Original: It pleased your majesty to turn your looks
Modern: You decided, your majesty, to turn your face

Original: Of favour from myself and all our house;
Modern: Of approval away from me and all my family;

Original: And yet I must remember you, my lord,
Modern: But I need to remind you, my lord,

Original: We were the first and dearest of your friends.
Modern: We were your earliest and closest friends.

Original: For you my staff of office did I break
Modern: For your sake I broke my staff of office

Original: In Richard’s time; and posted day and night
Modern: When Richard was king; and I rode day and night

Original: to meet you on the way, and kiss your hand,
Modern: To meet you on the road and kiss your hand,

Original: When yet you were in place and in account
Modern: When you were still in position and reputation

Original: Nothing so strong and fortunate as I.
Modern: Not nearly as powerful and fortunate as I was.

Original: It was myself, my brother and his son,
Modern: It was me, my brother, and his son

Original: That brought you home and boldly did outdare
Modern: Who brought you home and bravely defied

Original: The dangers of the time. You swore to us,
Modern: The dangers of that time. You promised us,

Original: And you did swear that oath at Doncaster,
Modern: And you made that oath at Doncaster,

Original: That you did nothing purpose ‘gainst the state;
Modern: That you intended nothing against the state;

Original: Nor claim no further than your new-fall’n right,
Modern: And would claim nothing more than your newly inherited right,

Original: The seat of Gaunt, dukedom of Lancaster:
Modern: The estate of Gaunt, the dukedom of Lancaster:

Original: To this we swore our aid. But in short space
Modern: To this we promised our help. But in a short time

Original: It rain’d down fortune showering on your head;
Modern: Good fortune rained down on you like a shower;

Original: And such a flood of greatness fell on you,
Modern: And such a flood of power fell upon you,

Original: What with our help, what with the absent king,
Modern: Partly because of our help, partly because of the absent king,

Original: What with the injuries of a wanton time,
Modern: Partly because of the problems of that reckless time,

Original: The seeming sufferances that you had borne,
Modern: The apparent hardships you had endured,

Original: And the contrarious winds that held the king
Modern: And the opposing winds that kept the king

Original: So long in his unlucky Irish wars
Modern: So long in his unfortunate wars in Ireland

Original: That all in England did repute him dead:
Modern: That everyone in England believed he was dead:

Original: And from this swarm of fair advantages
Modern: And from this swarm of favorable opportunities

Original: You took occasion to be quickly woo’d
Modern: You seized the chance to be quickly persuaded

Original: To gripe the general sway into your hand;
Modern: To grab total power into your hand;

Original: Forget your oath to us at Doncaster;
Modern: You forgot your oath to us at Doncaster;

Original: And being fed by us you used us so
Modern: And after being supported by us, you treated us

Original: As that ungentle hull, the cuckoo’s bird,
Modern: Like that ungracious brute, the cuckoo’s chick,

Original: Useth the sparrow; did oppress our nest;
Modern: Treats the sparrow; you took over our nest;

Original: Grew by our feeding to so great a bulk
Modern: Grew so large from our feeding

Original: That even our love durst not come near your sight
Modern: That even our love didn’t dare come near you

Original: For fear of swallowing; but with nimble wing
Modern: For fear of being swallowed up; so with quick wings

Original: We were enforced, for safety sake, to fly
Modern: We were forced, for our own safety, to fly away

Original: Out of sight and raise this present head;
Modern: Out of sight and raise this army;

Original: Whereby we stand opposed by such means
Modern: And now we stand opposed to you by the same methods

Original: As you yourself have forged against yourself
Modern: That you yourself have created against yourself

Original: By unkind usage, dangerous countenance,
Modern: Through cruel treatment, threatening behavior,

Original: And violation of all faith and troth
Modern: And breaking all promises and trust

Original: Sworn to us in your younger enterprise.
Modern: That you swore to us in your earlier venture.

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.