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William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of William Shakespeare is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for William Shakespeare
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without notice.
Obvious printer errors have been corrected, and are listed at the end.
For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.
In addition other inconsistencies are as in the original.
The author's spelling has been maintained.
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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.

William Shakespeare

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of William Shakespeare is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without notice.
/ˈmaɪnər ˌpʌŋktʃuːˈeɪʃən ˈerərz hæv bɪn kərˈektəd wɪˈθaʊt ˈnoʊtəs/
Line 2
Obvious printer errors have been corrected, and are listed at the end.
/ˈɑːbviəs ˈprɪntər ˈerərz hæv bɪn kərˈektəd ənd ɑːr ˈlɪstəd æt ðə end/
Line 3
For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.
Line 4
In addition other inconsistencies are as in the original.
/ɪn əˈdɪʃən ˈʌðər ˌɪŋˈkɑːnsɪstensiz ɑːr æz ɪn ðə ərˈɪdʒənəl/
Line 5
The author's spelling has been maintained.
/ðə ˈɔːθərz ˈspelɪŋ hæz bɪn meɪnˈteɪnd/

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.

author's noun US /ˈɔːθərz/

possessive form of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading “The author's spelling has been maintained.”

heading noun US /ˈhedɪŋ/

a line of text serving to indicate what the passage below it is about

From this reading “For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.”

inconsistencies noun US /ˌɪŋˈkɑːnsɪstensiz/

plural of “inconsistency” — the relation between propositions that cannot both be true at the same time

From this reading “In addition other inconsistencies are as in the original.”

listed adjective US /ˈlɪstəd/

on a list

From this reading “Obvious printer errors have been corrected, and are listed at the end.”

lists noun US /lɪsts/

plural of “list” — a database containing an ordered array of items (names or topics)

From this reading “For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.”

printer noun US /ˈprɪntər/

someone whose occupation is printing

From this reading “Obvious printer errors have been corrected, and are listed at the end.”

punctuation noun US /ˌpʌŋktʃuːˈeɪʃən/

something that makes repeated and regular interruptions or divisions

From this reading “Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without notice.”

spelling noun US /ˈspelɪŋ/

forming words with letters according to the principles underlying accepted usage

From this reading “The author's spelling has been maintained.”

All words in this reading · 44

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.

additionnounUS /əˈdɪʃən/

a component that is added to something to improve it

From this reading In addition other inconsistencies are as in the original.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Obvious printer errors have been corrected, and are listed at the end.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Obvious printer errors have been corrected, and are listed at the end.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Obvious printer errors have been corrected, and are listed at the end.

author'snounUS /ˈɔːθərz/

possessive form of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading The author's spelling has been maintained.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without notice.

changedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪndʒd/

made or become different in nature or form

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

chapternounUS /ˈtʃæptər/

a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

ContentsnounUS /ˈkɑːntents/

(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

correctedadjectiveUS /kərˈektəd/

having something undesirable neutralized

From this reading Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without notice.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading Obvious printer errors have been corrected, and are listed at the end.

errorsnounUS /ˈerərz/

plural of “error” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without notice.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading The author's spelling has been maintained.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without notice.

headingnounUS /ˈhedɪŋ/

a line of text serving to indicate what the passage below it is about

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

HenrynounUS /ˈhenri/

a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

IInoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In addition other inconsistencies are as in the original.

inconsistenciesnounUS /ˌɪŋˈkɑːnsɪstensiz/

plural of “inconsistency” — the relation between propositions that cannot both be true at the same time

From this reading In addition other inconsistencies are as in the original.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

IVnoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

listedadjectiveUS /ˈlɪstəd/

on a list

From this reading Obvious printer errors have been corrected, and are listed at the end.

listsnounUS /lɪsts/

plural of “list” — a database containing an ordered array of items (names or topics)

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

maintainedadjectiveUS /meɪnˈteɪnd/

kept in good condition

From this reading The author's spelling has been maintained.

MinoradjectiveUS /ˈmaɪnər/

of lesser importance or stature or rank

From this reading Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without notice.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

noticenounUS /ˈnoʊtəs/

an announcement containing information about an event

From this reading Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without notice.

ObviousadjectiveUS /ˈɑːbviəs/

easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind

From this reading Obvious printer errors have been corrected, and are listed at the end.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

originaladjectiveUS /ərˈɪdʒənəl/

preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed

From this reading In addition other inconsistencies are as in the original.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading In addition other inconsistencies are as in the original.

PartnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

printernounUS /ˈprɪntər/

someone whose occupation is printing

From this reading Obvious printer errors have been corrected, and are listed at the end.

punctuationnounUS /ˌpʌŋktʃuːˈeɪʃən/

something that makes repeated and regular interruptions or divisions

From this reading Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without notice.

SecondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

spellingnounUS /ˈspelɪŋ/

forming words with letters according to the principles underlying accepted usage

From this reading The author's spelling has been maintained.

TablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Obvious printer errors have been corrected, and are listed at the end.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading For the chapter heading, "The Second Part of King Henry IV", the Table of Contents lists it as "King Henry IV, Part II"; this was not changed.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without notice.

Chapter 1 of William Shakespeare by John Masefield holds 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 William Shakespeare contain?

Chapter 1 holds 421 sentences of William Shakespeare, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of William Shakespeare by John Masefield exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 William Shakespeare?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 William Shakespeare

Common questions about reading William Shakespeare by John Masefield on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of William Shakespeare?

Yes. All 2903 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27264 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of William Shakespeare is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #27264, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does William Shakespeare take to read?

About 241 minutes of reading across 581 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read William Shakespeare section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of William Shakespeare 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 William Shakespeare

Words and structures a reader meets early in William Shakespeare, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Minor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of William Shakespeare; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Punctuation
A word that appears in the opening chapter of William Shakespeare; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Errors
A word that appears in the opening chapter of William Shakespeare; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Corrected
A word that appears in the opening chapter of William Shakespeare; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.