinewy metal tendons of the

Imagery: The wealth is given the image of being metallic and

sinewy .

wealth I sought would have

corroded and consumed my
heart long ago.

Personification: Here, the tendons of wealth are given the

human actions of consuming.

I am not Midas. I will not

hurt the people I love as
Midas had when he turned
his daughter to gold.

Simile: The character played refers to Midas turning his

daughter to gold in the chase for wealth.

Mother, please forgive me,

had it not been for your
illness, I would not have
gone to such measures as I
am now. But it's alright now.
Gods, have mercy for these
ill deeds were not made
with ill intentions.

Forgiveness: This character wishes for his mothers

forgiveness for his actions, which he had justified were made
with good intentions, and also asks for Gods mercy to let him
start over and return to the light, which symbolizes a crimefree, good life.
Repetition: The character emphasizes his need of forgiveness
by asking his mother for forgiveness, then begging for mercy
from the gods.

I will release the reins of my

rule of this city's underworld
and return to the light to
start anew again.

Desire to Return to More Preferable Times: The character

shows his desire to return to the light by admitting his rueful
actions were done for the sole purpose of his mothers well
being. To return to the light would mean the character had once
been in the light and wishes to return.
The Allure of Ruling a Colony: The character is willing to give
up his control of his henchmen/partners in crime, and to
withdraw from performing any further crimes or heists, showing
the fade of desire to rule.
Metaphor: To release the reins would symbolize the loss or
giving up of power. Underworld which can mean hell in this
case, is a metaphor to the dark aspects of a city, like robbery,
gangs, and anything else criminal related. Returning to the light
would be an analogy to leaving the criminal world.

My men, tonight shall be our last heist together. After this we shall depart forever.You shall each
have your share as I've promised. Now go prepare yourselves and leave me be.
[the henchmen exit the stage]
This feeling again.
I no longer wish to seek the touch of Midas anymore. I fear that chasing this path, entrenched in
the gold and glory that is wrongfully mine, will lead me to my ultimate downfall. The riches I
have hoarded over the years will be worth less than fools gold. Had I not been careful, the
sinewy metal tendons of the wealth I sought would have corroded and consumed my heart long
ago. But I am not Midas. I will not hurt the people I love as Midas had when he turned his
daughter to gold.

Mother, please forgive me, had it not been for your illness, I would not have gone to such
measures as I am now. But it's alright now. Gods, have mercy for these ill deeds were not made
with ill intentions. I will release the reins of my rule of this city's underworld and return to the light
to start anew again. But this is all up to you, mother. For if you can't take me as I am, I will have
to retreat back to the shadows where darkness and corruption welcome me. It's up to you to
decide where I go after this.
Men, its time.

Staging Directions and Explanations for Performances

Performance 1

Performance 2

Since the play is set on a deserted island and

Prospero has not left the island, we decided
that the background would be a picture of a
deserted island. The background is bright to
establish the mood of the epilogue. Prospero
wants to leave the island and has hopes for
the future, so the mood would be hopeful and
optimistic.

To modernise the speech, we decided to

change the setting for the modern
translation. Prospero is now at an airport. He
had been living in a deserted and
uninhabited area of an island and has
travelled from that area to the island airport.
In the original setting of the play, the most
common mode of transportation was by ship.
Contemporary ships do not have sails, and
the most common way of travelling across
oceans or seas is by airplane. This was the
reason behind the choosing of the
background and setting.

The sound effect of tides is used to make the

background more realistic since there is water
in the background. We envisioned that
Prospero would be near the beach in the
epilogue, where the ship of Alonso and his
company would have been docked after Ariel
reversed her spells. Since the ship is in water,
we added sound effects for the water. We also
chose this particular background to suit our
vision.
The music chosen is calming in order to
supplement the sound effect of the tides. It
also hints at some sadness, which reflects
Prosperos need to leave the island.

The sound effects of indistinct chatter are

used to make the setting appear more
realistic.
Similar to the type of music used in the first
music, the music for this performance
conveys sadness and solemness, which is
similar to Prosperos emotions during this
speech.

Similar to the brightness of the first

In order to put emphasis on Prosperos strong background, this background is illuminated
desire to leave the island, we decided to
with sunlight in order to convey an optimistic
incorporate some rocks for him to stand on. As mood
he stands and looks into the distance, his
Prospero is carrying an old duffel bag. In the
need to return to more favourable times is
contemporary setting, a duffel bag is more
conveyed.
preferable and appropriate to a sling. The
bag also makes the setting be more realistic.
Prospero, having been exiled for twelve years,
would not have many belongings. The urgency The duffel bag is also used to take
of his leave of Naples would not have allowed advantage of the space on stage. It provides
a Prospero an opportunity to travel from one
him much time to bring many personal items.
side of the stage to another in order to carry
Having only a sling would be appropriate for
his bag.
carrying his items.