Original: No, I’ll be sworn; I make as good use of it as many a man doth of a Death’s-head or a memento mori:
Modern: No, I swear; I use it as well as many men use a skull or reminder of death:

Original: I never see thy face but I think upon hell-fire and Dives that lived in purple;
Modern: I never look at your face without thinking of the fires of hell and that rich man Dives who wore purple robes;

Original: for there he is in his robes, burning, burning.
Modern: for there he is in his fancy clothes, burning and burning forever.

Original: If thou wert any way given to virtue, I would swear by thy face;
Modern: If you had any virtue at all, I would make oaths by your face;

Original: my oath should be ‘By this fire, that’s God’s angel:’
Modern: my oath would be ‘By this fire, which is God’s angel:’

Original: but thou art altogether given over; and wert indeed, but for the light in thy face, the son of utter darkness.
Modern: but you are completely corrupt; and truly, if not for the red glow in your face, you’d be the son of total darkness.

Original: When thou rannest up Gadshill in the night to catch my horse, if I did not think thou hadst been an ignis fatuus or a ball of wildfire, there’s no purchase in money.
Modern: When you ran up Gadshill at night to catch my horse, if I didn’t think you were a will-o’-the-wisp or a ball of fire, then nothing has any value.

Original: O, thou art a perpetual triumph, an everlasting bonfire-light!
Modern: Oh, you are a constant celebration torch, an eternal bonfire!

Original: Thou hast saved me a thousand marks in links and torches, walking with thee in the night betwixt tavern and tavern:
Modern: You’ve saved me a thousand marks on candles and torches, walking with you at night from tavern to tavern:

Original: but the sack that thou hast drunk me would have bought me lights as good cheap at the dearest chandler’s in Europe.
Modern: but the wine that you’ve made me pay for would have bought me lights just as cheaply at the most expensive candle-maker’s shop in Europe.

Original: I have maintained that salamander of yours with fire any time this two and thirty years;
Modern: I have kept that fire-creature (your red face) burning with alcohol for these last thirty-two years;

Original: God reward me for it!
Modern: May God reward me for it!

In Act III, Scene iii of Henry IV, Part I, the scene takes place at the Boar’s Head Tavern in Eastcheap, where Falstaff and Bardolph are engaged in conversation. Falstaff laments that he has grown thin and virtuous, though his complaints are clearly comic exaggerations. He accuses Bardolph of being a thief and humorously ridicules the redness of Bardolph’s face, comparing it to a burning lamp. The Hostess, Mistress Quickly, enters and Falstaff accuses her of having picked his pocket, claiming he has lost a valuable ring and certain papers. A quarrel erupts between them, with the Hostess denying the charge and insisting that Falstaff owes her money for food and lodging. Hal enters during the dispute and sides with the Hostess, telling Falstaff that she did not pick his pocket and that he himself knows what was in Falstaff’s pocket — namely, nothing of consequence.

Hal then delivers important news, informing Falstaff that he has secured him a position of military command: Falstaff is to lead a charge of foot soldiers in the upcoming conflict. Hal also reveals that he has repaid the money stolen during the Gad’s Hill robbery, settling that outstanding matter. With business now pressing, Hal directs everyone toward their respective duties in preparation for the march to war. Falstaff is sent to meet with Sir John Bracy, and Hal announces that he himself must depart. The scene closes with the characters moving purposefully toward the military campaign against the rebels, as the holiday atmosphere of the tavern gives way to the demands of approaching battle.

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.