Antonio:
Shakespeare – The Tempest (Act 2 Scene 1)
We all were sea-swallow’d, though some cast again,
And by that destiny to perform an act
Whereof what’s past is prologue, what to come
In yours and my discharge.
I overheard this yesterday, of all places, in an episode of the Big Hero 6 series that my kids were watching.* I’d spotted other references from The Tempest in the show but missed this one, despite the line standing out a mile as a good one.
Some thoughts:
The line comes from the scheming Antonio, plotting to take control of the kingdom, but his point is sound…
- Right now, you are writing the prologue to some kind of future for you and for those around you. What kind? What changes of direction – large or small – might be worth making?
- If you think you’ve reached the peak (or nadir) of the comedy (or tragedy) that is your life, think again: what’s past is just the prologue.
- If you’re unhappy with the past, take heart: in truth “We all were sea-swallow’d… what [is] to come [is] in yours and my discharge.”