“governess of floods”
Cultural Context
Act 2,
Scene 1
Lines 88-114
Titania
There are two high tides approximately every 24 hours, one when the moon is overhead, the other when it's on the opposite side of the earth. This explains why the moon is being referred to as the "governess of floods." You may also know that the size of the tides vary depending on where you are in the world. England happens to have very large tides, so much so that in London, where Shakespeare lived 40 miles from the sea, the level of the river Thames fluctuates with the sea's tides.