Project Gutenberg Library B1 C1

Shakespeare's First Folio

Shakespeare's First Folio by William Shakespeare is available here as the complete public-domain text, split into 11012 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.

William Shakespeare38 chapters

Shakespeare's First Folio by William Shakespeare. Complete public-domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #2270.

38 chaptersComplete chronicle

Five linesIn each reading

US EnglishNarration and vocabulary

Open Chapter I

Academic course · 38 chapters

Course Syllabus

This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.

Shakespeare's First Folio

Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.

0 of 10996 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.

This edition of Shakespeare's First Folio by William Shakespeare carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #2270, divided into 38 chapters and 11012 reading sections of 5 sentences each. Every sentence of the source is kept, and each chapter records which sentences cover which part of the story. Any word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry, and each section carries a contextual illustration generated from the passage itself.

Where can I read Shakespeare's First Folio in full?

The complete text of Shakespeare's First Folio is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #2270 and divided into 11012 sections.

This page carries the whole of Shakespeare's First Folio by William Shakespeare, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #2270, a public-domain edition, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 55059 sentences across 38 chapters. Each chapter stores a record of which sentences cover which part of the work, so nothing is quietly dropped between the source edition and the page you read.

How is Shakespeare's First Folio divided for reading?

Shakespeare's First Folio is presented in 38 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.

Rather than presenting Shakespeare's First Folio as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 11012 sections of 5 sentences each. A section is short enough to hold in mind at once, which suits a reader working in a second language or returning to a long work in short sittings. The 38 chapters follow the divisions of the source edition, and each section carries a contextual illustration drawn from the passage it accompanies rather than a stock image.

Can I hear Shakespeare's First Folio read aloud?

Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of Shakespeare's First Folio can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.

Every sentence of Shakespeare's First Folio can be played aloud, and so can any single word within it. Tapping a word plays it on its own and opens its dictionary entry, with the pronunciation shown in IPA alongside the part of speech and meaning. The reading voice uses United States English. This matters most for a work of this period, where a reader meets vocabulary and turns of phrase that are no longer in daily use and cannot be guessed reliably from spelling alone.

Questions about reading Shakespeare's First Folio

Common questions about reading Shakespeare's First Folio by William Shakespeare on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Shakespeare's First Folio?

Yes. All 55059 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2270 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Shakespeare's First Folio is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2270, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Shakespeare's First Folio take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 11012 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Shakespeare's First Folio section by section

How to work through Shakespeare's First Folio section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 38 chapters of Shakespeare's First Folio to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Shakespeare's First Folio

Words and structures a reader meets early in Shakespeare's First Folio, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Paines: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shakespeare's First Folio; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Truely: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shakespeare's First Folio; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thinke: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shakespeare's First Folio; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
You'll: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shakespeare's First Folio; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Shakespeare's First Folio

Where can I read Shakespeare's First Folio in full?

How is Shakespeare's First Folio divided for reading?

Can I hear Shakespeare's First Folio read aloud?

Questions about reading Shakespeare's First Folio

How to read Shakespeare's First Folio section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Shakespeare's First Folio