The Tempest (27 page)

6
Tend
pay attention to

6
Blow … enough
blow until you burst, as long as we have enough rock-free sea to maneuver in

8
have
take

9
Play the
act like

12
mar
ruin

15
Hence
be gone

15
roarers
waves/riotous people

19
counsellor
adviser/member of the king’s council

20
work … present
calm the current events

20
hand
handle

23
hap
happen

25
he … gallows
“he that is born to be hanged shall never be drowned” (proverbial)

26
mark
ominous indicator

27
rope of his destiny
i.e. the hangman’s noose

28
cable
anchor rope

30
Down … topmast
reduce the height of the ship’s main mast (to increase stability)

31
to … course
i.e. as near as possible to a standstill

32
our office
we are as we undertake our work

33
o’er
up

35
pox
plague

38
cur
dog

40
warrant … drowning
guarantee he will not drown

41
unstanched
promiscuous/sexually unsatisfied/menstruating freely

43
Lay her ahold
keep the ship steady by sailing close to the wind

43
Set … to
raise both foresail and mainsail in order to drive the ship into open sea

46
must … cold
i.e. must we die/must our prayers be ineffective

50
merely
completely

51
wide-chopped
loud-mouthed/with mouth wide open

52
ten tides
pirates were hanged on the shore where their bodies remained during three tides

53
hanged yet
i.e. will survive to be hanged on land

55
at wid’st
wide open

55
glut
swallow

56
We split
the ship is splitting apart/we are shipwrecked

61
furlong
220 yards

62
acre
furlong

62
long heath
heather

62
brown furze
withered gorse

63
fain
rather

Act 1 Scene 2

1.2
Location: the rest of the play is set in various parts of Prospero’s island

1.2
Prospero
from Latin for “to cause to succeed”; in Italian and Spanish means “fortunate, prosperous”

1.2
Miranda
from Latin for “to wonder, marvel”; means “she who is admired”

1
art
skill, magic, learning

2
allay
calm

3
pitch
black substance obtained from boiling tar

4
welkin’s
sky’s

5
fire
lightning

6
brave
splendid

11
or ere
before

13
fraughting souls
those constituting the freight (cargo)

14
collected
calm, composed

15
amazement
fear/wonder

22
whence I am
where I am from

22
more better
of a higher rank

23
full poor cell
very humble dwelling, often that of a hermit or monk

24
no greater father
no more important a father than this
cell
suggests

25
More to know
desire to know more

26
meddle with
mingle with/intrude upon

33
provision
foresight

35
perdition
loss, damage

36
Betid
happened

41
bootless inquisition
useless inquiry

44
ope
open

48
Out
fully

52
Hath … remembrance
remains in your memory

54
assurance
certainty

55
warrants
guarantees

56
tended
cared for/waited upon

59
backward
past period

59
abysm
abyss, gulf

60
aught
anything

67
piece
exemplar, image

70
no worse issued
(you are) of no less noble birth

73
blessèd
fortunate

76
holp
helped

78
o’th’teen
of the trouble

78
turned you to
caused you

79
from
absent from

81
mark
pay attention to

82
perfidious
treacherous

84
manage
management

85
signories
domains/governing bodies of Italian states

86
prime
foremost

87
liberal arts
seven scholastic disciplines: grammar, logic, rhetoric, music, astronomy, geometry, arithmetic

90
state
country/role as duke

90
stranger
estranged

90
transported And rapt
absorbed and enraptured

94
perfected
skilled (in)

94
suits
petitions, requests

96
trash for over-topping
rein in for being overly ambitious

96
new … mine
promoted or gave new positions to Prospero’s officials (
creatures
)

97
changed ’em
substituted others for them/altered their duties

98
new formed ’em
created new positions/changed their allegiances

98
key
control (plays on senses of “musical key” and “tuning key”)

100
that
so that

101
ivy … trunk
the rapid growth of ivy on a tree’s trunk can choke or poison the tree

102
verdure
sap/vitality/power

105
worldly ends
i.e. state or governmental duties

106
closeness
solitude

107
but
only

107
retired
secluded, secret

108
O’er-prized … rate
outstripped the people’s understanding/was too precious for the people to value

110
good parent
“good parents breed bad children” (proverbial)

110
beget of
breed in

111
falsehood … contrary
deception which, in its opposing nature, was

113
sans
without

113
lorded
made lord

115
else exact
otherwise demand

115
one … lie
i.e. one who has lied so frequently that he has made his memory false (
a sinner
) by coming to believe in his own lies

116
into
unto

116
it
i.e. the lie

119
out o’th’substitution
as a result of having usurped me

120
th’outward face
the appearance

124
screen
separation/obstacle

125
him
i.e. himself; Antonio benefits from playing the role of duke

126
Absolute Milan
wholly the Duke of Milan and wielding absolute power

127
temporal royalties
practical concerns of state

128
Confederates
(he) conspires

129
dry
thirsty, desperate

129
sway
power

130
tribute
payment of an agreed sum

131
Subject … crown
subject himself to Alonso, the king (a duke wore a
coronet
)

132
yet
as yet

135
condition
pact/disposition

135
event
outcome

136
If … brother
if this might be the action of a brother/if I might be the brother to such a man

138
but
anything but

142
inveterate
long-standing

142
hearkens
listens to

143
he
i.e. the King of Naples

143
in … homage
in return for the conditions of allegiance/servility

144
tribute
money

145
presently extirpate
immediately uproot

151
ministers
agents

151
thence
away

155
hint
experience/occasion

160
impertinent
irrelevant

164
durst
dared

167
painted
dressed up, disguised

168
few
brief

168
barque
small ship

170
butt
barrel

172
hoist
launched

175
loving wrong
i.e. although they blew us to sea, the winds pitied us

178
cherubin
angel

181
decked
covered/adorned

181
drops full salt
i.e. tears

182
which
i.e. Miranda’s smile

183
undergoing stomach
courage to endure

190
design
plan

191
stuffs
equipment, provisions

192
steaded much
been very useful

192
gentleness
nobleness

196
Would
I wish

199
Sit still
remain seated

201
more profit
benefit far more

203
vainer
more idle

203
careful
caring/painstaking

209
my dear lady
i.e. Fortune

210
prescience
foresight/visionary power

211
zenith
peak of fortune (literally, highest point of the heavens)

212
influence
power/invisible substance supposed to stream from stars and affect one’s destiny

213
omit
ignore

215
dullness
sleepiness

216
it way
in to it

218
Ariel
as well as having connotations of “airiness,” the name is Hebrew for “lion of God”; also the name of a magical spirit in various occult texts; perhaps evocative of the archangel Uriel

219
Grave
learned, respected, dignified

222
task
instruct

223
quality
skills/other spirits

225
to point
in every respect

227
beak
prow

228
waist
middle

229
flamed amazement
appeared as a terrifying fire

231
yards
crossbars on masts

231
bowsprit
long pole that holds a sail

232
Jove’s … thunderclaps
thunder and lightning were the chief weapons of the king of the gods

234
sight-outrunning
quicker than the eye can follow

235
Neptune
Roman god of the sea

237
trident
three-pronged spear, carried by
Neptune

239
coil
turmoil

242
of the mad
such as mad people suffer

242
played … desperation
displayed symptoms of despair, recklessness

245
all afire
i.e. the ship caught fire