Why Does Prospero Give up His Magic?

In The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Prospero possesses great power through magic, as he uses it to manipulate events and seek revenge on his enemies. However, by the end of the play, the readers are left to wonder: Why does Prospero give up his magic? Why does he make this pivotal choice to renounce his magic powers?

Prospero’s magic grants him control but also isolates him, contributing to his betrayal and exile. Once he realizes the destructive side of magic, he abandons it as an act of redemption. This decision highlights the reasons why Prospero has magic powers in the first place and turns his transformation into a powerful symbol of forgiveness and self-awareness.

Even before coming to the island, Prospero was famous for his love for books. He could spend days in his library, hardly noticing what was happening around him. When his brother betrayed him, and Prospero was forced to take his daughter, Miranda, and flee, some book happened to be on the ship they took. He got some help from the local spirit, Ariel, which gave Prospero even more control on the island. Thanks to all that magic, Prospero ultimately became the ruler of the whole island.

Throughout the play, he is using magic to manipulate other characters. It all aligns with Prospero’s plan to take revenge on his brother, Antonio. During one of the acts, he even gives a speech about how helpful magic has been and how much he accomplished thanks to it. However, Prospero also promises to leave “this rough magic” after his plan is fulfilled. It shows that he realized how destructive this power could be. Even though no character is harmed, magic carries the potential of great destruction. Prospero himself admits that his obsession with magic books allowed Antonio to take over the city. Therefore, the main character decided to use magic to punish the criminals, restore justice and get back his position. After that, Prospero can give this supernatural power up.

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