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Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2]
Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2]

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2] is here in full — 9 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2]
Context Illustration Reading 1/1 · 9 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 9
SHAKSPEARE IN RETIREMENT.
CHAP.
I.
Anecdotes relative to Shakspeare during his Retirement at Stratford.
603 CHAP.
II.
The Death of Shakspeare Observations on his Will On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays Conclusion.
611 APPENDIX.
625 SHAKSPEARE AND HIS TIMES.
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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.

Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2]

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2] is here in full — 9 sentences across 2 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/1 · 9 reading units · Lines 1–9

Line 1
SHAKSPEARE IN RETIREMENT.
Line 2
CHAP.
/tʃæp/
Line 3
I.
/aɪ/
Line 4
Anecdotes relative to Shakspeare during his Retirement at Stratford.
Line 5
603 CHAP.
Line 6
II.
Line 7
The Death of ShakspeareObservations on his WillOn the Disposition and Moral Character of ShakspeareOn the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his PlaysConclusion.
Line 8
611 APPENDIX.
Line 9
625 SHAKSPEARE AND HIS TIMES.

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.

Anecdotes noun US /ˈænəkdoʊts/

plural of “anecdote” — short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)

From this reading “Anecdotes relative to Shakspeare during his Retirement at Stratford.”

appendix noun US /əˈpendɪks/

supplementary material that is collected and appended at the back of a book

From this reading “611 APPENDIX.”

Engraving noun US /ɪnˈɡreɪvɪŋ/

a print made from an engraving

From this reading “The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.”

erected verb US /ɪˈrektəd/

past form of “erect” — construct, build, or erect

From this reading “The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.”

Folio noun US /ˈfoʊliːoʊ/

the system of numbering pages

From this reading “The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.”

Monument noun US /ˈmɑːnjuːmənt/

a structure erected to commemorate persons or events

From this reading “The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.”

Observations noun US /ˌɑːbzərˈveɪʃənz/

plural of “observation” — the act of making and recording a measurement

From this reading “The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.”

retirement noun US /riˈtaɪərmənt/

the state of being retired from one's business or occupation

From this reading “SHAKSPEARE IN RETIREMENT.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

Folio Edition noun + noun

In this reading “The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.”

Moral Character adjective + noun

In this reading “The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.”

All words in this reading · 39

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.

603

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

From this reading 603 CHAP.

611

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

From this reading 611 APPENDIX.

625

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

From this reading 625 SHAKSPEARE AND HIS TIMES.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

AnecdotesnounUS /ˈænəkdoʊts/

plural of “anecdote” — short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)

From this reading Anecdotes relative to Shakspeare during his Retirement at Stratford.

APPENDIXnounUS /əˈpendɪks/

supplementary material that is collected and appended at the back of a book

From this reading 611 APPENDIX.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Anecdotes relative to Shakspeare during his Retirement at Stratford.

CHAPnounUS /tʃæp/

a boy or man

From this reading CHAP.

CharacternounUS /ˈkerɪktər/

an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

ConclusionnounUS /kənˈkluːʒən/

a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

DeathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

DispositionnounUS /ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən/

your usual mood

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading Anecdotes relative to Shakspeare during his Retirement at Stratford.

EditionnounUS /əˈdɪʃən/

the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

EngravingnounUS /ɪnˈɡreɪvɪŋ/

a print made from an engraving

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

erectedverbUS /ɪˈrektəd/

past form of “erect” — construct, build, or erect

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

FolionounUS /ˈfoʊliːoʊ/

the system of numbering pages

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Anecdotes relative to Shakspeare during his Retirement at Stratford.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I.

IInoun

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

From this reading II.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading SHAKSPEARE IN RETIREMENT.

MemorynounUS /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

MonumentnounUS /ˈmɑːnjuːmənt/

a structure erected to commemorate persons or events

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

MoraladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrəl/

concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

ObservationsnounUS /ˌɑːbzərˈveɪʃənz/

plural of “observation” — the act of making and recording a measurement

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

PlaysnounUS /pleɪz/

plural of “play” — a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

prefixed

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

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

relativenounUS /ˈrelətɪv/

a person related by blood or marriage

From this reading Anecdotes relative to Shakspeare during his Retirement at Stratford.

RETIREMENTnounUS /riˈtaɪərmənt/

the state of being retired from one's business or occupation

From this reading SHAKSPEARE IN RETIREMENT.

SHAKSPEARE

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

From this reading SHAKSPEARE IN RETIREMENT.

Stratford

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

From this reading Anecdotes relative to Shakspeare during his Retirement at Stratford.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

TIMESnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading 625 SHAKSPEARE AND HIS TIMES.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Anecdotes relative to Shakspeare during his Retirement at Stratford.

Willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading The Death of Shakspeare — Observations on his Will — On the Disposition and Moral Character of Shakspeare — On the Monument erected to his Memory, and on the Engraving of him prefixed to the first Folio Edition of his Plays — Conclusion.

Chapter 1 of Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2] by Nathan Drake holds 9 sentences, grouped into 2 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.

What does chapter 1 of Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2] contain?

Chapter 1 holds 9 sentences of Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2], unabridged, divided into 2 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2] by Nathan Drake exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 9 sentences, grouped into 2 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 Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2]?

Work through the 2 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 2 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 Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2]

Common questions about reading Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2] by Nathan Drake on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2]?

Yes. All 7269 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53626 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2] is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #53626, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2] take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1454 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2] section by section

How to work through Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2] section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2] 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 Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2]

Words and structures a reader meets early in Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2], each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Shakspeare
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2]; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Retirement
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2]; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Anecdotes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2]; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Relative
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shakspeare and His Times [Vol. 2 of 2]; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.