An epilogue, or epilog, is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature or drama, usually used to bring closure to the work. The writer or the person may deliver a speech, speaking directly to the reader, when bringing the piece to a close, or the narration may continue normally to a closing scene.

In literature

In novels, epilogues tend to be, when existent, the last chapter of the novel. They take a variety of forms, but most summarize the novel's contents or reveal the fates of the characters. Some epilogues may feature scenes only tangentially related to the subject of the story. A chapter is one of the main divisions of a piece of writing of relative length, such as a book, being comprised of multiple pages. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ...

In drama

A character may deliver a speech, speaking directly to the audience, when bringing the piece to a close. A notable dramatic epilogue is Puck's speech at the end of Frankie Howard's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow, is a character in William Shakespeares play A Midsummer Nights Dream. ... Frankie Howerd (born Francis Alex Howard in York, England, 6 March 1917 - not 1922 as he claimed; died in London, 19 April 1992) was a distinctive English comedian and comic actor. ... Title page of the first quarto (1600) A Midsummer Nights Dream is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare written sometime in the late-1500s. ...

In film

In films, the final scenes may feature a montage of images or clips with a short explanation of what happens to the characters, as in Four Weddings and a Funeral. Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British romantic comedy film directed by Mike Newell. ...

See also

• Prologue