The Tempest/Tear Jerker


 * The final scene of The Tempest, where Prospero relinquishes his magic and frees Ariel, never fails to get some tears out of this troper.
 * This troper saw a production where a female Ariel spends the entire play in a visible harness, 'flying' on wires around the stage. When Prospero frees her, he unlocks her harness and instead of flying, she finally gets to RUN around the stage in sheer joy. So many tears.
 * In this troper's eyes it is made even more powerful by the fact that Shakespeare was himself speaking through Prospero. The Tempest was the Bard's last play.
 * His last good play; "Henry VIII" and "The Two Noble Kinsmen" followed. Nitpicks aside, The Tempest also contains the great speech beginning "These revels now are ended...".
 * A production of the play in Stratford, Ontario staged Ariel's line "Mine would, sir, where I human" as a Wham! Line. The look on Prospero's face was unforgetable.