John my dear, great minds must truly think alike. I just re-read this passage from The Tempest and thought, 'I have to write on that.' So here it is
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"We have stopped our playacting. As I told you before, all you have seen here was mere illusion, And as such have dissolved into the air. And these illusions, from the towers, to the palaces, to the temples, to this very theatre itself shall all disappear. And, this ephemeral play shall too resolve. I know we are not real, and, as you woke us from our sleep when this play began, so too shall we disappear when it is over."
It is amazing self awareness. As well as acute despair. Prospero knows that his life, and the lives of those around him are illusion. That is why he is able to control them so. Upon his arrival at the island, he assumed near absolute power, and surrendered his humanity to insubstantial pageantry. He returns now to Milan, to end the play. He is sick of being in control of everything, living a fake life. He is resigning himself to a death in the near future, so that he might live for even a little while.
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As I told you before, all you have seen here was mere illusion,
And as such have dissolved into the air.
And these illusions, from the towers, to the palaces, to the temples, to this very theatre itself shall all disappear.
And, this ephemeral play shall too resolve.
I know we are not real,
and, as you woke us from our sleep when this play began,
so too shall we disappear when it is over."
It is amazing self awareness. As well as acute despair. Prospero knows that his life, and the lives of those around him are illusion. That is why he is able to control them so. Upon his arrival at the island, he assumed near absolute power, and surrendered his humanity to insubstantial pageantry. He returns now to Milan, to end the play. He is sick of being in control of everything, living a fake life. He is resigning himself to a death in the near future, so that he might live for even a little while.
Its a very powerful monologue.
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