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The Winter's Tale
The Winter's Tale

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Winter's Tale is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Winter's Tale
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Pol.
You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.
One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.
Leaue your prating, since these good men are pleas'd, let them come in: but quickly now Ser.
Why, they stay at doore Sir.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Winter's Tale

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Winter's Tale is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Pol.
/pɔːl/
Line 2
You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.
Line 3
One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.
Line 4
Leaue your prating, since these good men are pleas'd, let them come in: but quickly now Ser.
Line 5
Why, they stay at doore Sir.

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.

hath auxiliary verb US /hæθ/

an old form of “has”

From this reading “One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.”

Pol noun US /pɔːl/

a person active in party politics

From this reading “Pol.”

pray verb US /preɪ/

address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer

From this reading “You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.”

quickly adverb US /ˈkwɪkli/

with speed

From this reading “Leaue your prating, since these good men are pleas'd, let them come in: but quickly now Ser.”

refresh verb US /rɪˈfreʃ/

refresh one's memory

From this reading “You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.”

report verb US /riˈpɔːrt/

to give an account or representation of in words

From this reading “One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.”

squire noun US /skwaɪr/

young nobleman attendant on a knight

From this reading “One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.”

worst noun US /wɜːrst/

the least favorable outcome

From this reading “One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.”

All words in this reading · 58

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 One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Leaue your prating, since these good men are pleas'd, let them come in: but quickly now Ser.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Why, they stay at doore Sir.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Leaue your prating, since these good men are pleas'd, let them come in: but quickly now Ser.

danc'd

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

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

doore

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

From this reading Why, they stay at doore Sir.

foote

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

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

foure-threes

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

From this reading You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Leaue your prating, since these good men are pleas'd, let them come in: but quickly now Ser.

halfe

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

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

hathauxiliary verbUS /hæθ/

an old form of “has”

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

Heardsmen

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

From this reading You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Leaue your prating, since these good men are pleas'd, let them come in: but quickly now Ser.

iumpes

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

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

Leaue

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

From this reading Leaue your prating, since these good men are pleas'd, let them come in: but quickly now Ser.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Leaue your prating, since these good men are pleas'd, let them come in: but quickly now Ser.

let's

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

From this reading You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Leaue your prating, since these good men are pleas'd, let them come in: but quickly now Ser.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Leaue your prating, since these good men are pleas'd, let them come in: but quickly now Ser.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

owne

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

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

pleas'd

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

From this reading Leaue your prating, since these good men are pleas'd, let them come in: but quickly now Ser.

PolnounUS /pɔːl/

a person active in party politics

From this reading Pol.

prating

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

From this reading Leaue your prating, since these good men are pleas'd, let them come in: but quickly now Ser.

prayverbUS /preɪ/

address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer

From this reading You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.

quicklyadverbUS /ˈkwɪkli/

with speed

From this reading Leaue your prating, since these good men are pleas'd, let them come in: but quickly now Ser.

refreshverbUS /rɪˈfreʃ/

refresh one's memory

From this reading You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.

reportverbUS /riˈpɔːrt/

to give an account or representation of in words

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.

Ser

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

From this reading You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.

Shep

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

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Leaue your prating, since these good men are pleas'd, let them come in: but quickly now Ser.

SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

squirenounUS /skwaɪr/

young nobleman attendant on a knight

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

stayverbUS /steɪ/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading Why, they stay at doore Sir.

thnounUS /ˈtiːˈeɪtʃ/

the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Why, they stay at doore Sir.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.

threenounUS /θriː/

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

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

twelue

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

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

vs

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

From this reading You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.

wearie

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

From this reading You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading Why, they stay at doore Sir.

worstnounUS /wɜːrst/

the least favorable outcome

From this reading One three of them, by their owne report (Sir,) hath danc'd before the King: and not the worst of the three, but iumpes twelue foote and a halfe by th' squire Shep.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You wearie those that refresh vs: pray let's see these foure-threes of Heardsmen Ser.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Leaue your prating, since these good men are pleas'd, let them come in: but quickly now Ser.

Chapter 8 of The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare holds 142 sentences, grouped into 29 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 8 of The Winter's Tale contain?

Chapter 8 holds 142 sentences of The Winter's Tale, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 142 sentences, grouped into 29 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 8 of The Winter's Tale?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Winter's Tale

Common questions about reading The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Winter's Tale?

Yes. All 1568 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1134 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Winter's Tale is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1134, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Winter's Tale take to read?

About 130 minutes of reading across 314 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Winter's Tale section by section

How to work through The Winter's Tale section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Winter's Tale 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 Winter's Tale

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Winter's Tale, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

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