Shakespeare's The Tempest (1980 TV) - end of play

Warren Clarke ... Caliban
Andrew Sachs ... Trinculo
Nigel Hawthorne ... Stephano
Alan Rowe ... Sebastian
Michael Hordern ... Prospero
David Waller ... Alonso
David Dixon ... Ariel

Now my charms are all o'erthrown,
And what strength I have's mine own,
Which is most faint. Now, 'tis true,
I must be here confined by you,
Or sent to Naples. Let me not,
Since I have my dukedom got
And pardoned 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. Now I want
Spirits to enforce, art to enchant,
And my ending is despair,
Unless I be relieved by prayer,
Which pierces so that it assaults
Mercy itself and frees all faults.
As you from crimes would pardoned be,
Let your indulgence set me free.


W.H.Auden's beautiful closing lyric, "Postscript (Ariel to Caliban. Echo by the Prompter)" (from "The Sea and the Mirror"):

Never hope to say farewell,
For our lethargy is such
Heaven's kindness cannot touch
Nor earth's frankly brutal drum;
This was long ago decided,
Both of us know why,
Can, alas, foretell,
When our falsehoods are divided,
What we shall become,
One evaporating sigh

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Shakespeare
• Tempest
• Ariel
• Prospero
• Michael-Hordern
• play
• theatre

[bowerification]

This speech never fails to move me. When you think of all the power and beauty Shakespeare has given the world for hundreds of years and to millions of people - and this appears to be his sign off. Simple and eloquent. His 'That's all folks'. Fantastic.

[terrybeaton]

What a beatiful way to end the play, with a call for prayer and an example of forgiveness. Its said that this was Shakespears "swansong" from the theatre. I can see it when I watch this play. How eloquent!

[richardyingren]

This is my first introduction to Shakespare (I'm age 52), at my UK Secondary School of the early 1970's I doubt I ever even heard the name Shakespeare!! wonderful stuff.

[ffpanda]

This epilogue gives me chills every time I hear it. The power it has to transcend the play is unrivaled.

[PinkPixie155]

It's a good play