Chapter 4 of The Tragic Comedians — Volume 1 is here in full — 366 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Tragic Comedians — Volume 1 is here in full — 366 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
'Hamlet in due season,' said he, as they sat together. 'I shall convince you.' She shook her head. 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn. But at present there are two more important actors: we are not at Elsinore.
Chapter 4 of The Tragic Comedians — Volume 1 is here in full — 366 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/73 · 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.
plural of “actor” — a theatrical performer
From this reading “But at present there are two more important actors: we are not at Elsinore.”
make (someone) agree, understand, or realize the truth or validity of something
From this reading “'I shall convince you.'”
owed and payable immediately or on demand
From this reading “'Hamlet in due season,' said he, as they sat together.”
having or given a form or shape
From this reading “'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.”
a community of people smaller than a village
From this reading “'Hamlet in due season,' said he, as they sat together.”
incapable of change
From this reading “'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.”
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading “'Hamlet in due season,' said he, as they sat together.”
tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield
From this reading “'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.
plural of “actor” — a theatrical performer
From this reading But at present there are two more important actors: we are not at Elsinore.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But at present there are two more important actors: we are not at Elsinore.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading 'Hamlet in due season,' said he, as they sat together.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But at present there are two more important actors: we are not at Elsinore.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But at present there are two more important actors: we are not at Elsinore.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.
make (someone) agree, understand, or realize the truth or validity of something
From this reading 'I shall convince you.'
owed and payable immediately or on demand
From this reading 'Hamlet in due season,' said he, as they sat together.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But at present there are two more important actors: we are not at Elsinore.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.
having or given a form or shape
From this reading 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.
a community of people smaller than a village
From this reading 'Hamlet in due season,' said he, as they sat together.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading 'Hamlet in due season,' said he, as they sat together.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading She shook her head.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She shook her head.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading 'I shall convince you.'
of great significance or value
From this reading But at present there are two more important actors: we are not at Elsinore.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading 'Hamlet in due season,' said he, as they sat together.
incapable of change
From this reading 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading But at present there are two more important actors: we are not at Elsinore.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.
a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty
From this reading 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading But at present there are two more important actors: we are not at Elsinore.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading 'Hamlet in due season,' said he, as they sat together.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading 'Hamlet in due season,' said he, as they sat together.
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading 'Hamlet in due season,' said he, as they sat together.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading 'I shall convince you.'
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She shook her head.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading She shook her head.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.
tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield
From this reading 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.
in or at that place or location
From this reading But at present there are two more important actors: we are not at Elsinore.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading 'Hamlet in due season,' said he, as they sat together.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading 'Hamlet in due season,' said he, as they sat together.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading But at present there are two more important actors: we are not at Elsinore.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading But at present there are two more important actors: we are not at Elsinore.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.
an affirmative
From this reading 'Yes, yes, an opinion formed by a woman is inflexible; I know that: the fact is not half so stubborn.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading 'I shall convince you.'
Chapter 4 of The Tragic Comedians — Volume 1 by George Meredith holds 366 sentences, grouped into 74 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 4 holds 366 sentences of The Tragic Comedians — Volume 1, unabridged, divided into 74 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Tragic Comedians — Volume 1 by George Meredith exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 366 sentences, grouped into 74 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 74 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 74 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Tragic Comedians — Volume 1 by George Meredith on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1108 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4461 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4461, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 92 minutes of reading across 222 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Tragic Comedians — Volume 1 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of The Tragic Comedians — Volume 1 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 Tragic Comedians — Volume 1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
