Original: What must the king do now? must he submit?
Modern: What should the king do now? Should he give in?

Original: The king shall do it: must he be deposed?
Modern: The king will do it. Must he be removed from the throne?

Original: The king shall be contented: must he lose
Modern: The king will accept it. Must he lose

Original: The name of king? o’ God’s name, let it go:
Modern: The title of king? In God’s name, let it go.

Original: I’ll give my jewels for a set of beads,
Modern: I’ll trade my jewels for a set of prayer beads,

Original: My gorgeous palace for a hermitage,
Modern: My beautiful palace for a simple monk’s cell,

Original: My gay apparel for an almsman’s gown,
Modern: My fancy clothes for a poor man’s robe,

Original: My figured goblets for a dish of wood,
Modern: My decorated cups for a wooden bowl,

Original: My sceptre for a palmer’s walking staff,
Modern: My royal staff for a pilgrim’s walking stick,

Original: My subjects for a pair of carved saints
Modern: My people for a pair of carved saint statues

Original: And my large kingdom for a little grave,
Modern: And my great kingdom for a small grave,

Original: A little little grave, an obscure grave;
Modern: A tiny, tiny grave, a forgotten grave;

Original: Or I’ll be buried in the king’s highway,
Modern: Or I’ll be buried in the public road,

Original: Some way of common trade, where subjects’ feet
Modern: Some busy street where my subjects’ feet

Original: May hourly trample on their sovereign’s head;
Modern: Can walk every hour over their king’s head;

Original: For on my heart they tread now whilst I live;
Modern: Because they’re already trampling on my heart while I’m alive;

Original: And buried once, why not upon my head?
Modern: And once I’m buried, why not on my head too?

Original: Aumerle, thou weep’st, my tender-hearted cousin!
Modern: Aumerle, you’re crying, my gentle-hearted cousin!

Original: We’ll make foul weather with despised tears;
Modern: We’ll create storms with our bitter tears;

Original: Our sighs and they shall lodge the summer corn,
Modern: Our sighs and tears will flatten the summer crops,

Original: And make a dearth in this revolting land.
Modern: And cause a famine in this rebellious country.

Original: Or shall we play the wantons with our woes,
Modern: Or should we be playful with our sorrows,

Original: And make some pretty match with shedding tears?
Modern: And make some clever game out of crying?

Original: As thus, to drop them still upon one place,
Modern: Like this: to keep dropping tears in one spot,

Original: Till they have fretted us a pair of graves
Modern: Until they’ve worn us out a pair of graves

Original: Within the earth; and, therein laid,—there lies
Modern: In the ground; and, lying there—there rest

Original: Two kinsmen digg’d their graves with weeping eyes.
Modern: Two relatives who dug their graves with crying eyes.

Original: Would not this ill do well? Well, well, I see
Modern: Wouldn’t this misery work out well? Well, well, I see

Original: I talk but idly, and you laugh at me.
Modern: I’m just talking nonsense, and you’re laughing at me.

Original: Most mighty prince, my Lord Northumberland,
Modern: Most powerful prince, my Lord Northumberland,

Original: What says King Bolingbroke? will his majesty
Modern: What does King Bolingbroke say? Will his majesty

Original: Give Richard leave to live till Richard die?
Modern: Allow Richard to live until Richard dies naturally?

Original: You make a leg, and Bolingbroke says ay.
Modern: You bow politely, and Bolingbroke says yes.

In Act III, Scene iii of Richard II, Bolingbroke arrives with his forces at Flint Castle in Wales, where King Richard II has taken refuge. Bolingbroke sends Northumberland as his emissary to deliver terms to Richard: if the king will repeal Bolingbroke’s banishment and restore his inheritance, Bolingbroke will lay down his arms and submit as a loyal subject. Richard appears on the battlements of the castle and initially responds with defiance, warning that Bolingbroke’s rebellion will cost England dearly in blood. However, his tone shifts, and he acknowledges the futility of his position, agreeing to meet with Bolingbroke and to grant his demands. Richard descends from the castle walls to meet Bolingbroke in the base court below.

When Richard comes down to meet Bolingbroke face to face, Bolingbroke kneels before him, maintaining the outward form of submission to his king. Richard, however, speaks with a mixture of bitter resignation and irony, telling Bolingbroke to rise and acknowledging that what Bolingbroke wants, he shall have. Richard makes clear that he understands the full implications of the situation — that he is effectively surrendering his crown — even as the formal language of the exchange preserves the appearance of loyalty and deference. The scene concludes with Richard agreeing to travel to London, and Bolingbroke escorting him, the balance of power between the two men now unmistakably reversed.

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.