The Tempest by William Shakespeare “Rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance” In act five, scene one, I believe the lines; "the rarer action is in virtue than in revenge" are fundamental to the text, because the outcome of Prospero's decision determines how the play ends. There are many subtle hints in the text that might suggest why Prospero makes the decision he does. First we must question the nature of forgiveness in “The Tempest.” The lines "I pardon thee / Though thou art unnatural" in act five, scene one, are closely linked to the lines "Rarer deed is in virtue than in vengeance" as in both lines it is not obvious why Prospero has decided to forgive. Prospero says "however unnatural you are", this could be a reason why he forgives Alonso, because he was able to recognize that "unnatural" creatures are not that far from man, and from Prospero himself; “This thing of darkness, I recognize as mine,” which he admits to having recognized in Act Five, Scene One, lines 275-276. The lines "This thing of darkness, I recognize mine" offer us a