Original: Discomfortable cousin! know’st thou not
Modern: Discouraging cousin! Don’t you know

Original: That when the searching eye of heaven is hid,
Modern: That when the sun is hidden,

Original: Behind the globe, that lights the lower world,
Modern: Behind the earth, which lights the other side of the world,

Original: Then thieves and robbers range abroad unseen
Modern: Then thieves and robbers roam around unseen

Original: In murders and in outrage, boldly here;
Modern: Committing murders and violent crimes, boldly here;

Original: But when from under this terrestrial ball
Modern: But when from beneath this earthly sphere

Original: He fires the proud tops of the eastern pines
Modern: The sun illuminates the highest eastern treetops

Original: And darts his light through every guilty hole,
Modern: And shoots its light into every hiding place,

Original: Then murders, treasons and detested sins,
Modern: Then murders, betrayals, and hateful sins,

Original: The cloak of night being pluck’d from off their backs,
Modern: With the cover of darkness stripped away from them,

Original: Stand bare and naked, trembling at themselves?
Modern: Stand exposed and vulnerable, horrified by their own actions?

Original: So when this thief, this traitor, Bolingbroke,
Modern: So when this thief, this traitor, Bolingbroke,

Original: Who all this while hath revell’d in the night
Modern: Who all this time has celebrated in the darkness

Original: Whilst we were wandering with the antipodes,
Modern: While we were away on the other side of the world,

Original: Shall see us rising in our throne, the east,
Modern: Shall see us rising to our throne, like the sun in the east,

Original: His treasons will sit blushing in his face,
Modern: His betrayals will show as shame on his face,

Original: Not able to endure the sight of day,
Modern: Unable to withstand the light of day,

Original: But self-affrighted tremble at his sin.
Modern: But terrified by his own actions, trembling at his sin.

Original: Not all the water in the rough rude sea
Modern: Not all the water in the rough, wild ocean

Original: Can wash the balm off from an anointed king;
Modern: Can wash away the sacred oil from a king blessed by God;

Original: The breath of worldly men cannot depose
Modern: The words of ordinary men cannot remove from power

Original: The deputy elected by the Lord:
Modern: The representative chosen by God:

Original: For every man that Bolingbroke hath press’d
Modern: For every man that Bolingbroke has forced

Original: To lift shrewd steel against our golden crown,
Modern: To raise a sharp sword against our royal crown,

Original: God for his Richard hath in heavenly pay
Modern: God on Richard’s behalf has in heaven’s army

Original: A glorious angel: then, if angels fight,
Modern: A glorious angel: so, if angels fight,

Original: Weak men must fall, for heaven still guards the right.
Modern: Weak men must lose, because heaven always protects what is right.

In Act III, Scene 2 of Richard II, King Richard returns to England from his Irish campaign to find his kingdom in rebellion. Landing on the Welsh coast, Richard kneels and touches the ground, expressing his joy at being back on English soil and his confidence that the land itself will rise against his enemies. He is initially optimistic, believing that divine right protects his crown and that Bolingbroke’s rebellion will fail. However, his mood shifts dramatically as messengers arrive with increasingly dire news: the Welsh forces have disbanded, believing Richard dead; his favorites Bushy, Green, and the Earl of Wiltshire have been executed by Bolingbroke; and the Duke of York has either joined or been unable to resist the rebel forces.

Richard’s emotional state fluctuates wildly throughout the scene as each piece of bad news arrives. He moves from passionate declarations of royal authority to profound despair, at one point sitting upon the ground and speaking of the death of kings. The Bishop of Carlisle and the Duke of Aumerle attempt to encourage Richard to take action and rally his remaining forces, reminding him that he still has power and supporters. By the end of the scene, Richard resolves to travel to Flint Castle, though his confidence has been severely shaken. The scene concludes with Richard and his small party departing for the castle, where they hope to regroup and assess their remaining options against Bolingbroke’s advancing army.

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.