Spirits and Fairies

In the wedding between Ferdinand and Miranda, Prospero calls Ariel to summons spirits. Three spirits appear; Iris, Juno, and Ceres. These beings end up blessing the happy couple. This immediately made me think of the three fairies in Sleeping Beauty. They also gave gifts to Aurora, like beauty, musical talent, and for true loves kiss to break Maleficent's curse. 

Prospero the Puppet Master

"Dance Puppets, Dance!"

Keepeth My Daughter a PURE Virgin OR ELSE Fer-boy

Okay this is how this whole discussion of marriage in Act IV would have happened in modern times:

PROSPERO: So my daughter? Yeah, she's a virgin--mainly because we've been stuck on this island since she was 3-years-old. But also, I'm really controlling and focused on the idea of keeping her "pure" or whatever that means, so can you like...just not hook up? Until you're married? You know like us good ol' Christian and law-abiding folks do?
FERDINAND: I don't know man, er--I mean sir...I love her and so I really like, respect her, and if she wants to hook up then...I'm not gonna argue with that to be honest.
MIRANDA: Life! Love! So many possibilities I had never even dreamed of! Let me just live life to the fullest and experience everything!
PROSPERO: MIRANDA, NO! PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE! I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU TOUCH HER VIRGINAL KNOT--
FERDINAND: Hey man...you need to cool it. She isn't your property, and you need to stop acting like this marriage is you passing your property onto me. I love her, and she loves me, and that's totally cool, so we're just gonna ride that totally tubular wave.
PROSPERO: She IS my property and everything needs to go HOW! I! AM! PICTURING! IT! It's my way or the highway so you just need to deal with it or I'll cause another storm and kill your surviving family and friends!
MIRANDA: Wait...what did you say Dad?
PROSPERO: What? Nothing? *casts an illusion spell to make them forget the last ten seconds* What I mean to say is...I care about you, and don't you want to be the best wife you can be to him? To a prince?
MIRANDA: How does what we do in the bedroom make any sort of difference though, father? Won't I still be the person that I am? The person that he fell in love with? How will I be any sort of changed?
PROSPERO: Your...body will be different. And that's what's not okay. You just like...*need* to be a virgin okay?
FERDINAND: *whispers to Miranda* If you had been outside of the island...these are really dated conceptions your father is speaking of. Women used to be seen as property, and that's *totally* not how it is anymore. You can do whatever you want with your body! We'll discuss this alone later tonight.
PROSPERO: I HEARD that--what? Oh. I need to go take care of something. Don't come within two feet of each other until I get back! *runs away*

Prospero Talking to the Audience??

After reading the summary for the epilogue of scene 5, I realized that Prospero was talking directly to the audience. My question is why? Why does he talk to the audience and ask them to applaud him after the play is over, why not just go ahead and end the play there?

Prospero is more human now?

By breaking his staff and drowning his books is Prospero more human? Although being more human is alluded to in the play by bringing his enemies in front of him to show them mercy, I think that giving up his magic makes him more human. Also, another question would be why is Ariel so influential in keeping Prospero from destroying his enemies? Ariel has been doing Prospero's bidding throughout the play, how is it now at the end that he is influencing Prospero?

Parallels Of Faustus and Prosperos Use Of Magic

During my reading I noticed that just like Faustus, Prospero used his magic to just mess with the lives of others. Neither man used their magic to the fullest of their abilities. Faustus used his magic as we all know to purely mess with others. Like when he ate all that guys hay and what not. But Prospero is kind of doing the same thing here. He came to this island and enslaved the only other person (Caliban) on the island.. A person that was trying to help him survive and learn everything about the island and what it had to offer.. He constantly tortures Caliban for cursing and not doing his chores fast enough, when in all honesty Prospero could probably do all of these chores with a whoosh of his cloak. In Act 2 Scene 2 Caliban is verbalizing his anger for Prospero while collecting wood. When Caliban sees Trinculo he is so afraid that he cowers under his cloak believing Trinculo to be one of Prosperos spirits come to "torment" him. Both men could be using their magic to better others lives or their own, but instead use their magic to be obnoxiously cruel to others for their own personal gain.

Same Energy

I feel like if Prospero lived in the 2000's this song would be what he would have listened to when he and Miranda were set adrift. The song is about someone who's friend ditches them so they could be cool and being told they're an idiot. Similar to how Antonio took power from Prospero so that Antonio could be Duke of Milan and become more powerfull.