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The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4
The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4

Chapter XXXIV

Chapter 34 of The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4 is here in full — 518 sentences across 104 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By William Shakespeare • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4
Context Illustration Reading 1/103 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.
O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.
_Dau._ O perdurable shame! let's stab ourselves.
Be these the wretches that we play'd at dice for?
_Orl._ Is this the king we sent to for his ransom?
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4

Chapter XXXIV

Chapter 34 of The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4 is here in full — 518 sentences across 104 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/103 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.
Line 2
O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.
Line 3
_Dau._ O perdurable shame! let's stab ourselves.
Line 4
Be these the wretches that we play'd at dice for?
Line 5
_Orl._ Is this the king we sent to for his ransom?

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.

Con noun US /kɑːn/

an argument opposed to a proposal

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dice noun US /daɪs/

a small cube with 1 to 6 spots on the six faces; used in gambling to generate random numbers

From this reading “Be these the wretches that we play'd at dice for?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
everlasting adjective US /ˌevərˈlæstɪŋ/

continuing forever or indefinitely

From this reading “_Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mocking adjective US /ˈmɑːkɪŋ/

abusing vocally; expressing contempt or ridicule

From this reading “_Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
plumes noun US /pluːmz/

plural of “plume” — anything that resembles a feather in shape or lightness

From this reading “_Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ransom noun US /ˈrænsəm/

money demanded for the return of a captured person

From this reading “_Orl._ Is this the king we sent to for his ransom?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stab verb US /stæb/

use a knife on

From this reading “_Dau._ O perdurable shame! let's stab ourselves.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
vie verb US /vaɪ/

compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others

From this reading “_Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

run away verb + particle

flee; take to one's heels; cut and run

In this reading “O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.”

33,506 times in 426,212 chapters
de ma noun + noun

In this reading “_Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.”

279 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 57

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.

5

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

From this reading O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.

Pending verification
5193

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

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

Pending verification
5194

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

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

Pending verification
5195

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

From this reading O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.

Pending verification
AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
alarumnoun

an automatic signal (usually a sound) warning of danger

From this reading O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
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 _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Be these the wretches that we play'd at dice for?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Be these the wretches that we play'd at dice for?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/

lacking funds

From this reading O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ConnounUS /kɑːn/

an argument opposed to a proposal

From this reading O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
confoundedadjectiveUS /kənˈfaʊndɪd/

perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Dau

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

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

Pending verification
denounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dicenounUS /daɪs/

a small cube with 1 to 6 spots on the six faces; used in gambling to generate random numbers

From this reading Be these the wretches that we play'd at dice for?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
everlastingadjectiveUS /ˌevərˈlæstɪŋ/

continuing forever or indefinitely

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Be these the wretches that we play'd at dice for?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading _Orl._ Is this the king we sent to for his ransom?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
kingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading _Orl._ Is this the king we sent to for his ransom?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
let's

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

From this reading _Dau._ O perdurable shame! let's stab ourselves.

Pending verification
manounUS /mɑː/

informal terms for a mother

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mockingadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːkɪŋ/

abusing vocally; expressing contempt or ridicule

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mort

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

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

Pending verification
méchante

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

From this reading O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.

Pending verification
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OnounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Orl

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

From this reading _Orl._ Is this the king we sent to for his ransom?

Pending verification
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ourselvespronounUS /aʊərˈselvz/

used when we are both doing the action and receiving it

From this reading _Dau._ O perdurable shame! let's stab ourselves.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
perdurableadjective

very long lasting

From this reading _Dau._ O perdurable shame! let's stab ourselves.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
play'd

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

From this reading Be these the wretches that we play'd at dice for?

Pending verification
plumesnounUS /pluːmz/

plural of “plume” — anything that resembles a feather in shape or lightness

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ranksnounUS /ræŋks/

plural of “rank” — a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another

From this reading O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ransomnounUS /ˈrænsəm/

money demanded for the return of a captured person

From this reading _Orl._ Is this the king we sent to for his ransom?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ReproachnounUS /riˈproʊtʃ/

a mild rebuke or criticism

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading _Orl._ Is this the king we sent to for his ransom?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shamenounUS /ʃeɪm/

a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SitsverbUS /sɪts/

third-person singular of “sit” — be seated

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stabverbUS /stæb/

use a knife on

From this reading _Dau._ O perdurable shame! let's stab ourselves.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Be these the wretches that we play'd at dice for?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Be these the wretches that we play'd at dice for?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading Be these the wretches that we play'd at dice for?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading _Orl._ Is this the king we sent to for his ransom?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading _Orl._ Is this the king we sent to for his ransom?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
vieverbUS /vaɪ/

compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others

From this reading _Dau._ Mort de ma vie! all is confounded, all![5193] Reproach and everlasting shame[5194] Sits mocking in our plumes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Be these the wretches that we play'd at dice for?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhynounUS /waɪ/

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

From this reading O méchante fortune![5195] 5 Do not run away.[5195] [_A short alarum._ _Con._ Why, all our ranks are broke.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wretches

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

From this reading Be these the wretches that we play'd at dice for?

Pending verification

Chapter 34 of The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4 by William Shakespeare holds 518 sentences, grouped into 104 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 34 of The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4 contain?

Chapter 34 holds 518 sentences of The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4, unabridged, divided into 104 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 34 of The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4 by William Shakespeare exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 518 sentences, grouped into 104 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 34 of The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4?

Work through the 104 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 104 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 34 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 34 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 Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4

Common questions about reading The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4 by William Shakespeare on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4?

Yes. All 19394 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50095 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #50095, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4 take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 3879 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4 section by section

How to work through The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Assured
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Affied
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Walker
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Angiers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of William Shakespeare — Vol. 4; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.