An epilogue is a part of a story written at the end. It helps finish the story and give it a sense of completion. It is told from the perspective of the story itself. If the author speaks directly to the reader, that part is called an afterword instead. The opposite of an epilogue is a prologue, which is written at the beginning of a story to introduce it and grab the reader's attention. Some types of media, like TV shows and video games, sometimes call an epilogue an "outro," similar to how they use "intro" for an introduction.

Epilogues are often set in the future, after the main events of the story. In some stories, they may hint at what happens next in a series. They also help answer questions readers might have and finish parts of the story that are not clearly explained.

History of the term

The word "epilogue" was first used in the 15th century as the ending part of a literary work. During the Middle English and Middle French periods, the term "epilogue" was used. In Latin, the word was "epilogus," which came from the Greek words "epilogos" and "epilegein."

The first example of the word "epilogue" in the Oxford English Dictionary is from 1564. It says, "Now at length you are come to the Epilogue (as it were) or full conclusion of your worke." Before this, the dictionary mentions Caxton's term "Epylogacion" in 1474, as in "The Epylogacion and recapitulation of this book." However, "Epylogacion" was not widely used, and the term "conclusion" was more common for ending parts of texts. The first printed dramatic epilogue appears in John Phillip's play The Play of Patient and Meek Grissell in 1569. Before this, the word "epilogue" was used in non-dramatic works, like in Turbervile's Epitaphs in 1566.

The word "epilogue" was sometimes used in medieval plays to end speeches, but it mainly hinted at connections to future works. In contrast, Greek plays often ended with lines from the Chorus, which was different from the epilogues in early modern and Ancient Roman plays.

American author Henry James described the epilogue as a place where last things like "prizes, pensions, husbands, wives, babies, millions, appended paragraphs, and cheerful remarks" are given. Pat Rogers called the epilogue a "Parthian Dart," saying it can feel too much for some readers. He explained it might have a change in tense and a sudden shift in pace, like an "accelerando," followed by a "loosening of the temporal screw," allowing readers to quickly move ahead in time. Epilogues also included traditional "topoi," a term from Aristotle that symbolized writers creating arguments in their stories.

In literature

An epilogue is the final part of a story that often shows what happens to the characters after the main events. Some epilogues may include scenes that are not directly connected to the story’s main events. They can hint at a future story or help finish any unfinished parts of the story. They may take place a long time after the main story ends. In some cases, the epilogue gives the main character a chance to speak openly.

An epilogue can use the same writing style and point of view as the rest of the story, though it may sometimes be written very differently. It can also act as a sequel to the story.

For example, in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, the epilogue is a written record of a university symposium in the Arctic held in 2195. Most of the epilogue is a speech by a professor named Pieixoto, who studies the area where the story takes place. In the epilogue, the country of Gilead no longer exists, and the main character, Offred, has written and published her story. She calls her book The Handmaid’s Tale.

In Animal Farm by George Orwell, the epilogue shows what happens to the characters many years after the revolution. It states, “Years passed. The seasons came and went, the short animal lives fled by. A time came when there was no one who remembered the old days before the Rebellion, except Clover, Benjamin, Moses the raven, and a number of the pigs.”

An epilogue can also reveal a future danger for the characters. Readers might think the villain has been defeated, but the epilogue may suggest otherwise, adding to the story’s suspense.

In children’s fantasy stories, epilogues often provide a comforting ending. For example, in the Harry Potter series, characters grow older and have families, giving readers a sense of security. Epilogues can also help a story transition from fiction to myths or legends.

In Greek and Elizabethan plays, an actor would speak directly to the audience at the end. They would describe how the characters feel after the story’s events. If the hero had a sad ending, the actor would share a moral lesson.

In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the epilogue warns the audience about the consequences of poor choices. It says, “The sun for sorrow will not show his head. Go hence to have more talk of these sad things. Some shall be pardoned, and some punished. For never was a story of more woe.”

In As You Like It, the epilogue is spoken by Rosalind, who expresses happiness. She says, “…and I charge you, O men, for the love you bear to women… that between you and the women the play may please.”

Epilogues were often performed by actors. This allowed the speaker to both act and reflect on the character. Scholars like Felicity Nussbaum called this the “double consciousness,” which encouraged the audience to think about the story’s meaning. In tragedies, female characters were often used in epilogues to challenge the play’s themes. For example, in Tyrannick Love, a female character who had suffered tragedy was shown as a comedian in the epilogue.

Many writers contributed epilogues to other plays, often as a sign of friendship. Some epilogues were labeled as “written by a person of quality” or “sent from an unknown hand.” Between 1660 and 1714, outsiders from England provided prologues and epilogues 229 times.

Epilogues often reminded the audience of the play’s value to encourage them to return. They also sometimes shared similarities with prayers, as both were used to conclude stories.

Most Greek plays ended with lines spoken by the Chorus, which summarized the play’s moral lesson. Nine of Euripides’ plays included a deus ex machina, and three ended with a mortal gaining divine powers.

Roman plays had short epilogues that asked the audience to applaud. For example, in Plautus’ comedies, the epilogue would say, “Give us your applause… and stretch your limbs and rise.” This helped the audience transition back to the real world.

Both prologues and epilogues gave women a chance to perform and receive applause. Female playwrights and actors were important in Restoration Theatre. Scholars like Gayle Rubin and Laura Mulvey studied how female audiences were influenced by feminist ideas.

Michael Gavin argued that actors addressing women showed the importance of female audiences, especially when the actors themselves were women. Jean Marsden noted that few plays focused on female sexuality, but epilogues spoken by women to women encouraged discussions about it.

Between 1660 and 1714, 115 prologues and epilogues included actors speaking to female audiences or discussing women. One epilogue by R. Boyle stated that poets struggle to create male characters that women find attractive. Epilogues often praised a story’s lack of virtue when addressing female audiences, using it as a selling point.

In opera

Commenting on past events is not very dramatic. Because of this, few operas have epilogues, even if they have prologues. Some operas that clearly include epilogues are the final scenes of Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress and Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann. Other operas where the final scenes are sometimes considered epilogues include Mozart's Don Giovanni, Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, and Delius's Fennimore and Gerda.

In film

In movies, the final scenes sometimes include a series of quick images or clips with a short description of what happens to the characters afterward. Examples of such movies include 9 to 5, American Graffiti, Changeling, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, National Lampoon's Animal House, Babe: Pig in the City, Happy Feet Two, Remember the Titans, and Zack Snyder's Justice League.

The ending scene of La La Land shows a happy ending, which is different from the real ending.

In many documentaries and biopics, the ending scene uses text to explain what happened to the people in the film after the events shown.

In video games

Epilogues in video games happen at the end of the story, after the credits finish playing. Like in movies and books, epilogues in games help finish the story. In games with many possible endings, how players interact during the epilogue can decide which ending happens. For example, the 2012 game Spec Ops: The Line has four endings. Three of these are chosen based on the player's actions during the epilogue. Sometimes, epilogues are added as extra content, like downloadable packs, that expand the main game story.

In games where characters can die forever, the epilogue shows what happened to surviving characters after the story ends. In the 2015 game Until Dawn, surviving characters tell the police about their experiences after being rescued. This can be expanded in games like Fire Emblem, where player choices affect character relationships and outcomes.

Visual novels, like Tsukihime, have epilogues that summarize all story paths after completing all endings. These epilogues also explain events from the beginning of the game.