Original: Noble lords,
Modern: Noble gentlemen,

Original: Go to the rude ribs of that ancient castle;
Modern: Go to the rough walls of that old castle;

Original: Through brazen trumpet send the breath of parley
Modern: Through a brass trumpet, announce that I want to negotiate

Original: Into his ruin’d ears, and thus deliver: Henry Bolingbroke
Modern: Into his damaged hearing, and deliver this message: Henry Bolingbroke

Original: On both his knees doth kiss King Richard’s hand
Modern: Is on both knees and kisses King Richard’s hand

Original: And sends allegiance and true faith of heart
Modern: And pledges his loyalty and genuine devotion

Original: To his most royal person, hither come
Modern: To his royal majesty, having come here

Original: Even at his feet to lay my arms and power,
Modern: Right at his feet to surrender my weapons and army,

Original: Provided that my banishment repeal’d
Modern: As long as my exile is canceled

Original: And lands restored again be freely granted:
Modern: And my lands are given back to me without conditions:

Original: If not, I’ll use the advantage of my power
Modern: If not, I’ll use the strength of my army

Original: And lay the summer’s dust with showers of blood
Modern: And drench the summer dust with pouring blood

Original: Rain’d from the wounds of slaughter’d Englishmen:
Modern: Flowing from the wounds of murdered Englishmen:

Original: The which, how far off from the mind of Bolingbroke
Modern: Though how far from Bolingbroke’s actual intentions

Original: It is, such crimson tempest should bedrench
Modern: It is that such a bloody storm should soak

Original: The fresh green lap of fair King Richard’s land,
Modern: The beautiful green fields of King Richard’s land,

Original: My stooping duty tenderly shall show.
Modern: My humble and respectful obedience will gently demonstrate.

Original: Go, signify as much, while here we march
Modern: Go tell him all of this while we march here

Original: Upon the grassy carpet of this plain.
Modern: On the grass-covered ground of this field.

Original: Let’s march without the noise of threatening drum,
Modern: Let’s march without the sound of war drums,

Original: That from this castle’s tatter’d battlements
Modern: So that from this castle’s worn battlements

Original: Our fair appointments may be well perused.
Modern: Our impressive military equipment can be clearly observed.

Original: Methinks King Richard and myself should meet
Modern: I think King Richard and I should meet

Original: With no less terror than the elements
Modern: With as much terrifying force as the natural elements

Original: Of fire and water, when their thundering shock
Modern: Of fire and water, when their thunderous collision

Original: At meeting tears the cloudy cheeks of heaven.
Modern: Rips apart the cloudy face of the sky.

Original: Be he the fire, I’ll be the yielding water:
Modern: Let him be the fire, I’ll be the flexible water:

Original: The rage be his, whilst on the earth I rain
Modern: Let the anger be his, while I pour down on the earth

Original: My waters; on the earth, and not on him.
Modern: My tears; on the ground, and not attacking him.

Original: March on, and mark King Richard how he looks.
Modern: Keep marching, and watch carefully how King Richard appears.

Original: See, see, King Richard doth himself appear,
Modern: Look, look, King Richard himself appears,

Original: As doth the blushing discontented sun
Modern: Like the red, unhappy sun

Original: From out the fiery portal of the east,
Modern: Coming out from the blazing doorway of the eastern horizon,

Original: When he perceives the envious clouds are bent
Modern: When it sees that jealous clouds are determined

Original: To dim his glory and to stain the track
Modern: To reduce his brightness and to dirty the path

Original: Of his bright passage to the occident.
Modern: Of his brilliant journey to the west.

Here is a two-paragraph summary of Act III, Scene iii of Richard II, focusing on lines around line 36 of that scene:

Richard II and his small retinue have arrived at Flint Castle, where Bolingbroke and his forces have gathered outside the walls. Bolingbroke sends Northumberland as his emissary to deliver terms to Richard: if the king will repeal Bolingbroke’s banishment and restore his lands and titles, Bolingbroke will lay down his arms and submit as a loyal subject. Richard receives Northumberland on the castle walls and responds with a mixture of royal authority and barely concealed desperation, warning that if his terms are not met, the blood spilled in civil war will be on Bolingbroke’s hands. Richard asserts his divine right as king and the power that God will lend to his cause, even as his actual military position is clearly weakened.

However, Richard’s defiant posture quickly gives way to a more resigned and sorrowful tone. When Northumberland returns to Bolingbroke with Richard’s reply, Bolingbroke agrees to Richard’s conditions on the surface, but the power dynamic is unmistakably clear. Richard descends from the castle walls to meet Bolingbroke in the courtyard below, a physical action that mirrors his descent from power. When they meet face to face, Bolingbroke kneels before Richard, but Richard bitterly acknowledges the hollowness of the gesture, recognizing that he is effectively a prisoner and that yielding to Bolingbroke’s demands means traveling to London, where his fate will ultimately be decided.

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.