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The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Merchant of Venice is here in full — 147 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Shy.
What saies that foole of Hagars off-spring? ha Ies.
His words were farewell mistris, nothing else Shy.
The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.
Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.
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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 IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Merchant of Venice is here in full — 147 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Shy.
/ʃaɪ/
Line 2
What saies that foole of Hagars off-spring? ha Ies.
Line 3
His words were farewell mistris, nothing else Shy.
Line 4
The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.
Line 5
Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

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.

borrowed verb US /ˈbɑːroʊd/

past form of “borrow” — get temporarily

From this reading “The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.”

Doe noun US /doʊ/

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

From this reading “Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.”

drones noun US /droʊnz/

plural of “drone” — stingless male bee in a colony of social bees (especially honeybees) whose sole function is to mate with the queen

From this reading “The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.”

feeder noun US /ˈfiːdər/

an animal being fattened or suitable for fattening

From this reading “The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.”

patch noun US /pætʃ/

a small contrasting part of something

From this reading “The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.”

profit noun US /ˈprɑːfət/

the excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time (including depreciation and other non-cash expenses)

From this reading “The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.”

Shy verb US /ʃaɪ/

start suddenly, as from fright

From this reading “Shy.”

stale adjective US /steɪl/

lacking freshness, palatability, or showing deterioration from age

From this reading “Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.”

All words in this reading · 76

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 The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

bidverbUS /bɪd/

propose a payment

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

binde

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

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

borrowedverbUS /ˈbɑːroʊd/

past form of “borrow” — get temporarily

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

DoenounUS /doʊ/

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

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

dores

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

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

dronesnounUS /droʊnz/

plural of “drone” — stingless male bee in a colony of social bees (especially honeybees) whose sole function is to mate with the queen

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

else

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

From this reading His words were farewell mistris, nothing else Shy.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

farewellnounUS /ˌferˈwel/

an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting

From this reading His words were farewell mistris, nothing else Shy.

fastadverbUS /fæst/

quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

feedernounUS /ˈfiːdər/

an animal being fattened or suitable for fattening

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

finde

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

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

foole

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

From this reading What saies that foole of Hagars off-spring? ha Ies.

goe

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

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

hanounUS /hɑː/

(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 What saies that foole of Hagars off-spring? ha Ies.

Hagars

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

From this reading What saies that foole of Hagars off-spring? ha Ies.

haue

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

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

helpe

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

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading His words were farewell mistris, nothing else Shy.

hiue

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

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

hugeadjectiveUS /hjuːdʒ/

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

Ies

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

From this reading What saies that foole of Hagars off-spring? ha Ies.

Iessica

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

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

immediatelyadverbUS /ˌɪˈmiːdiːətli/

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

kinde

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

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

minde

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

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

mistris

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

From this reading His words were farewell mistris, nothing else Shy.

MoreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

neuer

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

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading His words were farewell mistris, nothing else Shy.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading What saies that foole of Hagars off-spring? ha Ies.

off-spring

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

From this reading What saies that foole of Hagars off-spring? ha Ies.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

patchnounUS /pætʃ/

a small contrasting part of something

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

PerhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

profitnounUS /ˈprɑːfət/

the excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time (including depreciation and other non-cash expenses)

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

prouerbe

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

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

pursenounUS /pɜːrs/

a container used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women)

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

returne

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

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

saies

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

From this reading What saies that foole of Hagars off-spring? ha Ies.

shutverbUS /ʃʌt/

move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

ShyverbUS /ʃaɪ/

start suddenly, as from fright

From this reading Shy.

sleepes

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

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

Snaile-slow

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

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

staleadjectiveUS /steɪl/

lacking freshness, palatability, or showing deterioration from age

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading What saies that foole of Hagars off-spring? ha Ies.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

ThereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

thriftie

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

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

wastenounUS /weɪst/

any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading His words were farewell mistris, nothing else Shy.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What saies that foole of Hagars off-spring? ha Ies.

wilde-cat

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

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading His words were farewell mistris, nothing else Shy.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading The patch is kinde enough, but a huge feeder: Snaile-slow in profit, but he sleepes by day More then the wilde-cat: drones hiue not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would haue him helpe to waste His borrowed purse.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Well Iessica goe in, Perhaps I will returne immediately; Doe as I bid you, shut dores after you, fast binde, fast finde, A prouerbe neuer stale in thriftie minde.

Chapter 4 of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare holds 147 sentences, grouped into 30 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.

What does chapter 4 of The Merchant of Venice contain?

Chapter 4 holds 147 sentences of The Merchant of Venice, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 147 sentences, grouped into 30 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 4 of The Merchant of Venice?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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, a public-domain edition. 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.