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Webster & Tourneur
Webster & Tourneur

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Webster & Tourneur is here in full — 388 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/77 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
JOHN ADDINGTON SYMONDS.
UNEXPURGATED EDITION.
[THE MERMAID SERIES.]
COVENT GARDEN.
The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Webster & Tourneur

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Webster & Tourneur is here in full — 388 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/77 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
JOHN ADDINGTON SYMONDS.
Line 2
UNEXPURGATED EDITION.
Line 3
[THE MERMAID SERIES.]
/ðə ˈmɜːrmeɪd ˈsɪriz/
Line 4
COVENT GARDEN.
Line 5
The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

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.

erected verb US /ɪˈrektəd/

past form of “erect” — construct, build, or erect

From this reading “The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."”

exhibitions noun US /ˌeksəˈbɪʃənz/

plural of “exhibition” — the act of exhibiting

From this reading “The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."”

Globe noun US /ɡloʊb/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading “The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."”

materials noun US /məˈtɪriəlz/

plural of “material” — the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object

From this reading “The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."”

mermaid noun US /ˈmɜːrmeɪd/

half woman and half fish; lives in the sea

From this reading “[THE MERMAID SERIES.]”

purposely adverb US /ˈpɜːrpəsli/

with intention; in an intentional manner

From this reading “The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."”

scenic adjective US /ˈsiːnɪk/

used of locations; having beautiful natural scenery

From this reading “The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."”

symonds noun US /ˈsɪməndz/

English writer (1840-1893)

From this reading “JOHN ADDINGTON SYMONDS.”

All words in this reading · 45

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.

1594

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

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

ADDINGTON

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

From this reading JOHN ADDINGTON SYMONDS.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

Bankside

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

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

believedverbUS /bɪˈliːvd/

past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

buildingnounUS /ˈbɪldɪŋ/

a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

builtadjectiveUS /bɪlt/

(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

COVENT

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

From this reading COVENT GARDEN.

earliestadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrliəst/

(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

EDITIONnounUS /əˈdɪʃən/

the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published

From this reading UNEXPURGATED EDITION.

erectedverbUS /ɪˈrektəd/

past form of “erect” — construct, build, or erect

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

exhibitionsnounUS /ˌeksəˈbɪʃənz/

plural of “exhibition” — the act of exhibiting

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

fellowsnounUS /ˈfeloʊz/

plural of “fellow” — a boy or man

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

GARDENnounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading COVENT GARDEN.

GlobenounUS /ɡloʊb/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

JOHNnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading JOHN ADDINGTON SYMONDS.

LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

materialsnounUS /məˈtɪriəlz/

plural of “material” — the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

MERMAIDnounUS /ˈmɜːrmeɪd/

half woman and half fish; lives in the sea

From this reading [THE MERMAID SERIES.]

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

partlyadverbUS /ˈpɑːrtli/

to some extent; in some degree; not wholly

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

purposelyadverbUS /ˈpɜːrpəsli/

with intention; in an intentional manner

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

removedadjectiveUS /riˈmuːvd/

separated in relationship by a given degree of descent

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

scenicadjectiveUS /ˈsiːnɪk/

used of locations; having beautiful natural scenery

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

SERIESnounUS /ˈsɪriz/

similar things placed in order or happening one after another

From this reading [THE MERMAID SERIES.]

ShakespearenounUS /ˈʃeɪkspiːr/

English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

Shoreditch

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

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

Southwark

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

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

summernounUS /ˈsʌmər/

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

SYMONDSnounUS /ˈsɪməndz/

English writer (1840-1893)

From this reading JOHN ADDINGTON SYMONDS.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading [THE MERMAID SERIES.]

TheatrenounUS /ˈθiːətər/

a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The first Globe Theatre, on the Bankside, Southwark, "the summer theatre of Shakespeare and his fellows," is believed to have been built in 1594, partly of materials removed from the Theatre in Shoreditch, "the earliest building erected in or near London purposely for scenic exhibitions."

UNEXPURGATEDadjective

not having material deleted

From this reading UNEXPURGATED EDITION.

Chapter 1 of Webster & Tourneur by John Webster holds 388 sentences, grouped into 78 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 1 of Webster & Tourneur contain?

Chapter 1 holds 388 sentences of Webster & Tourneur, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Webster & Tourneur by John Webster exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 388 sentences, grouped into 78 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 1 of Webster & Tourneur?

Work through the 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 78 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Webster & Tourneur

Common questions about reading Webster & Tourneur by John Webster on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Webster & Tourneur?

Yes. All 7736 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55625 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Webster & Tourneur is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #55625, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Webster & Tourneur take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1548 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Webster & Tourneur section by section

How to work through Webster & Tourneur section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of Webster & Tourneur 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 Webster & Tourneur

Words and structures a reader meets early in Webster & Tourneur, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Addington
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Webster & Tourneur; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Symonds
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Webster & Tourneur; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Unexpurgated
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Webster & Tourneur; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edition
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Webster & Tourneur; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.