Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Air, subst., the element which we breathe: Ven. 64. Ven. 64 Ven. 64 Lucr. 778. Lucr. 778 Lucr. 778 Sonn. 21, 8 “(heaven's a.)” Tp. I, 2, 222. Tp. I, 2, 222 II, 1, 46. IV, 172. IV, 172 V, 21. V, 21 Gentl. II, 4, 28. IV, 4, 159. Meas. II, 4, 25. LLL I, 1, 236. Wint. V, 3, 78 (== a draught of a., a breath). H6B III, 2, 287. IV, 10, 54 etc. etc. Plural: Hml. I, 4, 41.
Particular characteristics: “the wanton a.” Pilgr. 230 and LLL IV, 3, 104. Rom. II, 6, 19. “the a., a chartered libertine,” H5 I, 1, 48. “as false as a.” Troil. III, 2, 199. “as soft as a.” Ant. V, 2, 314. A. and water moist elements, Troil. I, 3, 41; cf. Ven. 654. A. and fire finer and quicker elements, in contradistinction to the duller and grosser nature of earth and water: Sonn. 45, 1. H5 III, 7, 22. Ant. V, 2, 292.
Proverbial: “build there, carpenter, the a. is sweet,” Troil. III, 2, 54; cf. H4B V, 3, 9. And figuratively: “who builds his hopes in a. of your good looks,” R3 III, 4, 100.
Sometimes == the open and unconfined air: “bring your music forth into the a.” Merch. V, 53. “bear him out of the air,” Oth. V, 1, 104. “will you walk out of the a.?” Hml. II, 2, 209 (here within the palace). And then == the wide world: “as to be cast forth in the common a.” R2 I, 3, 157. “let it forth to seek the empty, vast and wandering a.” R3 I, 4, 39. “a dedicated beggar to the a.” Tim. IV, 2, 13. “we must all part into this sea of a.” Tim. IV, 2, 13 “thou unsubstantial a. that I embrace,” Lr. IV, 1, 7. Hence to take a. == to get public: “lest the device take a. and taint,” Tw. III, 4, 145.
Used as the symbol of unsubstantiality: “melted into a.” Tp. IV, 150. “how all the other passions fleet to a.” Merch. III, 2, 108. “she would mock me into a.” Ado III, 1, 75. Troil. III, 3, 225. John II, 387. “feed on the a.” Gentl. II, 1, 179. “eating the a. on promise of supply,” H4B I, 3, 28. “I eat the a.” Hml. III, 2, 99. charm ache with a. i. e. with mere words, Ado V, 1, 26.