Chapter 3 of The Duchess of Malfi is here in full — 234 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Duchess of Malfi is here in full — 234 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
ANTONIO. Ha! DUCHESS. Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage. [She and ANTONIO kneel.] Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian[27] which let violence Never untwine!
Chapter 3 of The Duchess of Malfi is here in full — 234 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/46 · 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.
perfect or complete or pure
From this reading “Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.”
enter into a contractual arrangement
From this reading “Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.”
the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right
From this reading “DUCHESS.”
extremely intricate; usually in phrase “Gordian knot”
From this reading “[She and ANTONIO kneel.] Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian[27] which let violence Never untwine!”
rest one's weight on one's knees
From this reading “[She and ANTONIO kneel.] Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian[27] which let violence Never untwine!”
plural of “lawyer” — a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice
From this reading “Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.”
for each
From this reading “Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.”
an act of aggression (as one against a person who resists)
From this reading “[She and ANTONIO kneel.] Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian[27] which let violence Never untwine!”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [She and ANTONIO kneel.] Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian[27] which let violence Never untwine!
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
perfect or complete or pure
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading [She and ANTONIO kneel.] Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian[27] which let violence Never untwine!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ANTONIO.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
give a benediction to
From this reading [She and ANTONIO kneel.] Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian[27] which let violence Never untwine!
a natural or artificial enclosed space
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
enter into a contractual arrangement
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
a lawyer who pleads cases in court
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right
From this reading DUCHESS.
extremely intricate; usually in phrase “Gordian knot”
From this reading [She and ANTONIO kneel.] Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian[27] which let violence Never untwine!
(astronomy) the angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing; the right ascension for an observer at a particular location and time of day
From this reading Ha!
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading [She and ANTONIO kneel.] Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian[27] which let violence Never untwine!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
rest one's weight on one's knees
From this reading [She and ANTONIO kneel.] Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian[27] which let violence Never untwine!
plural of “lawyer” — a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading [She and ANTONIO kneel.] Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian[27] which let violence Never untwine!
the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading [She and ANTONIO kneel.] Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian[27] which let violence Never untwine!
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
for each
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
concerned with religion or religious purposes
From this reading [She and ANTONIO kneel.] Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian[27] which let violence Never untwine!
express in words
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading [She and ANTONIO kneel.] Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian[27] which let violence Never untwine!
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
undo what has been twined together
From this reading [She and ANTONIO kneel.] Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian[27] which let violence Never untwine!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
an act of aggression (as one against a person who resists)
From this reading [She and ANTONIO kneel.] Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian[27] which let violence Never untwine!
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading [She and ANTONIO kneel.] Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian[27] which let violence Never untwine!
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Be not amaz'd; this woman 's of my counsel: I have heard lawyers say, a contract in a chamber Per verba [de] presenti[26] is absolute marriage.
Chapter 3 of The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster holds 234 sentences, grouped into 47 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 3 holds 234 sentences of The Duchess of Malfi, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 234 sentences, grouped into 47 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 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 47 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 The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2587 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2232 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2232, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 215 minutes of reading across 518 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Duchess of Malfi section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Duchess of Malfi 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 The Duchess of Malfi, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
