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Coriolanus
Coriolanus

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Coriolanus is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Coriolanus
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Menen.
For one poore graine or two?
I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.
We must be burnt for you Sicin.
Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Coriolanus

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Coriolanus is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Menen.
Line 2
For one poore graine or two?
Line 3
I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.
Line 4
We must be burnt for you Sicin.
Line 5
Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

burnt adjective US /bɜːrnt/

ruined by overcooking

From this reading “We must be burnt for you Sicin.”

Fellow noun US /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

From this reading “I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.”

musty adjective US /ˈmʌsti/

covered with or smelling of mold

From this reading “I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.”

Nay exclamation US /neɪ/

an old word for “no”

From this reading “Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.”

patient noun US /ˈpeɪʃənt/

a person who requires medical care

From this reading “Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.”

pray verb US /preɪ/

address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer

From this reading “Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.”

refuse verb US /rəˈfjuːz/

show unwillingness towards

From this reading “Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.”

smelt noun US /smelt/

small cold-water silvery fish; migrate between salt and fresh water

From this reading “I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.”

All words in this reading · 52

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

Aboue

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

ayde

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading We must be burnt for you Sicin.

braue

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

burntadjectiveUS /bɜːrnt/

ruined by overcooking

From this reading We must be burnt for you Sicin.

Chaffe

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

Childe

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

distresse

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

FellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For one poore graine or two?

graine

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading For one poore graine or two?

Graines

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

helpe

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

Menen

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Menen.

Moone

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

MothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading We must be burnt for you Sicin.

mustyadjectiveUS /ˈmʌsti/

covered with or smelling of mold

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

NayexclamationUS /neɪ/

an old word for “no”

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

neuer-needed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading For one poore graine or two?

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading For one poore graine or two?

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

patientnounUS /ˈpeɪʃənt/

a person who requires medical care

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

poore

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading For one poore graine or two?

prayverbUS /preɪ/

address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

refuseverbUS /rəˈfjuːz/

show unwillingness towards

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

Sicin

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We must be burnt for you Sicin.

smeltnounUS /smelt/

small cold-water silvery fish; migrate between salt and fresh water

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading For one poore graine or two?

Vpbraid's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

WifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I am one of those: his Mother, Wife, his Childe, And this braue Fellow too: we are the Graines, You are the musty Chaffe, and you are smelt Aboue the Moone.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your ayde In this so neuer-needed helpe, yet do not Vpbraid's with our distresse.

Chapter 12 of Coriolanus by William Shakespeare holds 176 sentences, grouped into 36 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 12 of Coriolanus contain?

Chapter 12 holds 176 sentences of Coriolanus, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Coriolanus by William Shakespeare exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 176 sentences, grouped into 36 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 12 of Coriolanus?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Coriolanus

Common questions about reading Coriolanus by William Shakespeare on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Coriolanus?

Yes. All 2113 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1131 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Coriolanus is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1131, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Coriolanus take to read?

About 176 minutes of reading across 423 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Coriolanus section by section

How to work through Coriolanus section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of Coriolanus to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Coriolanus

Words and structures a reader meets early in Coriolanus, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Addition
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Coriolanus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Notes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Coriolanus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Below
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Coriolanus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Think
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Coriolanus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.