In Act 4 scene 1, lines 163-180, Prospero delivers his famous “our revels now are ended” speech after being reminded of Caliban’s plot.
Does the speech demonstrate Prospero’s vulnerability? How?
What does the speech suggest about the revels and about Prospero’s power more generally?
Why do you think this speech comes after the news of Caliban’s plot?
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Prospero’s illusions are just a tool to fool his enemies and once they see through it, he is only a frail, defenseless man. Thus, Prospero makes his speech to Ferdinand to explain how his illusions are not real and how truly weak he is due to his fragility and old age. He states “As dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep … Bear with my weakness. My old brain is troubled.”(The Tempest, 174-176) Prospero most likely made his speech after hearing of Caliban’s plot because he believes his illusions won’t work as long as he wants and once his illusions fall, he is defenseless. Additionally, Prospero tells this speech to Ferdinand since he earned his trust through the trials and he wants Miranda to have a safe future, reinforcing the fact of Prospero’s acceptance to his fate.
I think him pretty much accepting death and letting go of his powers does express vulnerability in his speech here. Towards the end of the speech he also talks as if saying that a lot of the things are meaningless, and will return back to the earth. Him accepting death and also further showing how hes going to let go of his powers, and that everything was just merely an “illusion” strips Prospero of all that he was, so as to say he’s “exposing” himself here. After learning about Calibans plot, he’s come to terms with a lot of things and becomes more humanized as he realizes that he’s nothing more than what his powers were. As things are now coming to an end for him, he wishes for the best of his daughter and is baton passing to the next generation in a sense.