Original: First, heaven be the record to my speech!
Modern: First, let heaven witness what I’m about to say!

Original: In the devotion of a subject’s love,
Modern: Out of my loyal devotion as your subject,

Original: Tendering the precious safety of my prince,
Modern: Caring deeply for my prince’s precious safety,

Original: And free from other misbegotten hate,
Modern: And free from any wrongful personal hatred,

Original: Come I appellant to this princely presence.
Modern: I come before you as an accuser in this royal court.

Original: Now, Thomas Mowbray, do I turn to thee,
Modern: Now, Thomas Mowbray, I turn to face you,

Original: And mark my greeting well; for what I speak
Modern: And listen carefully to my words; because what I say

Original: My body shall make good upon this earth,
Modern: My body will prove true in physical combat,

Original: Or my divine soul answer it in heaven.
Modern: Or my soul will answer for it before God in heaven.

Original: Thou art a traitor and a miscreant,
Modern: You are a traitor and a villain,

Original: Too good to be so and too bad to live,
Modern: Too noble-looking to be evil, yet too evil to deserve life,

Original: Since the more fair and crystal is the sky,
Modern: Because the clearer and more beautiful the sky is,

Original: The uglier seem the clouds that in it fly.
Modern: The uglier the dark clouds appear that pass through it.

Original: Once more, the more to aggravate the note,
Modern: Once again, to make my accusation even stronger,

Original: With a foul traitor’s name stuff I thy throat;
Modern: I stuff the name of “foul traitor” down your throat;

Original: And wish, so please my sovereign, ere I move,
Modern: And I wish, if it pleases my king, before I take action,

Original: What my tongue speaks my right drawn sword may prove.
Modern: That my sword may prove in battle what my tongue has spoken.

In Act I, scene i of Richard II, King Richard II holds court to address a serious dispute between Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford, and Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk. Bolingbroke formally accuses Mowbray of treason, claiming that Mowbray has embezzled funds intended for the king’s soldiers and, more seriously, that he was responsible for the murder of Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, who was the king’s uncle and Bolingbroke’s uncle as well. Mowbray vehemently denies these charges and throws down his gage in response to Bolingbroke’s challenge, accepting the formal accusation of treason.

King Richard attempts to reconcile the two nobles and avoid the trial by combat they both demand, but neither man will withdraw his accusations or accept a peaceful resolution. Both Bolingbroke and Mowbray insist on defending their honor through armed combat, and each throws down his gage as a pledge to fight. Despite the king’s efforts at mediation, the two dukes remain adamant in their positions. Richard finally agrees to allow the trial by combat to proceed, and the scene concludes with arrangements being made for the formal combat to take place at Coventry, with both men maintaining their irreconcilable positions regarding the charges of treason.

Richard II opens with King Richard presiding over a dispute between Henry Bolingbroke (John of Gaunt’s son) and Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk. Both men accuse each other of treason, and when Richard cannot reconcile them, he arranges a trial by combat. However, just as the combat is about to begin, Richard stops the fight and banishes both men from England - Mowbray for life and Bolingbroke for six years, later reduced to four.

When John of Gaunt falls ill and dies, Richard seizes his lands and wealth to fund his wars in Ireland, effectively disinheriting Bolingbroke. This act alienates the nobility, who fear their own inheritances are now at risk. While Richard departs for his Irish campaign, Bolingbroke returns from exile with an army, ostensibly to reclaim his rightful inheritance. He quickly gains support from discontented nobles, including the Duke of York, who was left as regent in Richard’s absence.

Richard returns from Ireland to find his support has collapsed and his army has dispersed. After a series of encounters, including a pivotal scene at Flint Castle where Richard realizes his situation is hopeless, he agrees to abdicate. In a formal ceremony at Westminster, Richard hands over his crown to Bolingbroke, who becomes King Henry IV. Richard is imprisoned in Pomfret Castle, where he is eventually murdered by Sir Pierce Exton, who believes he is carrying out Henry’s wishes. The play ends with Henry expressing regret over Richard’s death and vowing to journey to the Holy Land to atone for his indirect role in the former king’s murder.