Denamarie Ercolani

"If Prosperso's art is a type (in any sense) of Art, the most obvious inference is not that Shakespeare yearns for a dream world, but that Art comes from one, or constitutes one, and that any effects Art has on the world "outside" must include recognizing this" (378).

Prospero's magic is seen as an Art and that it defines moral limits by illustrating psychological obduracy, including Prospero's own. Reading his behavior as stubborn and reluctant to leave his island, we can look at this as a preference of art (and dream) over "reality". Shakespeare in a sense drowns "The Tempest" and shows the idea that Art can, even in its own realm, control the desires it reflects.
Prospero's magic is used as a way of dreaming a perfect ending to a horrible beginning. By using his magical powers, he is using a sort of Art to create a perfect wonder.