Chapter 1 of Shakespeare — Volume I is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Shakespeare — Volume I is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
LIFE, ART, AND CHARACTERS. AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE DRAMA IN ENGLAND. _FOURTH EDITION, REVISED_. THE REV. H.N. HUDSON, LL.D.
Chapter 1 of Shakespeare — Volume I is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
From this reading “AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE DRAMA IN ENGLAND.”
the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published
From this reading “_FOURTH EDITION, REVISED_.”
of or relating to the study of history
From this reading “AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE DRAMA IN ENGLAND.”
a New York river; flows southward into New York Bay; explored by Henry Hudson early in the 17th century
From this reading “H.N. HUDSON, LL.D.”
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading “AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE DRAMA IN ENGLAND.”
increase the number of rotations per minute
From this reading “THE REV.”
improved or brought up to date
preliminary drawing for later elaboration
From this reading “AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE DRAMA IN ENGLAND.”
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.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE DRAMA IN ENGLAND.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading LIFE, ART, AND CHARACTERS.
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading LIFE, ART, AND CHARACTERS.
plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading LIFE, ART, AND CHARACTERS.
a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets
From this reading H.N. HUDSON, LL.D.
a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
From this reading AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE DRAMA IN ENGLAND.
the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published
From this reading _FOURTH EDITION, REVISED_.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE DRAMA IN ENGLAND.
following the third position; number four in a countable series
From this reading _FOURTH EDITION, REVISED_.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE DRAMA IN ENGLAND.
a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe
From this reading H.N. HUDSON, LL.D.
of or relating to the study of history
From this reading AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE DRAMA IN ENGLAND.
a New York river; flows southward into New York Bay; explored by Henry Hudson early in the 17th century
From this reading H.N. HUDSON, LL.D.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE DRAMA IN ENGLAND.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading LIFE, ART, AND CHARACTERS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading H.N. HUDSON, LL.D.
a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues
From this reading H.N. HUDSON, LL.D.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE DRAMA IN ENGLAND.
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE DRAMA IN ENGLAND.
increase the number of rotations per minute
From this reading THE REV.
improved or brought up to date
From this reading _FOURTH EDITION, REVISED_.
preliminary drawing for later elaboration
From this reading AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE DRAMA IN ENGLAND.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE DRAMA IN ENGLAND.
Chapter 1 of Shakespeare — Volume I by Henry Norman Hudson holds 403 sentences, grouped into 81 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, 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.
Chapter 1 holds 403 sentences of Shakespeare — Volume I, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Shakespeare — Volume I by Henry Norman Hudson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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.
Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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.
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.
Common questions about reading Shakespeare — Volume I by Henry Norman Hudson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5029 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13387 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #13387, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 419 minutes of reading across 1006 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Shakespeare — Volume I section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of Shakespeare — Volume I to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Shakespeare — Volume I, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
