Chapter I
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of Fair Em is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE. WILLIAM the Conqueror. ZWENO, King of Denmark. Duke DIROT. Marquis of Lubeck.
Fair Em
Chapter I · Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of Fair Em is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
DRAMATIS
PERSONAE.
WILLIAM
the
Conqueror.
ZWENO,
King
of
Denmark.
Duke
DIROT.
Marquis
of
Lubeck.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Fair Em
Chapter I · Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of Fair Em is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
DRAMATIS
PERSONAE.
Line 2
WILLIAM
the
Conqueror.
Line 3
ZWENO,
King
of
Denmark.
Line 4
Duke
DIROT.
Line 5
Marquis
of
Lubeck.
/ˌmɑːrˈkiː ʌv ˈluːbek/
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.
Conqueror
noun
US /ˈkɑːŋkərər/
someone who is victorious by force of arms
From this reading “WILLIAM the Conqueror.”
Denmark
noun
US /ˈdenmɑːrk/
a constitutional monarchy in northern Europe; consists of the mainland of Jutland and many islands between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea
From this reading “ZWENO, King of Denmark.”
Duke
noun
US /duːk/
a British peer of the highest rank
From this reading “Duke DIROT.”
King
noun
US /kɪŋ/
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading “ZWENO, King of Denmark.”
Lubeck
noun
US /ˈluːbek/
a city in northwestern Germany and an important Baltic port; a leading member of the Hanseatic League
From this reading “Marquis of Lubeck.”
Marquis
noun
US /ˌmɑːrˈkiː/
humorist who wrote about the imaginary life of cockroaches (1878-1937)
From this reading “Marquis of Lubeck.”
personae
noun
US /pərˈsoʊneɪ/
plural of “persona” — an actor's portrayal of someone in a play
From this reading “DRAMATIS PERSONAE.”
All words in this reading · 13
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.
ConquerornounUS /ˈkɑːŋkərər/
someone who is victorious by force of arms
From this reading WILLIAM the Conqueror.
DenmarknounUS /ˈdenmɑːrk/
a constitutional monarchy in northern Europe; consists of the mainland of Jutland and many islands between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea
From this reading ZWENO, King of Denmark.
DIROT
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Duke DIROT.
DRAMATIS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DRAMATIS PERSONAE.
DukenounUS /duːk/
a British peer of the highest rank
From this reading Duke DIROT.
KingnounUS /kɪŋ/
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading ZWENO, King of Denmark.
LubecknounUS /ˈluːbek/
a city in northwestern Germany and an important Baltic port; a leading member of the Hanseatic League
From this reading Marquis of Lubeck.
MarquisnounUS /ˌmɑːrˈkiː/
humorist who wrote about the imaginary life of cockroaches (1878-1937)
From this reading Marquis of Lubeck.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ZWENO, King of Denmark.
PERSONAEnounUS /pərˈsoʊneɪ/
plural of “persona” — an actor's portrayal of someone in a play
From this reading DRAMATIS PERSONAE.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WILLIAM the Conqueror.
WILLIAM
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLIAM the Conqueror.
ZWENO
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ZWENO, King of Denmark.
Chapter 1 of Fair Em by William [Dubious author] Shakespeare holds 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 1 of Fair Em contain?
Chapter 1 holds 426 sentences of Fair Em, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Fair Em by William [Dubious author] Shakespeare exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 1 of Fair Em?
Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 1 be read aloud to me?
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Fair Em
Common questions about reading Fair Em by William [Dubious author] Shakespeare on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Fair Em?
Yes. All 1292 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5137 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Fair Em is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #5137, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Fair Em take to read?
About 107 minutes of reading across 259 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Fair Em section by section
How to work through Fair Em section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 3 chapters of Fair Em to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in Fair Em
Words and structures a reader meets early in Fair Em, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Dramatis
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Fair Em; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Personae
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Fair Em; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- William
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Fair Em; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Conqueror
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Fair Em; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.