Original: So farewell to the little good you bear me.
Modern: So goodbye to whatever small amount of kindness you had for me.

Original: Farewell! a long farewell, to all my greatness!
Modern: Goodbye! A final goodbye to all my power and importance!

Original: This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth
Modern: This is the condition of human life: today a man sends out

Original: The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms,
Modern: The delicate first signs of hope; tomorrow he blooms,

Original: And bears his blushing honours thick upon him;
Modern: And wears his proud achievements all over him;

Original: The third day comes a frost, a killing frost,
Modern: The third day brings a freeze, a deadly freeze,

Original: And, when he thinks, good easy man, full surely
Modern: And when he believes, poor trusting fool, absolutely certain

Original: His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root,
Modern: His success is growing, it destroys his foundation,

Original: And then he falls, as I do. I have ventured,
Modern: And then he crashes down, just like I’m doing now. I have risked everything,

Original: Like little wanton boys that swim on bladders,
Modern: Like reckless children who float on inflated animal bladders,

Original: This many summers in a sea of glory,
Modern: For all these years in an ocean of fame and success,

Original: But far beyond my depth: my high-blown pride
Modern: But way over my head: my inflated pride

Original: At length broke under me and now has left me,
Modern: Finally burst beneath me and now has abandoned me,

Original: Weary and old with service, to the mercy
Modern: Exhausted and aged from years of service, at the mercy

Original: Of a rude stream, that must for ever hide me.
Modern: Of a harsh current that will drown and hide me forever.

Original: Vain pomp and glory of this world, I hate ye:
Modern: Empty power and fame of this world, I hate you:

Original: I feel my heart new open’d. O, how wretched
Modern: I feel my heart newly opened to truth. Oh, how miserable

Original: Is that poor man that hangs on princes’ favours!
Modern: Is that unfortunate man who depends on a ruler’s approval!

Original: There is, betwixt that smile we would aspire to,
Modern: There is, between that smile we hope to earn,

Original: That sweet aspect of princes, and their ruin,
Modern: That pleasant face of rulers, and our destruction,

Original: More pangs and fears than wars or women have:
Modern: More pain and terror than wars or childbirth bring:

Original: And when he falls, he falls like Lucifer,
Modern: And when he falls from grace, he falls like Satan,

Original: Never to hope again.
Modern: Never able to rise or hope again.

In Act III, Scene ii of Henry VIII, Cardinal Wolsey finds himself at the center of a dramatic reversal of fortune. The scene begins with Wolsey confidently navigating the political landscape of King Henry’s court, still believing himself to be in the king’s favor. However, his position quickly begins to unravel when the Duke of Norfolk, the Duke of Suffolk, the Earl of Surrey, and the Lord Chamberlain confront him, making clear that his enemies have gained significant ground against him. The lords take pleasure in informing Wolsey that the king has discovered his secret correspondence with the Pope, in which Wolsey urged the Pope to delay granting Henry’s divorce from Katherine of Aragon. King Henry himself appears and, though he remains composed, signals his displeasure by returning papers to Wolsey that reveal not only the treasonous letter but also a detailed inventory of Wolsey’s enormous personal wealth, which he had concealed from the crown.

After the king departs, Wolsey is left alone to reflect on his dramatically changed circumstances, and the lords return to formally strip him of the Lord Chancellorship and demand the surrender of the Great Seal. Wolsey is informed of the many charges against him and is told he must answer to them. Following the lords’ exit, Wolsey delivers a lengthy and reflective soliloquy in which he acknowledges the emptiness of the power and prestige he has spent his life accumulating. He is then joined by his loyal servant Thomas Cromwell, to whom he speaks with remarkable candor about the nature of ambition and the cost of a life devoted to serving worldly power over matters of conscience. Wolsey advises Cromwell to serve the king faithfully but to place his conscience above all else, and he bids him farewell as a man who has made his peace with his fall from grace.

Henry VIII: Plot Summary

The play opens in the court of King Henry VIII of England, where the powerful Cardinal Wolsey has orchestrated the downfall of the Duke of Buckingham, who is arrested for treason based on the testimony of his own surveyor. Despite pleas for mercy, Buckingham is condemned and executed. Meanwhile, King Henry meets Anne Bullen (Anne Boleyn) at a masque hosted by Cardinal Wolsey and becomes captivated by her. Henry also begins to express doubts about the validity of his marriage to Queen Katherine of Aragon, claiming his conscience troubles him over the legality of the union, as Katherine was previously married to his brother Prince Arthur.

Cardinal Wolsey works to manage the political situation, but his influence begins to unravel when Henry discovers that Wolsey has been secretly corresponding with the Pope to delay the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Katherine, and that Wolsey has been accumulating enormous personal wealth. Henry strips Wolsey of his offices and powers. Wolsey, broken by his fall from grace, dies before he can be brought to formal ruin. Queen Katherine, meanwhile, is put on trial regarding the annulment of her marriage. She passionately defends herself before the court but is ultimately cast aside. She later receives a vision of blessed spirits before dying, having been given the reduced title of Princess Dowager.

With Katherine removed, Henry marries Anne Bullen, and she is crowned Queen in a grand coronation celebrated by the common people. Archbishop Cranmer, a Protestant reformer and ally of the King, comes under threat from a council of nobles who attempt to bring charges against him. Henry, however, intervenes to protect Cranmer. The play concludes with the christening of Henry and Anne’s newborn daughter, the future Queen Elizabeth I, where Cranmer delivers a joyful prophecy foretelling the greatness of Elizabeth’s reign and the prosperity that will follow under her successor, King James I.