Note to The Tempest, 4.1.59, "Enter IRIS"

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The Tempest,
Act 4, Scene 1, line 59
From Wikipedia: Iris (mythology):
"She is the goddess of the rainbow"
"She is also known as one of the goddesses of the sea and the sky. Iris links the gods to humanity."
"She is also said to travel on the rainbow while carrying messages from the gods to mortals."
From Theoi Greek Mythology: Iris
" For the coastal-dwelling Greeks, the rainbow's arc was most often seen spanning the distance beteween cloud and sea, and so the goddess was believed to replenish the rain-clouds with water from the sea."
"Her name contains a double meaning, being connected with both the Greek word iris 'the rainbow' and eiris 'messenger'."
Painting of Iris by Tricia Newell
©Tricia Newell