The Theme of Loss in The Tempest Shakespeare's play, The Tempest, tells the story of a father, Prospero, who must let go of his daughter; who brings his enemies under his power only to deliver them; and who in turn finally gives up his influence on his world, including his power over nature itself. The Tempest contains elements ripe for tragedy: Prospero is a controlling figure bent on revenge for wrongs he has suffered, and in his fury has the potential to destroy not only his enemies, but his own humanity and his daughter's future. In the play, Prospero is a figure who speaks rather than to the other characters, including his daughter Miranda, Prince Ferdinand, and Ariel, his airy servant. At the end of Act IV Prospero is overcome by the ecstasy of punishing and determining the fate of his enemies. The beginning of Act V, however, marks a change in Prospero's character, which averts a possible tragedy. Prospero is troubled even though his plans are coming to fruition. In his dialogue with Ariel we see a real conversation take place for the first time. Also, in the line "...And mine will." (Shakespeare Vi20) we see a change of heart on Prospero's part, and in the following monologue the audience is deprived of introspection and contemplation even beyond that of the end of the masque in Act IV "We are of the same stuff as dreams about... "(Shakespeare)....... middle of paper ......est: An Interpretation: A DJ Palmer London: Macmillan & Co. Ltd., 1968. 225.Kermode, Frank. Introduction. By William Shakespeare Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1958. xlii.Palmer, D.J. (ed.) The Tempest - A Selection of Critical Essays London: MacMillan Press Ltd., 1977. Shakespeare, William Shakespeare . Blakemore Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1974. "A Reading of the Tempest" Richard C. Tobias and Paul G. Zolbrod. Athens: Ohio UP, 1974. 232. John Wilders Lecture on The Tempest given at Oxford University - Worcester College - August 4th, 1999.