Tragedy

Chapter X

Chapter 10 of Tragedy is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ashley Horace Thorndike • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.

The theatregoer of 1720 would in 1780 have found the same plays or others similar in kind; but, had he postponed his visit yet twenty years, he would have entered a new theatrical world of romance, musical plays, and German novelties.

By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance.

New departures in both tragedy and comedy, and a theatrically important _tertium quid_ were all instituted.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter X Reading 1/76

Tragedy Ashley Horace Thorndike

Chapter X

Chapter 10 of Tragedy is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama. The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction. The theatregoer of 1720 would in 1780 have found the same plays or others similar in kind; but, had he postponed his visit yet twenty years, he would have entered a new theatrical world of romance, musical plays, and German novelties. By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance. New departures in both tragedy and comedy, and a theatrically important _tertium quid_ were all instituted.

Tragedy

Chapter X

Chapter 10 of Tragedy is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/76 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

/ðə roʊˈmæntɪk ˈmuːvmənt ðə læst fjuː jɪrz ʌv ðə eɪˈtiːnθ ˈsentʃəri ənd ðə fɜːrst fjuː ʌv ðə ˈnaɪnˈtiːnθ meɪd ʌp ə deˈkeɪd fʊl ʌv ˈmuːvmənt ənd tʃeɪndʒ ɪn ðə ˈdrɑːmə/

Line 2

The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.

/ðə eɪˈtiːnθ ˈsentʃəri hæd bɪn æz wiː hæv siːn ə taɪm ʌv stæɡˈneɪʃən ɪn ˈtrædʒədi ənd ʌv ˈlɪtəl drəˈmætɪk ədˈvæns ɪn ˈeni dərˈekʃən/

Line 3

Line 4

By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance.

/baɪ ðæt taɪm ˈnɪrli ɔːl ðə ˈfæktərz ʌv ˌɪmˈpɔːrtəns ɪn ðə ˈhɪstəri ʌv ðə steɪdʒ ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə fɜːrst hæf ʌv ðə ˈnaɪnˈtiːnθ ˈsentʃəri hæd meɪd ðer əˈpɪrəns/

Line 5

New departures in both tragedy and comedy, and a theatrically important _tertium quid_ were all instituted.

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.

decade noun US /deˈkeɪd/

a period of 10 years

From this reading “THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.”

departures noun US /dɪˈpɑːrtʃərz/

plural of “departure” — the act of departing

From this reading “New departures in both tragedy and comedy, and a theatrically important _tertium quid_ were all instituted.”

factors noun US /ˈfæktərz/

plural of “factor” — anything that contributes causally to a result

From this reading “By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance.”

instituted verb US /ˈɪnstətuːtɪd/

past form of “institute” — set up or lay the groundwork for

From this reading “New departures in both tragedy and comedy, and a theatrically important _tertium quid_ were all instituted.”

novelties noun US /ˈnɑːvəltiz/

plural of “novelty” — originality by virtue of being refreshingly novel

From this reading “The theatregoer of 1720 would in 1780 have found the same plays or others similar in kind; but, had he postponed his visit yet twenty years, he would have entered a new theatrical world of romance, musical plays, and German novelties.”

quid noun US /kwɪd/

the basic unit of money in Great Britain and Northern Ireland; equal to 100 pence

stagnation noun US /stæɡˈneɪʃən/

a state of inactivity (in business or art etc)

From this reading “The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.”

theatrically adverb US /θiˈætrɪkəliː/

in a stagy and theatrical manner

From this reading “New departures in both tragedy and comedy, and a theatrically important _tertium quid_ were all instituted.”

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.

nineteenth century adjective + noun

In this reading “By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance.”

eighteenth century adjective + noun

In this reading “THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.”

twenty years noun + noun

In this reading “The theatregoer of 1720 would in 1780 have found the same plays or others similar in kind; but, had he postponed his visit yet twenty years, he would have entered a new theatrical world of romance, musical plays, and German novelties.”

few years adjective + noun

In this reading “THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.”

nearly all adverb + adjective

In this reading “By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance.”

New departures adjective + noun counted as “new departure”

In this reading “New departures in both tragedy and comedy, and a theatrically important _tertium quid_ were all instituted.”

any direction adjective + noun

In this reading “The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.”

change in verb + particle

In this reading “THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.”

All words in this reading · 81

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.

1720

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

From this reading The theatregoer of 1720 would in 1780 have found the same plays or others similar in kind; but, had he postponed his visit yet twenty years, he would have entered a new theatrical world of romance, musical plays, and German novelties.

1780

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

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

advanceverbUS /ədˈvæns/

move forward, also in the metaphorical sense

From this reading The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.

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 By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.

appearancenounUS /əˈpɪrəns/

outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

From this reading By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading New departures in both tragedy and comedy, and a theatrically important _tertium quid_ were all instituted.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance.

centurynounUS /ˈsentʃəri/

a period of 100 years

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

comedynounUS /ˈkɑːmədi/

light and humorous drama with a happy ending

From this reading New departures in both tragedy and comedy, and a theatrically important _tertium quid_ were all instituted.

decadenounUS /deˈkeɪd/

a period of 10 years

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

departuresnounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtʃərz/

plural of “departure” — the act of departing

From this reading New departures in both tragedy and comedy, and a theatrically important _tertium quid_ were all instituted.

directionnounUS /dərˈekʃən/

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.

dramanounUS /ˈdrɑːmə/

a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

dramaticadjectiveUS /drəˈmætɪk/

suitable to or characteristic of drama

From this reading The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance.

eighteenthadjectiveUS /eɪˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the seventeenth in position

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

factorsnounUS /ˈfæktərz/

plural of “factor” — anything that contributes causally to a result

From this reading By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

GermannounUS /ˈdʒɜːrmən/

a person of German nationality

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

historynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/

the aggregate of past events

From this reading By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance.

importancenounUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtəns/

the quality of being important and worthy of note

From this reading By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance.

importantadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtənt/

of great significance or value

From this reading New departures in both tragedy and comedy, and a theatrically important _tertium quid_ were all instituted.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

institutedverbUS /ˈɪnstətuːtɪd/

past form of “institute” — set up or lay the groundwork for

From this reading New departures in both tragedy and comedy, and a theatrically important _tertium quid_ were all instituted.

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

MOVEMENTnounUS /ˈmuːvmənt/

a change of position that does not entail a change of location

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

musicaladjectiveUS /ˈmjuːzɪkəl/

characterized by or capable of producing music

nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

nineteenthadjectiveUS /ˈnaɪnˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the eighteenth in position

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

noveltiesnounUS /ˈnɑːvəltiz/

plural of “novelty” — originality by virtue of being refreshingly novel

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

others

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

playsnounUS /pleɪz/

plural of “play” — a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

postponedverbUS /poʊstˈpoʊnd/

past form of “postpone” — hold back to a later time

quidnounUS /kwɪd/

the basic unit of money in Great Britain and Northern Ireland; equal to 100 pence

From this reading New departures in both tragedy and comedy, and a theatrically important _tertium quid_ were all instituted.

romancenounUS /roʊˈmæns/

a relationship between two lovers

ROMANTICadjectiveUS /roʊˈmæntɪk/

belonging to or characteristic of Romanticism or the Romantic Movement in the arts

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.

similaradjectiveUS /ˈsɪmələr/

marked by correspondence or resemblance

stagenounUS /steɪdʒ/

any distinct time period in a sequence of events

From this reading By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance.

stagnationnounUS /stæɡˈneɪʃən/

a state of inactivity (in business or art etc)

From this reading The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.

tertium

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

From this reading New departures in both tragedy and comedy, and a theatrically important _tertium quid_ were all instituted.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

theatregoernoun

someone who attends the theater

theatricaladjectiveUS /θiˈætrɪkəl/

of or relating to the theater

theatricallyadverbUS /θiˈætrɪkəliː/

in a stagy and theatrical manner

From this reading New departures in both tragedy and comedy, and a theatrically important _tertium quid_ were all instituted.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading By that time nearly all the factors of importance in the history of the stage during the first half of the nineteenth century had made their appearance.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.

tragedynounUS /ˈtrædʒədi/

an event resulting in great loss and misfortune

From this reading The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.

twentynounUS /ˈtwenti/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

visitverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading The eighteenth century had been, as we have seen, a time of stagnation in tragedy and of little dramatic advance in any direction.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading New departures in both tragedy and comedy, and a theatrically important _tertium quid_ were all instituted.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT The last few years of the eighteenth century and the first few of the nineteenth made up a decade full of movement and change in the drama.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

Chapter 10 of Tragedy by Ashley Horace Thorndike holds 384 sentences, grouped into 77 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 10 of Tragedy contain?

Chapter 10 holds 384 sentences of Tragedy, unabridged, divided into 77 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of Tragedy by Ashley Horace Thorndike exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 384 sentences, grouped into 77 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 10 of Tragedy?

Work through the 77 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 77 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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.

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