The Prototype pattern allows objects to copy or clone themselves rather than being instantiated, making dynamic object creation easier. It is used when you need to copy an existing object rather than creating a new instance of it, or when objects must have one of a limited set of configurations. With the Prototype pattern, a prototype declares an interface for cloning itself and concrete prototypes implement cloning. A client creates a new object by asking a prototype to clone itself, either as a shallow or deep copy.