Three Epilogues in The Tempest:

A Study of the Play’s Metadramatic Structure

Abstract

Shakespeare’s last play The Tempest has received critical attention because of the complexity of its structure and the recurrence of Shakespearean themes in it. This paper identifies three epilogues in the play and argues that these passages can be interpreted as epilogues to the theatres that preceded the dramatic romance, namely the tragic and the comic theatres. The play identifies Act IV. Scene i 148-158 and Act V. Scene i 34-57 as epilogues in addition to the epilogue spoken by Prospero at the end of the play. The first passage is spoken as an epilogue to the existing theatrical trends and ushers in a new theatrical order. The second passage, the paper seeks to prove, is an epilogue to the Shakespearean oeuvre, especially the tragedies and the comedies. The epilogue proper is a direct appeal to the audience, breaking out of the theatrical framework seeking their approbation and continued support. The Tempest can, thus, be seen as the culmination of Shakespeare’s aesthetic quest.