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The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Merchant of Venice is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/25 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Gob.
Of Launcelet, ant please your maistership Lan.
Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.
Marrie God forbid, the boy was the verie staffe of my age, my verie prop Lau.
Do I look like a cudgell or a houell-post, a staffe or a prop: doe you know me Father Gob.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Merchant of Venice

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Merchant of Venice is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Gob.
/ɡɑːb/
Line 2
Of Launcelet, ant please your maistership Lan.
Line 3
Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.
Line 4
Marrie God forbid, the boy was the verie staffe of my age, my verie prop Lau.
Line 5
Do I look like a cudgell or a houell-post, a staffe or a prop: doe you know me Father Gob.

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.

destinies noun US /ˈdestəniz/

plural of “destiny” — an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading “Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.”

Ergo adverb US /ˈɜːrɡoʊ/

(used as a sentence connector) therefore or consequently

From this reading “Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.”

fates noun US /feɪts/

plural of “fate” — an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading “Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.”

Gob noun US /ɡɑːb/

a man who serves as a sailor

From this reading “Gob.”

Lan noun US /læn/

a local computer network for communication between computers; especially a network connecting computers and word processors and other electronic office equipment to create a communication system between offices

From this reading “Of Launcelet, ant please your maistership Lan.”

Lancelet noun US /ˈlænslət/

small translucent lancet-shaped burrowing marine animal; primitive forerunner of the vertebrates

From this reading “Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.”

prop noun US /prɑːp/

a support placed beneath or against something to keep it from shaking or falling

From this reading “Marrie God forbid, the boy was the verie staffe of my age, my verie prop Lau.”

sayings noun US /ˈseɪɪŋz/

plural of “saying” — a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

From this reading “Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.”

All words in this reading · 64

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Do I look like a cudgell or a houell-post, a staffe or a prop: doe you know me Father Gob.

accordingadjectiveUS /əˈkɔːrdɪŋ/

(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

agenounUS /eɪdʒ/

how long something has existed

From this reading Marrie God forbid, the boy was the verie staffe of my age, my verie prop Lau.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

antnounUS /ænt/

social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers

From this reading Of Launcelet, ant please your maistership Lan.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading Marrie God forbid, the boy was the verie staffe of my age, my verie prop Lau.

branchesnounUS /ˈbræntʃəz/

plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

cudgell

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

From this reading Do I look like a cudgell or a houell-post, a staffe or a prop: doe you know me Father Gob.

deceasednounUS /dɪˈsiːst/

someone who is no longer alive

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

destiniesnounUS /ˈdestəniz/

plural of “destiny” — an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

Doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Do I look like a cudgell or a houell-post, a staffe or a prop: doe you know me Father Gob.

doenounUS /doʊ/

the federal department responsible for maintaining a national energy policy of the United States; created in 1977

From this reading Do I look like a cudgell or a houell-post, a staffe or a prop: doe you know me Father Gob.

ErgoadverbUS /ˈɜːrɡoʊ/

(used as a sentence connector) therefore or consequently

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

fatesnounUS /feɪts/

plural of “fate” — an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

FathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

forbidverbUS /fərˈbɪd/

command against

From this reading Marrie God forbid, the boy was the verie staffe of my age, my verie prop Lau.

gentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

GobnounUS /ɡɑːb/

a man who serves as a sailor

From this reading Gob.

GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading Marrie God forbid, the boy was the verie staffe of my age, my verie prop Lau.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

heauen

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

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

houell-post

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

From this reading Do I look like a cudgell or a houell-post, a staffe or a prop: doe you know me Father Gob.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Do I look like a cudgell or a houell-post, a staffe or a prop: doe you know me Father Gob.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

indeede

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

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Do I look like a cudgell or a houell-post, a staffe or a prop: doe you know me Father Gob.

LannounUS /læn/

a local computer network for communication between computers; especially a network connecting computers and word processors and other electronic office equipment to create a communication system between offices

From this reading Of Launcelet, ant please your maistership Lan.

LanceletnounUS /ˈlænslət/

small translucent lancet-shaped burrowing marine animal; primitive forerunner of the vertebrates

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

Lau

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

From this reading Marrie God forbid, the boy was the verie staffe of my age, my verie prop Lau.

Launcelet

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

From this reading Of Launcelet, ant please your maistership Lan.

learningnounUS /ˈlɜːrnɪŋ/

the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Do I look like a cudgell or a houell-post, a staffe or a prop: doe you know me Father Gob.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Do I look like a cudgell or a houell-post, a staffe or a prop: doe you know me Father Gob.

Maister

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

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

maistership

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

From this reading Of Launcelet, ant please your maistership Lan.

Marrie

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

From this reading Marrie God forbid, the boy was the verie staffe of my age, my verie prop Lau.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Do I look like a cudgell or a houell-post, a staffe or a prop: doe you know me Father Gob.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Marrie God forbid, the boy was the verie staffe of my age, my verie prop Lau.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

odde

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

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

OfprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Of Launcelet, ant please your maistership Lan.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

plaine

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

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

pleaseverbUS /pliːz/

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

From this reading Of Launcelet, ant please your maistership Lan.

propnounUS /prɑːp/

a support placed beneath or against something to keep it from shaking or falling

From this reading Marrie God forbid, the boy was the verie staffe of my age, my verie prop Lau.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

sayingsnounUS /ˈseɪɪŋz/

plural of “saying” — a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

sistersnounUS /ˈsɪstərz/

plural of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

staffe

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

From this reading Marrie God forbid, the boy was the verie staffe of my age, my verie prop Lau.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

talke

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

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

tearmes

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

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

verie

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

From this reading Marrie God forbid, the boy was the verie staffe of my age, my verie prop Lau.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Marrie God forbid, the boy was the verie staffe of my age, my verie prop Lau.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

yong

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

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Ergo Maister Lancelet, talke not of maister Lancelet Father, for the yong gentleman according to fates and destinies, and such odde sayings, the sisters three, & such branches of learning, is indeede deceased, or as you would say in plaine tearmes, gone to heauen Gob.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Of Launcelet, ant please your maistership Lan.

Chapter 3 of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare holds 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 3 of The Merchant of Venice contain?

Chapter 3 holds 128 sentences of The Merchant of Venice, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 3 of The Merchant of Venice?

Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 26 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 3 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Merchant of Venice

Common questions about reading The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Merchant of Venice?

Yes. All 1267 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1114 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Merchant of Venice is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1114, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Merchant of Venice take to read?

About 105 minutes of reading across 254 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Merchant of Venice section by section

How to work through The Merchant of Venice section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Merchant of Venice 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 The Merchant of Venice

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Merchant of Venice, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Addition
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Merchant of Venice; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Notes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Merchant of Venice; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Below
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Merchant of Venice; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Think
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Merchant of Venice; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.