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The Rape of Lucrece
The Rape of Lucrece

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Rape of Lucrece is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, and Baron of Titchfield.
The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.
The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance.
What I have done is yours; what I have to do is yours; being part in all I have, devoted yours.
Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Rape of Lucrece

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Rape of Lucrece is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, and Baron of Titchfield.
Line 2
The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.
Line 3
The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance.
Line 4
What I have done is yours; what I have to do is yours; being part in all I have, devoted yours.
/wʌt aɪ hæv dʌn ɪz jʊrz wʌt aɪ hæv tuː duː ɪz jʊrz ˈbiːɪŋ pɑːrt ɪn ɔːl aɪ hæv dɪˈvoʊtɪd jʊrz/
Line 5
Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.
/wɜːr maɪ wɜːrθ ˈɡreɪtər maɪ ˈduːti wʊd ʃoʊ ˈɡreɪtər ˈmiːntaɪm æz ɪt ɪz ɪt ɪz baʊnd tuː jɔːr ˈlɔːrdʃɪp tuː huːm aɪ wɪʃ lɔːŋ laɪf stɪl ˈleŋθənd wɪð ɔːl ˈhæpinəs/

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.

acceptance noun US /ækˈseptəns/

the mental attitude that something is believable and should be accepted as true

From this reading “The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance.”

dedicate verb US /ˈdedəkeɪt/

give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause

From this reading “The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.”

lengthened adjective US /ˈleŋθənd/

drawn out or made longer spatially

From this reading “Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.”

Lordship noun US /ˈlɔːrdʃɪp/

a title used to address any British peer except a duke and extended to a bishop or a judge

From this reading “The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.”

moiety noun US /ˈmɔɪətiː/

one of two (approximately) equal parts

From this reading “The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.”

pamphlet noun US /ˈpæmflət/

a small book usually having a paper cover

From this reading “The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.”

superfluous adjective US /ˈsuːpərflwʌs/

serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being

From this reading “The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.”

warrant noun US /ˈwɔːrənt/

a writ from a court commanding police to perform specified acts

From this reading “The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance.”

All words in this reading · 65

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 love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.

acceptancenounUS /ækˈseptəns/

the mental attitude that something is believable and should be accepted as true

From this reading The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading What I have done is yours; what I have to do is yours; being part in all I have, devoted yours.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, and Baron of Titchfield.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.

assuredadjectiveUS /əˈʃʊrd/

marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence

From this reading The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance.

BaronnounUS /ˈbærən/

a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank

From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, and Baron of Titchfield.

beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading What I have done is yours; what I have to do is yours; being part in all I have, devoted yours.

boundadjectiveUS /baʊnd/

confined by bonds

From this reading Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.

dedicateverbUS /ˈdedəkeɪt/

give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause

From this reading The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.

devotedadjectiveUS /dɪˈvoʊtɪd/

zealous in devotion or affection

From this reading What I have done is yours; what I have to do is yours; being part in all I have, devoted yours.

dispositionnounUS /ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən/

your usual mood

From this reading The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading What I have done is yours; what I have to do is yours; being part in all I have, devoted yours.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading What I have done is yours; what I have to do is yours; being part in all I have, devoted yours.

dutynounUS /ˈduːti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.

EARLnounUS /ɜːrl/

a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount

From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, and Baron of Titchfield.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.

greateradjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtər/

greater in size or importance or degree

From this reading Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.

happinessnounUS /ˈhæpinəs/

state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy

From this reading Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance.

HENRYnounUS /ˈhenri/

a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second

From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, and Baron of Titchfield.

HONOURABLEadjectiveUS /ˈɑːnərəbəl/

worthy of being honored; entitled to honor and respect

From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, and Baron of Titchfield.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading What I have done is yours; what I have to do is yours; being part in all I have, devoted yours.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance.

lengthenedadjectiveUS /ˈleŋθənd/

drawn out or made longer spatially

From this reading Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.

linesnounUS /laɪnz/

plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.

LordshipnounUS /ˈlɔːrdʃɪp/

a title used to address any British peer except a duke and extended to a bishop or a judge

From this reading The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.

makesnounUS /meɪks/

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

From this reading The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance.

meantimenounUS /ˈmiːntaɪm/

the time between one event, process, or period and another

From this reading Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.

moietynounUS /ˈmɔɪətiː/

one of two (approximately) equal parts

From this reading The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, and Baron of Titchfield.

pamphletnounUS /ˈpæmflət/

a small book usually having a paper cover

From this reading The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading What I have done is yours; what I have to do is yours; being part in all I have, devoted yours.

RIGHTadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, and Baron of Titchfield.

showverbUS /ʃoʊ/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.

SOUTHAMPTON

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

From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, and Baron of Titchfield.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.

superfluousadjectiveUS /ˈsuːpərflwʌs/

serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being

From this reading The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, and Baron of Titchfield.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.

Titchfield

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

From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, and Baron of Titchfield.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, and Baron of Titchfield.

untutoredadjective

lacking in schooling

From this reading The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance.

warrantnounUS /ˈwɔːrənt/

a writ from a court commanding police to perform specified acts

From this reading The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance.

Wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What I have done is yours; what I have to do is yours; being part in all I have, devoted yours.

whereof

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

From this reading The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.

wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.

worthnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading The warrant I have of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutored lines, makes it assured of acceptance.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Were my worth greater, my duty would show greater; meantime, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship, to whom I wish long life, still lengthened with all happiness.

WRIOTHESLEY

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

From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, and Baron of Titchfield.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end; whereof this pamphlet, without beginning, is but a superfluous moiety.

yourspronounUS /jʊrz/

the one or ones belonging to the person spoken to

From this reading What I have done is yours; what I have to do is yours; being part in all I have, devoted yours.

Chapter 1 of The Rape of Lucrece by William Shakespeare holds 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 The Rape of Lucrece contain?

Chapter 1 holds 161 sentences of The Rape of Lucrece, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Rape of Lucrece by William Shakespeare exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 The Rape of Lucrece?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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 The Rape of Lucrece

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

Is this the complete text of The Rape of Lucrece?

Yes. All 644 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1505 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Rape of Lucrece is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1505, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Rape of Lucrece take to read?

About 53 minutes of reading across 129 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Rape of Lucrece section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 4 chapters of The Rape of Lucrece 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 Rape of Lucrece

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

Right
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rape of Lucrece; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Honourable
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rape of Lucrece; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Henry
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rape of Lucrece; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wriothesley
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rape of Lucrece; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.