The theme of loss in The TempestShakespeare's play, The Tempest, tells the story of a father, Prospero, who must let go of his daughter; who subjects his enemies to his power only to free them; and who in turn ultimately relinquishes his hold on his world – including his power over nature itself. The Tempest contains elements ripe for tragedy: Prospero is a dominant character determined to seek revenge for the wrongs done to him, and in his fury he has the potential to destroy not only his enemies, but also his own humanity and the his daughter's future. In the play, Prospero is a character who speaks rather than to other characters, including his daughter Miranda, Prince Ferdinand, and Ariel, his airy servant. At the end of Act IV, Prospero is immersed in the ecstasy of punishing and determining the fate of his enemies. The beginning of Act V, however, marks a change in Prospero's character, who avoids a possible tragedy. Prospero is unstable even if his plans come to fruition. In his conversation with Ariel, we see for the first time a real conversation taking place. Also, in the line "...And mine will." (Shakespeare Vi20) we see a change of mind on the part of Prospero, and in the following monologue the audience is immersed in introspection and contemplation beyond even that of the end of the masque in Act IV "We are such things that dreams are made of..."(Shakespeare)....... middle of paper ......is: An interpretation. " In The Tempest: A Casebook London: Macmillan & Co. Ltd., 1968. 225. Kermode, Frank Introduction. The Tempest by William Shakespeare. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1958. xlii.Palmer, DJ (editor) The Tempest - A selected critical essays London: MacMillan Press Ltd., 1977. Shakespeare, William. The Riverside Shakespeare Ed. G. Blakemore Evans, et al. C. Tobias and Paul G. Zolbrod Athens: Ohio UP, 1974. 232. Lecture. by John Wilders on The Tempest given at the University of Oxford - Worcester College - August 4., 1999.