Elwin Law

“Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air;
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve;
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vexed.” (Act 4, scene 1 lines 148-158)

These lines in act 4 scene 1 are said by Prospero during the wedding of Miranda and Ferdinand. Prospero is very joyous of the fact that his daughter is getting married and prepares a whole wedding for them, but he is hit with a sudden truth. He recalls of the plot that Caliban, Trinculo, and Stefano plays to kill and overthrow him to take control of the island. He is confronted with reality during the wedding and feels anger at first which later turns to regret and forgiveness. This line from the play is the turning point of the story which Prospero realizes that he is so caught up with revenge and magic that he ultimately decides to forgive everyone and abandon magic for good. We can really see how this love between Ferdinand and Miranda opens up Propero’s eyes to the important things in life instead of his hate and vengeance that he carried in the play leading up to this scene. From this speech on, Prospero seems relieved that he is cutting himself off from the world he has created on this island which had been so meaningless and wants to return to Milan to live and focus on a “real” life.