Original: I am accursed to rob in that thief’s company: the rascal hath removed my horse, and tied him I know not where.
Modern: I’m cursed to be robbing with that thief—the scoundrel has taken my horse and tied him up somewhere unknown to me.

Original: If I travel but four foot by the squier further afoot, I shall break my wind.
Modern: If I walk just four more feet on foot, I’m going to run out of breath.

Original: Well, I doubt not but to die a fair death for all this, if I ‘scape hanging for killing that rogue.
Modern: Well, I’m sure I’ll die an honest death because of all this, if I escape being hanged for murdering that scoundrel.

Original: I have forsworn his company hourly any time this two and twenty years, and yet I am bewitched with the rogue’s company.
Modern: I’ve sworn off his friendship every hour for the past twenty-two years, and yet I’m still under some spell that keeps me with the scoundrel.

Original: If the rascal hath not given me medicines to make me love him, I’ll be hanged; it could not be else: I have drunk medicines.
Modern: If that rascal hasn’t given me some kind of love potion to make me like him, then I’ll be hanged—there’s no other explanation: I must have drunk a potion.

Original: Poins! Hal! a plague upon you both! Bardolph! Peto!
Modern: Poins! Hal! A curse on both of you! Bardolph! Peto!

Original: I’ll starve ere I’ll rob a foot further.
Modern: I’ll starve to death before I’ll walk another foot to commit this robbery.

Original: An ‘twere not as good a deed as drink, to turn true man and to leave these rogues, I am the veriest varlet that ever chewed with a tooth.
Modern: If becoming an honest man and leaving these criminals wouldn’t be as satisfying as having a drink, then I’m the biggest scoundrel who ever lived.

Original: Eight yards of uneven ground is threescore and ten miles afoot with me; and the stony-hearted villains know it well enough:
Modern: Eight yards of rough ground feels like seventy miles to me when I’m walking, and those cold-hearted villains know it perfectly well.

Original: a plague upon it when thieves cannot be true one to another!
Modern: A curse on it all when thieves can’t even be loyal to each other!

Original: Whew! A plague upon you all! Give me my horse, you rogues; give me my horse, and be hanged!
Modern: Whew! A curse on all of you! Give me back my horse, you scoundrels; give me my horse, and go to hell!

In Act 2, Scene 2 of “Henry IV, Part 1,” Prince Hal and Poins execute their plan to rob Falstaff and his companions after they themselves have completed a robbery. The scene opens on the highway near Gadshill at night, where Falstaff complains about having his horse hidden by Poins. Prince Hal teases Falstaff about his weight and physical condition as they wait for travelers to rob. Gadshill arrives with news that wealthy travelers are approaching, and despite Falstaff’s continued protests about lacking a horse, the group prepares for their robbery. Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gadshill successfully rob the travelers of their money, binding and threatening the victims before taking their purses.

Immediately after the robbery is complete and Falstaff’s group divides their spoils, Prince Hal and Poins emerge in disguise and attack the robbers. Falstaff and his companions quickly flee in terror without putting up any real fight, abandoning the stolen money. The fat knight runs away after only a blow or two, followed by the others. Prince Hal and Poins are left alone with all the stolen loot, which they plan to return to its rightful owners. The Prince finds great amusement in imagining the outrageous lies that Falstaff will invent to explain his cowardly flight from the scene, and the two conspirators depart to hear what excuses will be fabricated back at the tavern.

Henry IV, Part I follows the political and personal struggles of King Henry IV as he faces rebellion from powerful nobles while dealing with his wayward son, Prince Hal. The play opens with Henry’s guilt over having deposed Richard II and his disappointment in his eldest son, who spends his time in taverns with the disreputable Sir John Falstaff rather than at court. Meanwhile, the Percy family—led by Henry “Hotspur” Percy, his father the Earl of Northumberland, and his uncle the Earl of Worcester—grows increasingly resentful of the king’s treatment of them despite their crucial role in placing him on the throne.

The Percys form an alliance with Welsh rebel Owen Glendower and Scottish rebel the Earl of Douglas to overthrow Henry IV. Hotspur, a fiery young warrior obsessed with honor, becomes the rebellion’s military leader. Simultaneously, Prince Hal reveals in soliloquy that he deliberately maintains his dissolute reputation to make his eventual reformation more impressive. When his father confronts him about his behavior and unfavorably compares him to the noble Hotspur, Hal promises to redeem himself by defeating his rival in battle.

The rebellion comes to a head at the Battle of Shrewsbury, where the royal forces face the rebel army. During the battle, Prince Hal saves his father’s life and fulfills his promise by killing Hotspur in single combat, finally proving his worthiness as heir to the throne. Falstaff, who has been cowardly throughout the battle, claims credit for Hotspur’s death after discovering the body. The king’s forces win the battle, with Worcester and Douglas captured, though some rebels escape. The play concludes with the king’s victory secured but the realm’s troubles not entirely resolved, as other rebels remain at large and the crown’s stability depends on continued military action.