Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Thomas Otway
Thomas Otway

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of Thomas Otway is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Thomas Otway
Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_Jaff._ Revenge!
Revenge!
[_Exeunt._ SCENE III.--_A Room in_ AQUILINA'S _House_.
_Enter_ RENAULT.
_Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?
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.

Thomas Otway

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of Thomas Otway is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_Jaff._ Revenge!
Line 2
Revenge!
/riˈvendʒ/
Line 3
[_Exeunt._ SCENE III.--_A Room in_ AQUILINA'S _House_.
Line 4
_Enter_ RENAULT.
Line 5
_Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?

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.

ambition noun US /æmˈbɪʃən/

a cherished desire

From this reading “_Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?”

build verb US /bɪld/

make by combining materials and parts

From this reading “_Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?”

choice noun US /tʃɔɪs/

the person or thing chosen or selected

From this reading “_Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?”

Enter verb US /ˈentər/

to come or go into

Revenge noun US /riˈvendʒ/

action taken in return for an injury or offense

From this reading “_Jaff._ Revenge!”

scene noun US /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading “[_Exeunt._ SCENE III.--_A Room in_ AQUILINA'S _House_.”

worst noun US /wɜːrst/

the least favorable outcome

From this reading “_Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?”

wretch noun US /retʃ/

performs some wicked deed

From this reading “_Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?”

All words in this reading · 25

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 [_Exeunt._ SCENE III.--_A Room in_ AQUILINA'S _House_.

ambitionnounUS /æmˈbɪʃən/

a cherished desire

From this reading _Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?

AQUILINA'S

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

From this reading [_Exeunt._ SCENE III.--_A Room in_ AQUILINA'S _House_.

buildverbUS /bɪld/

make by combining materials and parts

From this reading _Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading _Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?

choicenounUS /tʃɔɪs/

the person or thing chosen or selected

From this reading _Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?

EnterverbUS /ˈentər/

to come or go into

From this reading _Enter_ RENAULT.

Exeunt

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

From this reading [_Exeunt._ SCENE III.--_A Room in_ AQUILINA'S _House_.

groundnounUS /ɡraʊnd/

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading _Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?

HousenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading [_Exeunt._ SCENE III.--_A Room in_ AQUILINA'S _House_.

IIInoun

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

From this reading [_Exeunt._ SCENE III.--_A Room in_ AQUILINA'S _House_.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading [_Exeunt._ SCENE III.--_A Room in_ AQUILINA'S _House_.

Jaff

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

From this reading _Jaff._ Revenge!

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading _Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading _Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?

Ren

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

From this reading _Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?

RENAULT

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

From this reading _Enter_ RENAULT.

RevengenounUS /riˈvendʒ/

action taken in return for an injury or offense

From this reading _Jaff._ Revenge!

RoomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading [_Exeunt._ SCENE III.--_A Room in_ AQUILINA'S _House_.

SCENEnounUS /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading [_Exeunt._ SCENE III.--_A Room in_ AQUILINA'S _House_.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading _Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?

WhynounUS /waɪ/

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

From this reading _Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?

worstnounUS /wɜːrst/

the least favorable outcome

From this reading _Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?

wretchnounUS /retʃ/

performs some wicked deed

From this reading _Ren._ Why was my choice ambition, the worst ground A wretch can build on?

Chapter 14 of Thomas Otway by Thomas Otway holds 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 14 of Thomas Otway contain?

Chapter 14 holds 416 sentences of Thomas Otway, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of Thomas Otway by Thomas Otway exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 14 of Thomas Otway?

Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 84 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 Thomas Otway

Common questions about reading Thomas Otway by Thomas Otway on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Thomas Otway?

Yes. All 6629 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46605 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Thomas Otway is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #46605, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Thomas Otway take to read?

About 552 minutes of reading across 1326 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Thomas Otway section by section

How to work through Thomas Otway section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of Thomas Otway 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 Thomas Otway

Words and structures a reader meets early in Thomas Otway, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Edited
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thomas Otway; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Havelock
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thomas Otway; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ellis
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thomas Otway; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Plays
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thomas Otway; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.