What's past is prologue

"What is past is prologue", inscribed on Future (1935, Robert Aitken) located on the northeast corner of the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C.

"What's past is prologue" is a quotation by William Shakespeare from his play The Tempest. The phrase was originally used in The Tempest, Act 2, Scene I. Antonio uses it to suggest that all that has happened before that time, the "past," has led Sebastian and himself to this opportunity to do what they are about to do: commit murder.

In contemporary use, the phrase stands for the idea that history sets the context for the present. The quotation is engraved on the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. and is commonly used by the military when discussing the similarities between war throughout history.

Contemporary use

Senator Joe Biden used the quotation in the 2008 vice-presidential debate against Sarah Palin when he was accused of focusing too much on the past.

Francis W. Parker School (Chicago) uses the quote as the name and underlying theme of their Middle School Reflection Project, taking place at the end of student's 8th grade year.

Historical meaning

The phrase was originally used in The Tempest, Act 2, Scene I. Antonio uses it to suggest that all that has happened before that time, the "past," has led Sebastian and himself to this opportunity to do what they are about to do: commit murder. In the context of the preceding and next lines, "(And by that destiny) to perform an act, Whereof what's past is prologue; what to come, In yours and my discharge," Antonio is in essence rationalizing to Sebastian, and the audience, that he and Sebastian are fated to act by all that has led up to that moment, the past has set the stage for their next act, as a prologue does in a play. It can alternatively be taken to mean that everything up until now has merely set the stage for Antonio and Sebastian to make their own destinies.

In popular culture

• "The Past Is Prologue" is the title of a 1967 episode of the TV series Ironside featuring Harrison Ford.
• A portion of the phrase, "Past is Prologue," is the title of episode 11, season 1 of Syfy's original television show Defiance.
• The phrase appears in Continuum, season 1, episode 6, in the context of a means justifies the ends calculus.
• The phrase was spoken in 13 Rue Madeleine.
• The phrase appears as text at the conclusion of Oliver Stone's film JFK.
• The phrase is used as an epigraph for Zadie Smith's novel White Teeth, and relates to one of the large themes of the book.
• The phrase is the name of the musician Tycho's second album.
• A slightly modified part of the phrase is used as the title of the comic book Robotech Zero : What's Past is Prelude by Academy Comics.
• The phrase was used in a commercial for the video game Metroid Other M, indicating it was a prequel to the 2003 title Metroid Fusion because the events of the game explained what happened to Adam Malkovich, Samus Aran's former CO.
• "What's Past, Is Prologue" is a title from the Built on Secrets' album "Reflection".
• The phrase starts off Babylon 5, Season 3, Episode 22 "Z'Ha'dum" - "Humans have a phrase, 'What is past is prologue'" - Delenn
• In Season 2, Episode 11 of Cedar Cove, Moon (Played by Timothy Webber) cites the phrase when talking to Colin about his feelings towards him.
• The phrase appeared as the opening quote for the 100th episode of Grimm.