Ships

Terms for the masts, sails, rigging and other parts of a sailing ship are common in Shakespearian English, and several continue to be used in modern sailing. A number have a figurative as well as a literal use, as when Romeo enthuses about his rope-ladder to Nurse: ‘Which to the high topgallant of my joy / Must be my convoy in the secret night’ (RJ II.iv.186). The first two scenes of The Tempest are an important location for nautical terminology.

Term	Example	Gloss
beak	Tem I.ii.196	prow
boresprit, bowsprit	Tem I.ii.200	pole extending from the bow which holds the lower edge of a sail
bowling, bowline	TNK IV.i.147	rope attached to the edge of a sail, to keep it steady
cabin	Tem I.ii.197	[as in modern English]
course	TNK III.iv.10	sail attached to the lower yards of a ship
gallant	E3 III.i.73	flag flown on the rear mast
main-course	Tem I.i.35	main sail
mainmast	WT III.iii.90	principal mast in a multi-masted ship
mainsail	TNK IV.i.148	principal sail of a ship
maintop	Cym IV.ii.320	top of the mainmast; or: platform near the top of the mainmast
poop	AC II.ii.197	highest deck at the stern of a ship
sail	Tem I.ii.147	[as in modern English]
tackling	TNK IV.i.144	rigging
top	TNK IV.i.149	platform at the top of a mast
topgallant	RJ II.iv.186	platform at the head of a topmast
topmast	Tem I.i.34	section of mast fitted to the top of the lower mast
topsail	Tem I.i.6	sail set above the lower course of sails
waist	Tem I.ii.197	middle of a ship; or: middle of the upper deck
yard	Tem I.ii.200	crossbar on a mast which supports a sail