Chapter 3 of Shakespeare's First Folio is here in full — 1432 sentences across 287 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Shakespeare's First Folio is here in full — 1432 sentences across 287 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Fal. There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp. Pray you Sir, was't not the Wise-woman of Brainford? Fal. I marry was it (Mussel-shell) what would you with her?
Chapter 3 of Shakespeare's First Folio is here in full — 1432 sentences across 287 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/286 · 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.
destroyed or killed
From this reading “There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp.”
a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
From this reading “There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp.”
take in marriage
From this reading “I marry was it (Mussel-shell) what would you with her?”
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp.”
address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer
From this reading “Pray you Sir, was't not the Wise-woman of Brainford?”
term of address for a man
From this reading “Pray you Sir, was't not the Wise-woman of Brainford?”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “I marry was it (Mussel-shell) what would you with her?”
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 There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pray you Sir, was't not the Wise-woman of Brainford?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fal.
destroyed or killed
From this reading There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading I marry was it (Mussel-shell) what would you with her?
a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
From this reading There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I marry was it (Mussel-shell) what would you with her?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I marry was it (Mussel-shell) what would you with her?
take in marriage
From this reading I marry was it (Mussel-shell) what would you with her?
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I marry was it (Mussel-shell) what would you with her?
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Pray you Sir, was't not the Wise-woman of Brainford?
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Pray you Sir, was't not the Wise-woman of Brainford?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp.
address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer
From this reading Pray you Sir, was't not the Wise-woman of Brainford?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp.
term of address for a man
From this reading Pray you Sir, was't not the Wise-woman of Brainford?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Pray you Sir, was't not the Wise-woman of Brainford?
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pray you Sir, was't not the Wise-woman of Brainford?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I marry was it (Mussel-shell) what would you with her?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pray you Sir, was't not the Wise-woman of Brainford?
in the company of; together with
From this reading There was (mine Host) an old-fat-woman euen now with me, but she's gone Simp.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I marry was it (Mussel-shell) what would you with her?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Pray you Sir, was't not the Wise-woman of Brainford?
Chapter 3 of Shakespeare's First Folio by William Shakespeare holds 1432 sentences, grouped into 287 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 3 holds 1432 sentences of Shakespeare's First Folio, unabridged, divided into 287 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Shakespeare's First Folio by William Shakespeare exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 1432 sentences, grouped into 287 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 287 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 287 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 3 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's First Folio by William Shakespeare on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 55059 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2270 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2270, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 11012 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Shakespeare's First Folio section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 38 chapters of Shakespeare's First Folio 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's First Folio, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
