Original: Your grace shall pardon me, I will not back:
Modern: Your majesty will have to forgive me, but I will not retreat.

Original: I am too high-born to be propertied,
Modern: I am of too noble birth to be treated like property,

Original: To be a secondary at control,
Modern: To be someone’s second-in-command,

Original: Or useful serving-man and instrument,
Modern: Or to be just a useful servant and tool,

Original: To any sovereign state throughout the world.
Modern: To any kingdom anywhere in the world.

Original: Your breath first kindled the dead coal of wars
Modern: Your words first sparked this war that had died down

Original: Between this chastised kingdom and myself,
Modern: Between this punished kingdom and me,

Original: And brought in matter that should feed this fire;
Modern: And you provided the fuel to keep this conflict burning;

Original: And now ‘tis far too huge to be blown out
Modern: And now it has grown too large to be put out

Original: With that same weak wind which enkindled it.
Modern: By the same feeble breath that started it.

Original: You taught me how to know the face of right,
Modern: You taught me to recognize what is just and rightful,

Original: Acquainted me with interest to this land,
Modern: You made me aware of my rightful claim to this land,

Original: Yea, thrust this enterprise into my heart;
Modern: Yes, you pushed this mission into my very soul;

Original: And come ye now to tell me John hath made
Modern: And now you come to tell me that John has made

Original: His peace with Rome? What is that peace to me?
Modern: His peace with Rome? What does that peace mean to me?

Original: I, by the honour of my marriage-bed,
Modern: I, by the honor of my marriage,

Original: After young Arthur, claim this land for mine;
Modern: After young Arthur’s death, claim this land as mine;

Original: And, now it is half-conquer’d, must I back
Modern: And now that it’s half-conquered, must I retreat

Original: Because that John hath made his peace with Rome?
Modern: Just because John has made his peace with Rome?

Original: Am I Rome’s slave? What penny hath Rome borne,
Modern: Am I Rome’s slave? What money has Rome contributed,

Original: What men provided, what munition sent,
Modern: What soldiers provided, what weapons sent,

Original: To underprop this action? Is’t not I
Modern: To support this military campaign? Isn’t it me

Original: That undergo this charge? who else but I,
Modern: Who bears this burden? Who else but me,

Original: And such as to my claim are liable,
Modern: And those who are bound to support my claim,

Original: Sweat in this business and maintain this war?
Modern: Work hard in this effort and keep this war going?

Original: Have I not heard these islanders shout out
Modern: Haven’t I heard these English people shout out

Original: ‘Vive le roi!’ as I have bank’d their towns?
Modern: ‘Long live the king!’ as I’ve surrounded their towns?

Original: Have I not here the best cards for the game,
Modern: Don’t I have the best hand in this game,

Original: To win this easy match play’d for a crown?
Modern: To win this simple contest played for a crown?

Original: And shall I now give o’er the yielded set?
Modern: And should I now give up this winning hand?

Original: No, no, on my soul, it never shall be said.
Modern: No, no, I swear on my soul, that will never happen.

In Act V, Scene ii of “King John,” the Dauphin Louis of France meets with the English nobles who have rebelled against King John, including Salisbury, Pembroke, and Bigot. The French prince welcomes these defectors and assures them of France’s commitment to their cause against John’s tyrannical rule. Louis expresses confidence in their military position and promises that their rebellion will be successful, as French forces are already landing on English shores to support their uprising.

The scene establishes the strength of the French-supported rebellion against King John’s authority. Louis attempts to solidify the alliance with the English nobles by affirming their shared grievances against the king and promising them positions of honor once John is defeated. The Dauphin presents himself as a liberator rather than a conqueror, emphasizing that the French intervention serves the legitimate interests of the English nobles who seek to overthrow their tyrannical monarch. The scene demonstrates the extent of opposition that has formed against King John’s rule, with powerful English lords willing to ally with foreign forces to achieve their political goals.

King John opens with King Philip of France supporting Arthur, the young son of John’s deceased brother Geoffrey, as the rightful heir to the English throne. John’s mother, Queen Eleanor, and the French court engage in heated disputes over legitimacy. Meanwhile, the Bastard (Philip Faulconbridge), illegitimate son of Richard the Lionheart, joins John’s cause after being legitimized. War breaks out between England and France, with the strategic town of Angiers caught between the two armies.

The conflict temporarily resolves when John’s niece Blanche marries the French Dauphin Lewis, uniting the two kingdoms. However, Cardinal Pandulph arrives from Rome and excommunicates John for refusing to accept Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury. The Cardinal persuades France to break the peace and resume war against the excommunicated English king. In the ensuing battle, Arthur is captured by John’s forces.

John orders Hubert to kill the young Arthur, but Hubert cannot bring himself to murder the child and instead hides him. When Arthur later dies attempting to escape from his prison tower, the English nobles believe John has murdered him and defect to join the invading French forces led by the Dauphin. As John faces rebellion from within and invasion from without, he submits to the Pope’s authority to regain legitimacy. However, he falls ill and is poisoned by a monk at Swinstead Abbey.

The Bastard rallies the remaining English forces and discovers that the French nobles plan to kill their English allies after victory. This intelligence helps reconcile the English lords to their king. John dies, and his young son Henry is crowned King Henry III. The Dauphin withdraws his forces, and Cardinal Pandulph negotiates peace. The play concludes with the Bastard delivering a patriotic speech about England’s strength when united against foreign threats.