Chapter 28 of Shakespeare's First Folio is here in full — 1456 sentences across 292 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter 28 of Shakespeare's First Folio is here in full — 1456 sentences across 292 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Luci. Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust. Say wall-ey'd slaue, whether would'st thou conuay This growing Image of thy fiend-like face? Why dost not speake? what deafe? Not a word?
Chapter 28 of Shakespeare's First Folio is here in full — 1456 sentences across 292 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/291 · 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.
installation from which a military force initiates operations
From this reading “Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.”
the act of burning something
From this reading “Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.”
an old form of “do”, used with “thou”
From this reading “Why dost not speake? what deafe?”
the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant
From this reading “Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.”
a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement
From this reading “Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.”
an iconic mental representation
From this reading “Say wall-ey'd slaue, whether would'st thou conuay This growing Image of thy fiend-like face?”
make concrete and real
From this reading “Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.”
a strong sexual desire
From this reading “Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Not a word?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
installation from which a military force initiates operations
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
the act of burning something
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Say wall-ey'd slaue, whether would'st thou conuay This growing Image of thy fiend-like face?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Why dost not speake? what deafe?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
an old form of “do”, used with “thou”
From this reading Why dost not speake? what deafe?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
the organ of sight
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Say wall-ey'd slaue, whether would'st thou conuay This growing Image of thy fiend-like face?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Say wall-ey'd slaue, whether would'st thou conuay This growing Image of thy fiend-like face?
the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
(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 Say wall-ey'd slaue, whether would'st thou conuay This growing Image of thy fiend-like face?
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
an iconic mental representation
From this reading Say wall-ey'd slaue, whether would'st thou conuay This growing Image of thy fiend-like face?
make concrete and real
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Luci.
a strong sexual desire
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Why dost not speake? what deafe?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
express in words
From this reading Say wall-ey'd slaue, whether would'st thou conuay This growing Image of thy fiend-like face?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Say wall-ey'd slaue, whether would'st thou conuay This growing Image of thy fiend-like face?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Why dost not speake? what deafe?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading Say wall-ey'd slaue, whether would'st thou conuay This growing Image of thy fiend-like face?
an old word for “your”, speaking to one person
From this reading Say wall-ey'd slaue, whether would'st thou conuay This growing Image of thy fiend-like face?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Say wall-ey'd slaue, whether would'st thou conuay This growing Image of thy fiend-like face?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Why dost not speake? what deafe?
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading Say wall-ey'd slaue, whether would'st thou conuay This growing Image of thy fiend-like face?
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why dost not speake? what deafe?
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Not a word?
Having or showing the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in character or magic.
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Say wall-ey'd slaue, whether would'st thou conuay This growing Image of thy fiend-like face?
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Oh worthy Goth, this is the incarnate deuill, That rob'd Andronicus of his good hand: This is the Pearle that pleas'd your Empresse eye, And heere's the Base Fruit of his burning lust.
Chapter 28 of Shakespeare's First Folio by William Shakespeare holds 1456 sentences, grouped into 292 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.
Chapter 28 holds 1456 sentences of Shakespeare's First Folio, unabridged, divided into 292 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 28 of Shakespeare's First Folio by William Shakespeare exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 1456 sentences, grouped into 292 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 292 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 292 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 28 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, a public-domain edition. 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.
