Shakespeare’s growth as a dramatist can be seen with Prospero’s epilogue, as the 4th wall is broken between the actor and audience. In the final scene of The Tempest, Prospero asks for the audience’s participation:
But release me from my bands
With the help of your good hands. (V.i.epi. 10-11)
As you from crimes would pardoned be,
Let your indulgence set me free. (V.i.epi. 19-20)
With these lines, Shakespeare asks a direct involvement of the audience in the form of applause. This is an improvement from his earlier plays. In Richard the III, the use of breaking the 4th wall was for acknowledgement rather than full involvement:
I am determined to prove a villain
Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous,
To set my brother Clarence and the king
In deadly hate the one against the other; (I.i. 30-35).
Richard directly tells the audience of the plot that is to come. He does not ask for advice or opinion. He forwardly tells of the acts to come, leaving the audience in a static position. Where as in The Tempest, Prospero asks for the audience’s involvement. This difference is an improvement on the use of breaking the 4th wall. By involving the audience, Shakespeare further captures their attentions and support.
They hear and they forget.
They see and they remember.
They do and they learn. (Confucius)
Shakespeare grew as a dramatist by giving people sledgehammers, to break down the wall.
