The Tempest
By William Shakespeare

Markup and correction by Students and Staff of Marymount University, Leane Dondapati, Tonya Howe
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Sources

London : Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed. Blount, 1623Page images are drawn from the First Folio copy 68 held by the Folger Shakespeare Library, available at https://www.folger.edu/the-shakespeare-first-folio-folger-copy-no-68. For more information about the First Folio, visit the Folger Shakespeare Library page https://www.folger.edu/shakespeare/first-folio.Online: iBiblio, 1999Base xml for this digital edition drawn from https://www.ibiblio.org/xml/examples/shakespeare/tempest.xml.

Text placed in the public domain by Moby Lexical Tools, 1992. Original SGML markup by Jon Bosak, 1992-1994. XML version by Jon Bosak, 1996-1998. XML updated for LiC guidelines, 2022. Page breaks have been added according to the First Folio. Line numbers have been added according to the Riverside Shakespeare (1974).

Editorial Statements

Research informing these annotations draws on publicly-accessible resources, with links provided where possible. Annotations also include common knowledge, defined as information that can be found in multiple reliable sources. If you notice an error in these annotations, please contact lic.open.anthology@gmail.com.

Base text for this edition of The Tempest uses public domain transcription by Moby Lexical Tools, 1992, converted into XML by Jon Bosak. Ligatured forms are not encoded. Missing and inferred stage directions added by the Riverside are indicated with square brackets.

Hyphenation has not been retained, except where necessary for the sense of the word.

Page breaks have been retained. Catchwords, signatures, running headers, and columns have not. Where pages break in the middle of a word, the complete word has been indicated prior to the page beginning. When it is unclear where a line ends, or whether the text is in prose or poetry, modern editions have been consulted.

Line breaks, numbering, stage directions, and textual emendations have been made to ensure that this edition corresponds with the Rivierside Shakespeare edition of The Tempest.

Citation

Shakespeare, William. "The Tempest". ; Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories, & tragedies: published according to the true originall copies., Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed. Blount, 1623 , pp 1-19 . Literature in Context: An Open Anthology. http://anthologydev.lib.virginia.edu/work/Shakespeare/shakespeare-tempest. Accessed: 2025-10-25T02:48:59.946Z

Linked Data

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[TP]
MR. WILLIAM
SHAKESPEARES
COMEDIES,
HISTORIES, &
TRAGEDIES.
Published according to the True Originall Copies.
 London
Printed by Isaac Jaggard, and Ed. Blount.
 1623.

The Scene, [A ship at sea and] an uninhabited IslandislandislandDuring the early modern period, knowledge of the world was expanding greatly. It is likely, given the plot of the tale, that the fictional Island Prospero is stranded on is somewhere in the Mediterranean sea. Throughout the play, you will note references to many places across the globe, including Tunisia, Algeria, the Island of Bermuda, and "Arabia." By 1611, when The Tempest was first performed, England had established colonies in the Americas; the Spanish and Portuguese were the most powerful imperial force in Western Europe, until the 1588 defeat of the Spanish Armada, which marked the rise of the early British Empire. The 16th and 17th centuries are often thought of as an age of exploration; explorers traveled the world, bringing back strange objects and stories to spur scientific discovery and commerce, including the traffic in human beings. People during Shakespeare’s time lived during an era that also saw the wide dissemination of maps helped by the invention of the printing press. Through cartography, people could visually comprehend the geographical layout of lands familiar and new. To learn more about exploration and map-making in the early modern period, see the Folger Shakespeare Library's exhibition site, "Mapping Early Modern Worlds. - [TH].
Alonso, King of Naples
Sebastian his brother
Prospero, the right Duke of Milan
Antonio, his brother the usurping Duke of Milan
Ferdinand, son to the King of Naples
Gonzalo, an honest old Counsellor
Adrian and Francisco, Lords
Caliban, a savage and deformed Slave
Trinculo, a Jester
Stephano, a drunken Butler
Master of a Ship
Boatswain
Mariners
Miranda, daughter to Prospero
Ariel, an airy Spirit
Iris, Ceres, Juno, Nymphs, Reapers, [presenting] Spirits
Page [TP]Page [TP]

Footnotes

thunder_In 1611, when Shakespeare's The Tempest was first performed, theatres used a mechanism known as a thunder machine, which was essentially a long wooden box balanced like a seesaw, containing a large cannon ball that when rolled around produced a loud noise resembling thunder. To create the effect of lightening, stage hands would prepare powdered resin which would be thrown onto a flame. Lighting a firecracker attached to a wire extending from the roof of the stage to the floor would create the illusion of a lightening bolt ("Special Effects").
boatswain_Pronounced "bosun," a boatswain is the person who manages the crew of a ship and the ship's equipment (OED n.1).
Dee_Photograph showing alchemical items belonging to John Dee, used in early modern magic, from the British Library.Source: Dee's spirit mirror and other alchemical objectsIt is often thought that Prospero was modeled by Shakespeare on John Dee, a well-known polymath, magus, and advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. According to the British Library, a magus someone who "understands the cosmos and man's place in it [sic]" through knowledge and experimentation in fields such as chemistry (then alchemy), mathematics, astrology, and hermetic studies of religion and culture. A "controversial figure" and force of both good and evil, the magus sought to attain ultimate wisdom about the working of the universe. The image included here, from the British Library, shows (right to left) Dee’s spirit mirror showstone, a crystal ball, mystically engraved wax discs, a wooden case, and an engraved gold disc illustrating a vision of Dee’s colleague, Edward Kelley. Dee's "showstone' was a reflective piece of volcanic ash he would use to conjure and converse with angels, recording his conversations into his ‘angelic diaries’. As an advisor to Queen Elizabeth I, Dee advocated for imperial expansion into the New World. To learn more about Dee's advocacy of the British Empire in the Atlantic, see Glyn Parry's scholarly article, "John Dee and the Elizabethan British Empire in Its European Context."
stinking_Miranda here imagines the stormy sky raining "stinking pitch" instead of water. Pitch is a resin commonly used for waterproofing boats.
welkin_The welkin is a poetic and now archaic term referring to the sky. Miranda uses figurative language to describe the the height of the waves, which "[mount or rise] to the welkin's cheek."
fire_The lightening.
cell_A very small or humble dwelling.
art_Prospero is speaking to his robe, calling it his "art," and suggesting to us that the robe is lain down on some surface by Miranda.
betid_Befell or happened to (OED).
bootless_Ineffective questioning (OED).
abysm_An immense depth, a chasm which seems to have no end (OED).
aught_Aught is an archaic adverb which means "to any extent, in any respect, at all" (OED C.1), and "ere" means before or formerly (OED 4.a).
holp_This is the past participle of the word "help," spelled this way from the 14th to the 17th century (OED).
teen_Now rarely used, teen is a noun that refers to suffering or pain (OED n. 2a).
signories_ A historical term referring to governing bodies or assemblies specifically of an Italian state (OED n, 5).
verdure_ According to the OED, this refers to the freshness of a flourishing green plant.
ignoble_According to the OED, ignoble is defined as being dishonorable in terms of character or intent.
inveterate_ Entrenched, long-standing, persistent, with the suggestion of disease (OED).
durst_ An archaic past tense of the verb "to dare" (OED).
bark_A bark is a small boat.
cherubim_A cherub is a biblical angel, with a related sense common in the early 17th century that also means a beloved woman (OED n. 5b).
burthen_An alternative spelling of burden.
prescience_Prescience is both a quality attributed to God and the characteristic of foresight that a human might possess (OED).
zenith_A term from astronomy, the zenith is the highest point the sun or moon reaches in the sky (OED).
give_The Arden edition of The Tempest glosses this as "succumb to it." Prospero is commanding Miranda to fall asleep.
ariel_Late 18th century engraving showing Miranda, Prospero, Caliban, and ArielSource: Late 18th century engraving from the Metropolitan Museum of Art showing Miranda, Prospero, Caliban, and ArielAfter Miranda falls asleep, Prospero is typically understood to put his magical robe back on as Ariel comes onto the stage. The image here, an engraving after Henry Fusili, shows a late 18th century rendition of Miranda, Prospero, Caliban, and the airy spirit Ariel (Metropolitan Museum of Art).
Joves_Jove, more famously known as Jupiter, is the most powerful Roman God and is known to overthrow his enemies using his bolt of lightening. His Greek equivalent is Zeus.
nigh_An old fashioned way of saying nearby or almost (OED).
sad_Sleeping crossed armed (The Arden Shakespeare edition of The Tempest)
Bermoothes_graphicThe Island of Bermuda was devoid of any habitation by indigenous groups before it was discovered by accident by the Spanish sailor Juan Bermúdez in 1503. A flotilla from England, includng the Sea Venture, was shipwrecked here on their way to restock the Jamestown Colony in Virginia (Virginia was named after Elizabeth I, the "Virgin Queen," and Jamestown, after King James I). The wreck of the Sea Venture in 1609, is thought to be a contemporary inspiration for The Tempest. After almost a year, the crew was largely able to leave the Island with ships they built during that time. The Island wasn’t colonized until the seventeenth century, after the crew of the Sea Venture returned to England with their tale. Enslaved people were first brought to the Island in 1617. The image included here shows a 17th century map of the Island of Bermuda by Willem Janszoon Blaeu, from the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center. Content of annotation sourced from Barry Lawrence Ruderman.
glasses_Two hourglasses past midday would be 2 p.m. (The Arden Shakespeare edition of The Tempest).
six_Whatever Prospero is planning must happen between 2 and 6 p.m. (The Arden Shakespeare edition of The Tempest). It is important to keep in mind that in Elizabethan England, plays would have typically been performed in the afternoon. The action of the play roughly corresponds to the duratioon of the play being acted.
hoop_A hoop is a circular band; here, the witch Sycorax has acquired a hunchback with age (The Arden Shakespeare edition of The Tempest).
Argier_graphicSycorax seems to have been born in Argier or Algiers, the capital and chief sea port of Algeria in North Africa, on the Mediterranean coast. Invaded throughout its history, Algiers rose to prominence under the Berber dynasties in the 10th century. Algiers became became home to many Muslim and Jewish refugees escaping Spain in the begining of the 16th century. At the time The Tempest was written, Algiers was under Ottoman rule, and it became associated with piracy (Britannica). The image included here, from the Library of Congress’ first volume of Civitates Orbis Terrarum (1588), shows the white buildings of the fort--and which gave it its French name, “Alger la Blanche” (El-Bahdja in Arabic).
strike_Denoting how frequently a millwheel blade would strike the water (The Arden Shakespeare edition of The Tempest).
invisible_Here, Prospero hands Ariel a robe that represents a sea-nymph. Whenever the audience later sees Ariel in this robe, they are to assume that he is invisible to every other character on stage save Prospero (The Arden Shakespeare edition of The Tempest).
Awake_Ariel exits the stage. He now speaks to Miranda.
Heaviness_Miranda is unaware that her father put her to sleep.
Caliban_ graphicCaliban is a complex character. He is described as a misshapen creature, described as a "monster" "not honored with a human shape." He is treated as an inferior by the humans in the play. The image here, sourced from Wikimedia Commons, is an 18th century etching of Caliban by John Hamilton Mortimer (MET, 62.602.163).
blow_Warm damp air carrying airborne diseases, according to the Arden Shakespeare edition of The Tempest.
pen_Stop your breath (OED v).
sty_To confine.
honour_When used to describe men, "honour" or "honor" refers to the virtues of nobility of spirit, distinction. However, when applied to women--like Miranda--the word most typically refers to sexual chastity or virginity (OED 7.a)
print_Prospero is here using the word "print" as in "impression," but with connotations deriving from the new invention of printing.
best_"You are advised to" (The Arden Shakespeare edition of The Tempest).
chanticleer_A dominating rooster in a courtyard.
canker_A disease that consumes vegetation (OED).
VouchsafeTo grant or bestow.
ebb_At low tide.
Soft_To kindly ask for silence (OED adv.).
name_Prospero accuses Ferdinand of "usurping" his father's position as king by claiming that he will make Miranda "queen of Naples".
Draws_Ferdinand draws his sword. Prospero casts a spell to transfix Ferdinand while neither he nor Miranda are aware of this.
surety_According to the OED, a surety in this sense is "a person who is liable for the default or misconduct of another, or for ensuring the performance of some act on another's part, such as payment of a debt or appearance in court" (surety n. 2a).
hark_Calling to attention, to listen, to harken to (OED).
unwonted_Unusual
Beseech_To plead or beg with great earnest (OED v. 2a).
prithee_A synonym for the word "beseech." An archaic form of "I pray thee" (OED).
dollar_ A photographic representation of thalersSource: A photographic representation of thalers from Wikimedia CommonsAccording to the OED, a dollar is the English word for the thaler, a German coin of varying value used from the 16th century. The image here, sourced from Wikimedia Commons, shows several thalers.
DolourSorrow or grief (OED). Gonzalo is playing along with Sebastian's jesting.
Fie_A Middle English expression of disgust, used to refer to children to "excite shame for some unbecoming action" (OED).
spendthriftSomeone who irresponsibly squanders his income (OED 2).
fen_Smelly marsh lands.
Afric_An old form of Africa (OED).
Tunis_Tunis is the capital city in Tunisia, a country in North Africa. The northern coast of the country, where Tunis is, is on the Mediterranean Sea.
Dido_In Greek mythology, Dido, a widow, falls in love with Aeneas and kills herself after he leaves her to go and build the city of Rome (The Arden Shakespeare edition of The Tempest).
Carthage_Carthage and Tunis weren't the same city, but later on, Carthage was usurped, and Tunis took it's place as the main powerful state of the region (The Arden Shakespeare edition of The Tempest).
harp_ Sebastian is referring to the harp that Amphion, son of Zeus is known to have used when constructing the walls of Thebes, a city in Boeotia, Greece (The Arden Shakespeare edition of The Tempest).
strange_fish_This phrase may be a reference to the sea creatures that were often depicted in the oceans of early modern maps. While in earlier periods, when little was known about the shapes of land masses, these sea creatures were signs of danger and the unknown; however, by the late 16th and 17th centuries, sea travel and exploration was on the rise, and this led to more and more complete maps. As the unknown declined, so too did representationos of sea monsters. They transitioned into less threatening and more whimsical fish or whales, and in the modern world, they all but disappeared cartographically. To learn more about the "strange fish" of early modern cartography, see "Mapping the Oceans: How Cartographers Saw the World in the Age of Discovery" at Lapham's Quarterly.
swoln_According to the OED (IV. 5a), breasted in this sense means "To move forwards directly into, to confront head-on; to climb." Francisco means to say that he witnessed Ferdinand survive contact with a large wave.
chirurgeonly"Chirurgeon" is an older spelling of "surgeon" (OED).
plantation_The word "plantation" is significant in the early modern period, as it refers to colonization; Gonzalo imagines his dominion over the island. It also has another sense, meaning a site of planting, which Antonio plays on in the next line.
common_Gonzalo seems to be suggesting that the trappings of modern civilization lead to corruptiono and want. He imagines a pure, idyllic place without violence, commerce, or vice.
knaves_Dishonorable men.
fowling_A way of catching birds at night by flashing them with a bright light, so as to disorient them (OED).
heavy_Ariel is working magic to put them to sleep.
sloth_Sebastian says that he is naturally slothful or slow; he is naturally driven to ebb, and not to flow.
prate_To chatter irrelevantly.
chough_A chatterer.
feater_A better fit.
kibe_According to the OED 1a., a kibe is a Middle English word meaning "A chapped or ulcerated chilblain, esp. one on the heel." A chilblain is a red, rough, patchy area of skin.
inch_As cited from the OED, "Little by little, by every inch."
urchin_Apparitions of goblins or elves which sometimes resembled the form of a hedgehog (OED n.1c).
addersAny of the various types of venomous snakes or serpents (OED).
PoorJohn_Poor-John is a "fish salted and dried for food" (OED).
make_According to the The Arden Shakespeare edition of The Tempest, the archaic phrase "to make a man" meant to make a man's fortune.
doit_"The half of an English farthing, as the type of a very small sum" (OED 1.a).
gaberdine_A loose upper garment for men, which worked as a coat or gown woven from coarse fabric (OED A.1.a)
tang_According to the OED, a pungent or stinging effect (II.5.c); could also mean the strong ringing sound produced when a large bell or an object with sonorous quality is struck (n.2).
Ind_As cited from the Arden Shakespeare edition of The Tempest, Stephano refers to Caliban as a "savage" and compares him to the "men of Ind," whether they are referring to the West Indies (in the Caribbean Sea) or East India is contested. The East India Company was chartered by Elizabeth I in 1600. To read more about Shakespeare and India, see this somewhat dated essay by John Draper.
fourlegs_According to notes in most annotated versions of the play, Stephano here uses a proverbial expression: "As proper a man as ever went on two legs." However, he substitutes "four legs" for "two," given the monstrous creature he sees.
agueA state of distress, fear, causing the body to shake or shiver (OED 2).
Neapolitans_A citizen of the former kingdom of Naples in Southern Italy (OED).
man_Trinculo is referring to the folktale about a man who was banished to the moon because he was caught working on the sabbath day (Arden Shakespeare edition of The Tempest).
pignuts_From the OED, 'The sweetish edible tuber of Conopodium majus, a fine-leaved plant of the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) of acid pastures and woods in western Europe; the plant itself. Also called earthnut.'
marmoset_A small monkey to be captured as a pet or for eating
filberts_"The fruit or nut of the cultivated hazel" (OED)
scamelsAs noted in the Arden Shakespeare, the meaning of this word is heavily contested, possibly because of printing errors. Scholars assume that it could mean "seamews," a bird that feeds on fish, or a custacean, bird or a fish that frequent rocks. The OED defines the meaning as uncertain.
crabbed_ A verb that originated in the 1400's, which means to be Irritated or enraged. (OED v. 1a)
sinews_ Fibrous chords that connect the muscles to the bone (OED).
worm_ Prospero is using the noun worm as a term of endearment when speaking about his daughter, also working as a metaphor her delicate and simple nature.
hest_ An archaic word that means command or behest (OED).
Admired_ The name Miranda means "to be wondered at" or to be admired. Ferdinand is seen to be using word-play.
foil_ Here, foil either refers to a fencing sword or to a verb that means to thwart.
jewel_ Miranda presents her modesty, which also may refer to her virginity, as her greatly priced jewel that she is able to offer Ferdinand as dowry for marriage which represents what society greatly valued in a young woman when it came to marriage.
fly_Flies that generally lay their eggs in carcasses.
hour_ Another indication of the procession of time in this play.
severallyThey exit at different points from the stage.
totters_An unsteady or shaky movement (OED).
standard_According to the OED, A standard is an obsolete term, referring to "a person who carries a standard, often as a permanent duty'.
constable_Trinculo claims that he is ready to fight a constable, who is the chief officer of the court (OED).
deboshed_A variant of the term debauched--over-indulging in sensual pleasures, including drinking (OED).
invisibleAriel is accompanied by his fellow spirits as he sings his song.
ninny_"Pied" refers to the many-colored or mixed-up costume a jester would wear. A "ninny" is a simpleton.
brine_Salty sea water.
pox_An exclamation of frustration or anger; Trinculo wishes the pox--syphillis--upon Stephano's drinking. (OED).
murrain_a deadly infectious disease (OED).
paunch_To stab or wound in the stomach (OED).
wezand_The throat or windpipe.
nonpareilincomparable
afeard_The following speech by Caliban is one of the most famous and studied passages of the play. Caliban who had lived his entire life on the island feels a deeper connection to its beauty and richness.
lakin_An obsolete form of the phrase 'by our Lady', denoting the Virgin Mary (OED n.2).
above_In this scene, the upper stage allows Prospero's character secretly observe the plot transpiring below on the main stage.
drollery_A comical entertainment in the form of a puppet-show (OED 2.a)
credit_lacking in credibility
certes_An archaic form of the term meaning certainly, assuredly (OED).
bulls_Gonzalo describes the physical attributes of the indigenous people living on the island, commenting that their necks have a similar folding of excessive loose skin that hangs from the throats of cattle (OED).
harpy_An illustration of a harpy from 1642Source: Illustration of a harpy from Monstrorum Historia (1642)Ariel appears in the form of a harpy, a greedy and fearsome mythological creature that metes out divine justice and vengeance. Harpies have the head and body of a woman and the wings and claws of a bird. Ariel is imagined as wreaking the 'divine' vengeance of Prospero. This annotation and image are sourced from World History Encyclopedia. The image here, also from the World History Encyclopedia, is an illustration of the harpy from Ulisse Aldrovandi's Monstrorum Historia, Bologna, 1642.
surfeited_The insatiable nature of the sea.
dowle_The OED define dowl as "One of the filaments of fibres of a feather'
requit_To repay, compensation (OED)
mocks_grimacing facial expressions
knit_Entangled by their temporary madness
plummetAs cited from the OED, 'A piece of lead or other heavy material attached to a line, used for measuring the depth of water; a sounding lead' or a plumb.
third_As noted in the Arden Shakespeare edition of The Tempest, there could be several explanations for this line; some scholars believe that it is an indication of Prospero's age being 45 years as Miranda is known to 15 years of age in the play, others also believe that he his speaking metaphorically claiming that his daughter is one of the three most valuable treasures of this life, apart from his dukedom and his art.
oracle_An oracle, in ancient Greece and Rome, was a person who was believed to be a medium through which the Gods would use to communicate with the masses. These people were often priests and priestesses (OED).
virgin_Prospero warns Ferdinand against taking his daughter’s virginity before their official union.
phoebus_Phoebus Apollo, the God of light or of the sun, was often characterized by riding his chariot of the sun drawn by his steeds. Here, Ferdinand vows to uphold Miranda's honor by not engaging in the consummation of their union until they are wed, lest the sun never set not the night ever arrive for their wedding night. (The Arden edition of Shakespeare The Tempest)
rabble_A loud and disorderly crowd (OED). Prospero gives Ariel the power to summon the spirits Iris, Ceres and Juno. The word rabble here is used in a derogatory sense.
masque_A colored illustration showing an athletic young man dressed in fluttering fabric that resembles flamesSource: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41830403Prospero plans to use his magic to create the fantastic entertainment of a masque for the young couple. According to material hosted by the Royal Historic Palaces, masques were elaborate court entertainments staged for and often by nobility. They involved a variety of performance types--ballet, opera, music, and theater--combined in a highly visual and stylized manner. By the early 17th century, when Shakespeare wrote and performed The Tempest, they had become highly elaborate. The Royal Banqueting House, designed by Inigo Jones and completed in 1622, was purpose-built for the staging of masques. The most popular early court masques were developed by Jones in partnership with Ben Jonson. Thematically, masques represented and reinforced the divinity of the monarchy and symbolized a world of order in opposition to the baseness and disorder that reigned before the emergence of the Stuart Court. In The Tempest, Prospero conjures the masque as a gift for the young couple, Miranda and Ferdinand, who will marry upon their return to Naples and return order to the throne. This masque, like all masques, then, is a statement of political power. The image included here, from the illustrated catalog of masque designs owned by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, shows a page dressed as a fiery spirit--this character, like the nymphs and reapers in Prospero’s masque, would likely have been a dancing role rather than a more important speaking role. An exceptional illustrated source is “Designs by Inigo Jones for Masques & Plays at Court,” a descriptive catalog of a key collection of masque designs, now hosted in JSTOR. The image included here, from that illustrated catalog of masque designs, shows a page dressed as a fiery spirit. Brunel University London has produced a 360° video of a modern version of a 17th century court masque, performed in the Royal Banqueting House; the video is accessible via YouTube.
twink_"A winking of the eye" or the time taken to perform this action (OED n.1). The modern equivalent of the phrase 'with/in a twink' is 'in the blink of an eye'.
conceive_understand
liver_According to the OED (II.4.a), the liver was understood in the early modern period to be the location of the passions, especially love, bitterness, and anger.
corollaryAn obsolete term for something additional (OED 4). Prospero wants Ariel to summon an extra sprit just so they have enough.
Iris_Ariel conjures up spirits disguised as goddesses to entertain and celebrate the betrothal of the young couple. The first to appear is the spirit imitating Iris, the goddess of the rainbow and the messenger to the gods. She plays the 'presenter' of the masque. This annotation is referenced from the "Hudson Shakespeare Company".
leas_pastures or meadows
vetches_Various kinds of leguminous plants of the genus Vicia, used mainly as fodder (OED)
meads_A meadow covered with hay or straw for fodder.
pioned_Banks that are formed through the excavation or trenching of the ground caused by the currents of springs. (The Arden Shakespeare edition of The Tempest")
twilled_The weaving of ridges in 'brims' or bodies of water (OED).
spongy_The rainy season of April
broom_A groove covered with beautiful yellow papilionaceous flowers (OED).
lass-lornAs the word "love-lorn" means having lost a lover, "lass-lorn" means having lost a "lass"--a girl or woman.
sea_Margin of the sea or the sea-coast.
arch_A rainbow, which is also the sign of Iris.
Ceres_The second spirit presented is Ceres, the fertility goddess of the harvest, motherhood and earth. She only participates in the masque after making sure that Venus and Cupid, the goddess and god of love responsible for the kidnapping of her daughter, do not make an appearance. This further establishes Prospero's demand that Miranda remain chaste until their union. This annotation is referenced from the "Hudson Shakespeare Company".
wife_Juno, the Greek goddess of marriage and the wife of Jupiter, the king of the gods.
bosky_As cited from the OED, bosky is defined as "Consisting of or covered with bushes or underwood; full of thickets, bushy".
bow_Iris is frequently depicted with a rainbow, or bow.
venus_ The Roman goddess of love, beauty, desire and fertility. She is also known as Aphrodite in the Greek mythology.
son_Ceres here is referring to Cupid, the Roman god of love, born to Venus and Mercury, the god of translators and interpreters.
Dis_Dis is another name for Pluto, god of the underworld. In mythology, he kidnaps Ceres' daughter Proserpina with help from Venus and Cupid, her 'blind' and 'waspish-headed' son of the next lines, who is typically depicted as blindly shooting his arrows of love. Ceres bargains with Pluto, and according to their deal, Proserpina spends half the year with her mother and half, with Pluto. During the spring and summer months, when mother and daughter are toogether, all is light and warmth; when Prosperpina is in the underworld, Ceres's sadness brings us the fall and winter months.
Paphos_The sacred home of the goddess Venus on the Island of Cyprus.
torch_Prospero is forbidding Ferdinand and Miranda from having sex before they are married, or before the torch of Hymen, the Greek God of marriage, is lit.
Juno_The third spirit enters the masque fashioned as Juno, the roman queen of the gods.
foison_An archaic term for abundance or bountiful supply (OED 1.a).
bowing_Plants bending from the weight of their growth.
nymphs_According to Britannica, nymphs are a class of low-ranking female deities from Greek mythology, often associated with sources of growing life such as trees and water. The Naiads presided over freshwater brooks, lakes, springs, and rivers.
varlets_According to the OED, a varlet was a term for a man or a young lad acting as a lowly servant. In this context however, Prospero uses it as an "abusive form of address" (OED 2.a).
tabour_Tabour/Tabor is an archaic term from the eleventh century for a small drum (OED).
frippery_A store where previously-owned but quality cloghing is sold (OED). Trinculo chides Caliban for not knowing the value of the clothing.
line_Stephano and Trinculo engage in a riff on the multiple meanings of the word "line." Here, Stephano is comically addressing the clothesline (or line) in a formal manner.
jerkin_A men's jacket made of leather either with sleaves or without, and having a short skirt. The historical equivalent of the waistcoat. (OED)
under_the_line_"Under the line" during this period was a reference to the equator (OED n, 10.b).
by_line_and_level_To do something by line and level means to do it methodically and with care (OED n, 4.b).
pass_ The OED defines 'pass of pate' as a "witty or cutting remark". In the literal sense, 'pate' was an archaic noun for the head or skull. Stephano creates his own pun Trinculo's clever wordplay.
lime_According to the OED, lime or birdlime is a sticky material from holly bark, mistletoe berries and other plants, used to capture birds by applying it to branches where they might alight.
spirits_These noises mimicking the sounds of animals are produced by the actors off-stage.
grove_ A small group of trees that provide shade (OED). Here, the grove is acting as a barrier for Prospero's cell.
eaves_Eaves is an Old English term, signifying the edge of the roof over a building which overhangs off the sides, made typically of straws or reeds (OED)
oped_According to the OED, oped is a transitive verb which means, " To open. Frequently of an eye, door, or window."
stand_Around this time, the actors who are yet transfixed by Prospero's sorcery enter the stage led by Ariel. Prospero then addresses each of the afflicted before releasing them from their state.
discase_Prospero, with Ariel's help, removes his magical robe and staff, and dresses himself in the clothes he had worn while he was still Duke of Milan perhaps to keep them in the dark about his association with the tempest. "Discase" literally means to take something out of its case, but colloquially it means to undress.
chronicle_It is a very long narrative to be recounted over the course of many days.
discovers_ A discovery space on the stage is an area enclosed by curtains which is used to reveal objects or characters. Sometimes the color of the curtains will also indicate the theme of the tale, as in the case of the tragedy Doctor Faustus where black curtains are sometimes used to signal the dark events of the play ("Reconstructing the Rose").
coragio_An exhortatory Italian exclamation for "Courage!" (OED)
sirrah_According to the OED, it's an archaic "term of address used to men or boys, expressing contempt, reprimand, or assumption of authority on the part of the speaker".
epilogue_An epilogue serves as a conclusionary poem or speech to a play, with the main purpose of tying up the many subplots and providing some closure for the characters at the end of the tale. It is usually performed in the form of a monologue in which applause is sought, addressed directly to the audience.