Secondly, the custom in hall theatres [i.e., closed ones] like Blackfriars was for each act-break to be marked by a pause of a few minutes which provided time to trim the candles. That such act-breaks were expected in The Tempest is made obvious by the fact that Prospero exits at the end of Act 4, but returns at the beginning of Act 5, an immediate re-entry unique in Shakespeare’s work. Shakespeare turns this practical necessity to dramatic account. At the most obvious level, the play is deliberately designed to emphasise the shape imposed by the four breaks between acts. [Analysis of every specific act]. Thus, at the close of each act, service and freedom are emphasised as central terms.
Lindley, David. “Introduction.” The Tempest. Ed. David Lindley. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2002. 1-84. p.4-5. (mis cursivas).
De manera que el que se estructure la acción dramática de acuerdo a actos, con la importancia que tiene la estructura de la acción dramática en la forma en que se va entendiendo el tiempo en el progresivo desarrollo de la conciencia moderna, proviene de la necesidad de cambiar las velas. Toma dosis triple y hasta cuádruple de materialismo cultural, por no hablar de efectos y demás del aleteo único de una mariposa. Estas cosas, sin embargo, no sorprenderán a esos artistas de status único que son los arquitectos.