Chapter 9 of The Duchess of Malfi is here in full — 246 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Duchess of Malfi is here in full — 246 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters. DUCHESS. Is he mad too? SERVANT. Pray, question him.
Chapter 9 of The Duchess of Malfi is here in full — 246 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/49 · 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.
capable of being answered
From this reading “Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.”
-ing form of “consist” — originate
From this reading “Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.”
an artistic form of nonverbal communication
From this reading “Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.”
the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right
From this reading “DUCHESS.”
being one more than seven
From this reading “Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.”
third-person singular of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading “Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.”
roused to anger
From this reading “Is he mad too?”
plural of “madman” — an insane person
From this reading “Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.”
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.
later than; following
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
capable of being answered
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
-ing form of “consist” — originate
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
an artistic form of nonverbal communication
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right
From this reading DUCHESS.
being one more than seven
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
third-person singular of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Is he mad too?
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Pray, question him.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Is he mad too?
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
roused to anger
From this reading Is he mad too?
plural of “madman” — an insane person
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer
From this reading Pray, question him.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading Pray, question him.
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading SERVANT.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Is he mad too?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Here the dance, consisting of Eight Madmen, with music answerable thereunto; after which, BOSOLA, like an old man, enters.
Chapter 9 of The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster holds 246 sentences, grouped into 50 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 9 holds 246 sentences of The Duchess of Malfi, unabridged, divided into 50 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 246 sentences, grouped into 50 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 50 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 50 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 9 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, unabridged. 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.
