Original: But for mine own part, my lord, I could be well contented to be there, in respect of the love I bear your house.
Modern: As for me, my lord, I would be happy to be there because of the love I have for your family.

Original: He could be contented: why is he not, then?
Modern: He says he would be happy to join us—so why isn’t he?

Original: In respect of the love he bears our house: he shows in this, he loves his own barn better than he loves our house.
Modern: By saying he loves our family, he’s actually showing that he loves his own property more than he loves us.

Original: Let me see some more.
Modern: Let me read more of this letter.

Original: The purpose you undertake is dangerous;
Modern: The plan you’re attempting is dangerous.

Original: why, that’s certain: ‘tis dangerous to take a cold, to sleep, to drink;
Modern: Well, of course it is—it’s dangerous to catch a cold, to sleep, to drink!

Original: but I tell you, my lord fool, out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety.
Modern: But I’m telling you, you fool, from this thorny danger we grab the reward of safety.

Original: The purpose you undertake is dangerous; the friends you have named uncertain; the time itself unsorted; and your whole plot too light for the counterpoise of so great an opposition.
Modern: The plan you’re attempting is dangerous; the allies you’ve chosen are unreliable; the timing is bad; and your entire plot is too weak to balance out such powerful enemies.

Original: Say you so, say you so?
Modern: Is that what you’re saying? Really?

Original: I say unto you again, you are a shallow cowardly hind, and you lie.
Modern: I’m telling you again—you’re a stupid, cowardly servant, and you’re a liar.

Original: What a lack-brain is this!
Modern: What an idiot this guy is!

Original: By the Lord, our plot is a good plot as ever was laid;
Modern: I swear to God, our plan is as good a plan as has ever been made.

Original: our friends true and constant: a good plot, good friends, and full of expectation;
Modern: Our allies are loyal and reliable—a good plan, good allies, and full of promise.

Original: an excellent plot, very good friends.
Modern: An excellent plan with very good allies.

Original: What a frosty-spirited rogue is this!
Modern: What a cold-hearted scoundrel this person is!

Original: Why, my lord of York commends the plot and the general course of action.
Modern: Why, the Earl of York himself praises the plan and our overall strategy.

Original: ‘Zounds, an I were now by this rascal, I could brain him with his lady’s fan.
Modern: God’s wounds! If I were near this jerk right now, I could knock him out with his wife’s fan.

Original: Is there not my father, my uncle and myself? lord Edmund Mortimer, My lord of York and Owen Glendower?
Modern: Don’t we have my father, my uncle, and me? Lord Edmund Mortimer, the Earl of York, and Owen Glendower?

Original: is there not besides the Douglas? have I not all their letters to meet me in arms by the ninth of the next month?
Modern: And don’t we also have Douglas? Don’t I have letters from all of them agreeing to meet me with their armies by the ninth of next month?

Original: and are they not some of them set forward already?
Modern: And haven’t some of them already started marching?

Original: What a pagan rascal is this! an infidel!
Modern: What a godless scoundrel this is! A non-believer!

Original: Ha! you shall see now in very sincerity of fear and cold heart, will he to the king and lay open all our proceedings.
Modern: Ha! Just watch—out of pure fear and cowardice, he’ll run to the king and reveal all our plans.

Original: O, I could divide myself and go to buffets, for moving such a dish of skim milk with so honourable an action!
Modern: Oh, I could beat myself up for involving such a weak coward in such an honorable mission!

Original: Hang him! let him tell the king: we are prepared.
Modern: To hell with him! Let him tell the king—we’re ready anyway.

Original: I will set forward to-night.
Modern: I will leave and start the march tonight.

In Act II, scene iii of Henry IV, Part I, Hotspur reads a letter from a nobleman who refuses to join the rebellion against King Henry IV. The letter writer expresses concerns about the dangerous nature of the conspiracy and questions whether the plot has sufficient support to succeed. He criticizes the enterprise as poorly planned and too risky, ultimately declining to participate in the uprising that Hotspur and the other conspirators are organizing.

Lady Percy enters and confronts her husband about his recent behavior, noting that he has been restless, distracted, and talking in his sleep about military matters including horses, soldiers, and battles. She demands to know what is troubling him and suspects he is involved in some dangerous plot. Hotspur dismisses her concerns and refuses to reveal details about his plans, treating her questions lightly and deflecting her serious inquiries about his activities. When she presses him further about his secrets, he tells her she must wait to learn more and that he will be departing soon, leaving her frustrated and without the answers she seeks about his mysterious and concerning conduct.

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.