As I have been reading The Tempest, I came across this passage in IV.i.:
"And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve;
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep."
At this point, Prospero has remembered the fact that an assassination attempt is to be made on his life shortly. This causes him to be saddened and consider the possibility of death. My favorite line is "We are such stuff as dreams are made of," because it led me to think of how it is up to us to shape the world in which we live, and our experiences in it. Our dreams can become reality. To me this was just an incredible line. It has helped me think of what I want to get out of life, and how I should go about achieving those dreams.
I totally agree, but I thought of another way to take that line. To rewrite the line, "dreams are made up of what we are." So, there must be something in our lives that is the stuff of dreams. Especially because he is contemplating death, it could be a thought on gratitude. There are some things that are part of life that are somehow out of this world. You could say for Prospero that things work out miraculously and there is always something special to be grateful for.
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