366-1 Good was often used in Shakespeare’s time as we use the word well, to introduce a sentence.

366-2 Fall to’t yarely means get to work briskly.

366-3 Perhaps the line should read, “Blow till thou burst thee, wind.”

366-4 If there is sea-room enough. The boatswain is not alarmed if he can have room to handle his ship.

366-5 We still say “play the man” when we wish to encourage any one to be brave and manly.

367-6 The word time may be understood after present. The boatswain infers that they cannot make peaceful weather of the present storm.

367-7 Hap means happen.

367-8 The word complexion here means bent or inclination. Gonzalo says the boatswain is born to be hung; he cannot be drowned.

367-9 The boatswain finds he has not sea-room enough so he calls upon the sailors to take down the topmast and to bring the ship as close into the wind as possible and hold her there with the main sail.

367-10 This sentence means they are noisier than the tempest and the commands of our officers.

368-11 Gonzalo still thinks the boatswain was born to be hanged, and warrants that he will not be drowned.

368-12 The boatswain is still trying to bring her to the wind, so she may get out to sea. The courses are the largest lower sails.

368-13 Merely, here, means entirely or absolutely.

368-14 Glut means swallow.

369-15 These are all plants that grow in England, and were to Shakespeare the familiar signs of barren ground.

369-16 The wills above be done means the will of the Powers above be done. Gonzalo interests us from the start by his rather humorous view of everything.

369-1 Welkin means sky.

369-2 Brave means fine.

369-3 Or e’er means before or sooner than.

370-4 Fraughting means freighting. The human souls were the freight of the ship.

370-5 Amazement means anguish and deep distress rather than astonishment.

370-6 In the time of Shakespeare it was not considered inelegant English to use two forms of the comparative and superlative degrees. More better, most best are good examples.

370-7 Meddle means mix. Miranda says she never thought of knowing more about herself or her father.

370-8 Prospero means that with his garment he lays his magic arts aside and becomes the loving, human father.

370-9 Prospero does not complete his sentence, but expresses the same thought in different form.

372-10 Bootless inquisition means fruitless questioning. The father has before begun to tell Miranda who she is, but has interrupted himself, and said, “Stay, not yet.”

372-11 Out means fully.

372-12 Prospero says, in these two lines, “If you can remember anything that happened before we came here, you may remember how we came here.”

373-13 Holp is an old form of helped.

373-14 Teen is an old word that means trouble or anxiety.

373-15 Please you, further, means Please you, tell me further.

373-16 Manage means management.

373-17 Signiories is a name for principalities.

373-18 Prime means first or leading.

374-19 Who is used for whom, as it was not considered ungrammatical in Shakespeare’s day.

374-20 Trash means check or set back.

374-21 Over-topping means rising too high. Prospero means that his brother knew what persons to check when they tried to rise too high, to gain too much power.

374-22 The brother understood the key that kept officer and office in tune, and so set the minds of all Prospero’s subjects thinking as the usurper wished. That is, Antonio took Prospero’s friends away from him.

374-23 We would say so that instead of merely that.

374-24 To closeness means to privacy, to studies in his own home.

374-25 But in this sense means except.

374-26 This is a difficult clause to understand. What Prospero means is probably that his studies would have exceeded all popular estimate in value, but that they (if they had not) kept him so retired from public life. Prospero sees the mistake he made, but cannot give up the idea that his studies were valuable.

375-27 Sans is a French word that means without.

375-28 By falsing it means by falsifying it or forging it.

375-29 Shakespeare omits the word as before to. Antonio made so great a sinner of his memory unto truth as to credit his own lie.

375-30 Out of the substitution may be understood to mean because of his being my substitute.

375-31 Prospero’s tale is not clearly told. He is evidently thinking of other things, and his sentences are often imperfect. His mind wanders to the things he intends doing, to the storm, the strangers on the island and to his plans for the future. Miranda is not inattentive—she is fascinated by the story—but her father attributes his own wandering thoughts to her.

375-32 Tired of ruling behind a screen, for that is what Prospero really was. Antonio planned to remove his brother and become absolute Duke of Milan.

375-33 Shakespeare omits the word for before me.

376-34 So dry he was for sway, might now be written as so thirsty he was for power.

376-35 Prospero bewails the fate of his principality, Milan.

376-36 The meaning of the last seven lines is that Antonio thought Prospero incapable of ruling, offered to pay the King of Naples an annual tribute, to do him homage and to make Milan subject to Naples.

376-37 In lieu now means instead of, but Shakespeare uses it in the sense of in return for.

376-38 Presently means immediately.

376-39 Practice means plot or stratagem.

376-40 The six lines mean that one midnight, suited to such a plot, a treacherous army having been levied, Antonio opened the gates of Milan, and in the dead of darkness hurried away Prospero and the crying Miranda.

377-41 In this place hint means theme or subject.

377-42 Upon’s is upon us.

377-43 Impertinent in this connection means out of place.

377-44 Wench means girl, and at the time of Shakespeare was a term of affection, like dear girl.

377-45 In few may be read as in a few words, that is, to make the story brief.

377-46 Hoist us means hoisted us, that is left us.

378-47 Degg’d means sprinkled.

378-48 Shakespeare, as was the custom in those days, often used the word stomach for courage; an undergoing stomach is a lasting courage.

378-49 Steaded means aided. We might say, which have since stood us in good stead.

378-50 Readers of Shakespeare dispute about the meaning of this sentence. We might imagine Prospero to say half to himself “Now I arise;” that is, “My turn has come.”

378-51 Made thee more profit, that is, have made you to profit more, have taught you to better advantage.

379-52 The zenith is the highest point.

379-53 Prospero means that if he acts now his fortunes will rise to their highest point, but that if he waits, he will lose his opportunity.

379-54 Prospero, by his magic, throws his daughter into a deep sleep so that he may carry on his plans without her knowledge.

379-55 This line may be understood to read, Ariel, and all spirits of his kind.

379-56 Performed to point means performed in every respect.

379-57 The beak of a ship is the prow, the projecting forward part.

380-58 The waist of a ship is the middle portion.

380-59 Distinctly means here separately. Ariel caused light globes of flame to appear for a second in different parts of the rigging, and to move about and to join.

380-60 Momentary means instantaneous.

380-61 Coil means tumult or confusion.

380-62 This clause means There was not a soul that did not feel such a fever as madmen feel.

380-63 In this place upstaring means sticking up.

381-64 For unstaining we would say unstained.

381-65 Odd angle probably means out-of-the-way place.

381-66 Probably Ferdinand sat with his arms folded loosely, his head hanging on his breast.

381-67 This is a good example of the way Shakespeare sometimes changes the natural order in which the parts of a sentence should be placed. Naturally the sentence would read: “Say, how hast thou disposed of the mariners of the King’s ship, and all the rest of the fleet?”

381-68 Bermoothes is the old form of the word Bermudas. It was supposed that witches haunted the Bermudas and filled the air with tempests, which kept the waters always stormy. Still-vexed means always stormy. The present errands of the spirit Ariel are not the first he has executed for Prospero. Dew from the Bermudas was probably wanted for some of his magical rites.

381-69 To enjoy The Tempest, we must lay aside our reason to the extent of believing in charms and in magic, in witchcraft and in Ariel’s wonderful powers. Prospero’s control of the magic art is part of what he gained from his studies while Antonio was stealing his principality.

382-70 Flote is flood, therefore wave or sea.

382-71 This means that it was about two o’clock in the afternoon—past the mid-season by about the time it would take the sand to run twice through the hour-glass.

382-72 Remember here means remind.

382-73 Perform’d me means performed for me.

382-74 Say no more.

382-75 “To release me a full year before my time is up,” is what Ariel says Prospero has promised.

383-76 This speech shows how marvelous are some of the things Ariel has already done for Prospero.

383-77 Prospero is not speaking in earnest when he calls Ariel a “malignant thing.” He intends to release Ariel soon.

383-78 To Shakespeare and other writers of his time, the word envy meant malice.

383-79 Argier is an old name for Algiers.

383-80 Blue-eyed means that the witch had dark blue circles around her eyes, not that she had real blue eyes.

383-81 For means because.

384-82 Hests means behests or commands.

384-83 The witch confined Ariel in a cloven pine tree.

384-84 This line means save for the son that was born here.

384-85 Correspondent means obedient.

385-86 Miss means spare.

385-87 When was often used as an exclamation of impatience.

386-88 Old meanings for quaint are artful, ingenious.

386-89 Wicked dew probably means poisonous dew.

386-90 Caliban, in cursing his master, alludes to the common belief of that time that a southwest wind was unwholesome.

386-91 Side stitches are stitches or pains in the side.

386-92 Urchins were troublesome sprites or fairies.

386-93 Vast alludes to the middle hours of night when in the stillness and vacancy evil spirits can do their work.

386-94 Just what Caliban means here is uncertain.

387-95 Sty here means confine, as in a sty.

387-96 This clause means did’st not, savage, know the meaning of thine own words.

387-97 Rid means destroy.

388-98 Old here, as often in the writings of Shakespeare’s time, is used merely to make stronger the meaning of the word that follows it.

388-99 Kiss’d the wild waves whist means soothed the wild waves into peace.

389-100 Ferdinand was suffering, and Shakespeare used the word passion to express the idea as we use it in speaking of the Passion of Christ.

389-101 This line means without suffering a change from the effects of the sea.

389-102 Owes here means possesses.

389-103 Prospero speaking to Miranda says, “Lift up your eyelids and tell me what you see yonder.”

389-104 In this connection brave means fine or noble.

390-105 Canker means rust or tarnish. Prospero says, “Except for the fact that he’s somewhat stained with grief, which tarnishes beauty, you might call him a goodly person.”

390-106 Miranda, it must be remembered, has never seen any other man than her father.

390-107 Prospero sees his plan going on well and gives Ariel credit for it. Just what the plan is will soon become apparent.

390-108 Ferdinand speaks somewhat aside when he sees the beautiful Miranda, and then directly addresses her. He is embarrassed, calls her a goddess, asks her how he shall behave, calls her a wonder, but above all, wishes to know if she is mortal or not.

390-109 The word Miranda means wonderful

390-110 “She speaks my language!”

391-111 A single thing means a weak and companionless thing.

391-112 Myself am Naples means I am now the King of Naples.

391-113 Notice that this is the only mention of a son to Antonio, the usurping Duke of Milan.

391-114 Control means here confute, that is, tell you differently.

391-115 Prospero notices the interest the two young people have taken in each other, and as this furthers his plan he feels more grateful to Ariel.

391-116 What Prospero says is, “I fear that in claiming to be the King of Naples you have done some wrong to your character.”

392-117 Prospero wishes to test the love he sees in Ferdinand, and make him earn his prize. So he charges the young man with deceit and threatens him.

392-118 Fearful here means timid.

393-119 Ward is his position of defense to ward off a blow.

393-120 Nerves is here used for muscles and sinews.

394-1 This word means a ship—the merchantman.

395-2 A visitor in this sense is one who visits the sick to comfort them. Antonio and Sebastian are ridiculing Gonzalo for his efforts to cheer and console them.

395-3 Tell means keep tally. Sebastian means that the clock of Gonzalo’s wit has struck one.

395-4 Dolour means grief or sadness.

395-5 Instead of of he or Adrian, we would say merely he or Adrian. Antonio offers to bet a good sum on which will speak first, Gonzalo or Adrian.

395-6 Gonzalo.

395-7 A match means I take the bet.

396-8 Sebastian has lost his bet, and he pays with a laugh.

396-9 Adrian means temperature when he says temperance.

396-10 People often named their girls Temperance, Prudence, Faith, etc. It is to this fact that Antonio jokingly alludes.

396-11 Lush means juicy.

396-12 Eye here means tint or shade.

397-13 We would now say for instead of to.

397-14 Tunis is near the supposed site of Carthage. The story of Dido and Æneas is told in Virgil’s Æneid.

397-15 One of the stories of the god Mercury is that he gave to Amphion, King of Thebes, a magic harp upon which the king played and so charmed the stones that they sprang into place to make the walls of his city.

398-16 The meaning of stomach in this line is appetite or desire. Alonso says they crowd their words into his ears when his feelings do not relish such nonsense.

398-17 Rate means estimation.

398-18 His is used for its and refers to shore.

398-19 For as, read as if.

399-20 Who is used for which. This is but another illustration of the changes that have taken place in the use of words since Shakespeare’s time.

399-21 Sebastian tells the King that he alone is responsible for the loss. Even his daughter weighed her wish to be obedient against her loathing of the match.

399-22 Dearest here means the same as heaviest or worst.

399-23 Chirurgeon is the old word for surgeon. Antonio says, “And in the most surgeon-like manner.”

400-24 Gonzalo says, literally. “When you are sad, we all share your sorrow.”

400-25 “Had I the colonizing” is what Gonzalo means. Antonio makes it appear that Gonzalo was speaking of planting the island.

400-26 Succession means inheritance, as a son succeeds to his father’s property.

400-27 Bourn means brook, hence boundary, as of land.

400-28 Tilth means tillage or cultivation, as of land.

401-29 He probably means any engine of war.

401-30 Foison means plenty of grain or fruits.

401-31 The Golden Age is that period of the world’s history when there was no sin, sorrow or suffering, and when all mankind was so good that there was no need of government of any sort. The Greeks, especially, but other peoples to some extent, have mythical tales of such a time.

401-32 Sensible is here used for sensitive.

401-33 Gonzalo admits that in witty talk he is nothing in comparison to Antonio and Sebastian.

401-34 A blow with the flat of a sword is harmless: so is Gonzalo’s wit.

402-35 We would say should instead of would in this case.

402-36 When they used to hunt birds in the night, they called it bat-fowling. Sometimes at night they took a light into the woods, and while one of the hunters held a net in front of the light, the others would beat the bushes round about. Some of the frightened birds would fly directly at the light and become entangled in the net.

402-37 Adventure here means put in peril.

402-38 Ariel is at work again, and in carrying out the plans of Prospero, he causes some to fall asleep that the others may plot.

402-39 Omit here means neglect. Sebastian suggests that it will be better for Alonso to go to sleep while he can. He has reasons for wishing the King asleep.

403-40 Alonso grows more sleepy under Ariel’s influence, and in these words alludes to what Sebastian has just said—“It is a wondrous heavy offer of sleep.”

404-41 They refers to the other men.

404-42 Probably we must understand Antonio to mean, “What might you be!” In this way Antonio begins to tempt Sebastian, whom he finds ready to listen.

404-43 Speaks means proclaims.

404-44 Antonio says in effect, “You close your eyes when you are awake. You are blind to your opportunity.”

404-45 “If you heed me.”

404-46 Antonio means, “Which if you do, you shall be three times as great as you are now.”

405-47 By I am standing water, Sebastian means that he is like the ocean standing between tides, ready to ebb or flow. That is, he is ready to accept suggestions from Antonio.

405-48 Antonio says in effect, “The more you ridicule the purpose I suggest, the more you welcome it.”

405-49 Ebbing men, that is, men whose fortunes are at a low ebb.

405-50 Matter means something of great importance.

405-51 “It is difficult or painful for you to say what you think.” While both have about the same idea in their minds, neither is quite willing to speak of it openly. It is too cruel and murderous a thought.

405-52 Francisco.

405-53 That is, “this lord who remembers little of the favors done him, and will be remembered no better.”

405-54 Earth’d means buried.

406-55 A wink here means the least distance.

406-56 It is difficult to say just what But doubt discovery there means. Antonio says, “But out of your certainty that Ferdinand is drowned, you have a great hope, a hope so high that ambition cannot see anything greater.”

406-57 This means ten leagues farther away than a man can travel in his life.

406-58 Can have no note means can receive no word.

406-59 This clause means unless the sun carried the mail.

406-60 Though some were cast up again.

406-61 This sentence means, you and I can manage what is to come.

407-62 “Measure us back,” etc., means the same as Return to us.

407-63 The word others may be understood after there be.

407-64 A chough is a bird of the jackdaw kind.

407-65 This clause means, I myself could breed a bird to talk as sensibly.

407-66 This is difficult to understand. Perhaps it means. “And how does your present contentment advance or care for your interest?”

407-67 Feater means more fittingly or more becomingly.

408-68 A kibe is a sore on the heel.

408-69 Candied means here the same as crystallized.

408-70 This means, while you, doing the same thing, might put Gonzalo to continuous sleep forever.

408-71 Suggestion here means temptation.

408-72 They’ll tell the clock to any business, etc., means they will speak any words we tell them to.

408-73 Draw together is let us draw our swords together.

409-74 That is, Why are your swords drawn?

409-75 This means, Why do you look so ghastly?

410-1 Inch-meal means piece-meal.

410-2 Urchin-shows are fairy-shows.

410-3 Fire-brand refers to will o’ the wisp, or dancing balls of light seen sometimes at night in swampy places. People used to think these lights were tended by naughty sprites who lured men into trouble.

410-4 We would now say sometimes.

410-5 Mow means make mouths or grin.

411-6 Pricks, here, means their prickles or sharp quills.

411-7 Caliban is a monster, part brute, part human, more fish-like than man-like, probably. He works only when Prospero drives him to it, and he hates his master bitterly in spite of all that the latter has done for him. Now Caliban is under punishment for his wickedness.

411-8 To bear off means to keep off.

411-9 A bombard is a black jar or jug to hold liquor.

411-10 Poor-john is an old name for dried and salted hake, a kind of fish.

411-11 Trinculo means that any strange beast could be exhibited and make a man’s fortune.

412-12 A gaberdine was a coarse outer garment or frock.

412-13 A swabber is a man who scrubs the decks of a ship.

412-14 Tang means sharp taste; here it means that Kate spoke sharply.

413-15 Inde may mean India as we understand it, or West India, that is, America. Stephano probably alludes to the sham wonders from America that were often exhibited by lying showmen.

413-16 Neat’s-leather is calfskin.

413-17 Stephano means that he will take all he can get.

413-18 He alludes to an old saying, “Good liquor will make a cat talk.”

414-19 This is probably the nearest to a prayer that Stephano can remember in his fright.

414-20 This alludes to an old proverb, “He that would eat with the devil must use a long spoon.”

414-21 Siege here means seat.

414-22 A moon-calf was any shapeless monster; supposed to be made so through the influence of the moon.

415-23 The superstitious Trinculo is still a little afraid that Stephano may be a ghost.

415-24 Constant here means settled, from his recent experiences in the sea.

415-25 The word an may be omitted from before if without altering the meaning. Caliban fears the men may be evil spirits, but thinks Stephano must be a god.

415-26 Sack is an old-fashioned intoxicating drink. A butt is a big cask holding about two hogsheads.

416-27 All these things the fanciful used to think they could see in the face of the moon.

416-28 This probably means that Caliban had taken a long hearty draught at the bottle.

417-29 Pig-nuts were probably ground-nuts, the small bulbous growths on the roots of certain vines.

417-30 A staniel is a kestril, a beautiful hawk.