Original: First, let me tell you whom you have condemn’d:
Modern: First, let me tell you who you have sentenced to death:

Original: Not me begotten of a shepherd swain,
Modern: I’m not the daughter of some simple shepherd,

Original: But issued from the progeny of kings;
Modern: But I come from royal bloodlines;

Original: Virtuous and holy; chosen from above,
Modern: I am good and holy; chosen by God,

Original: By inspiration of celestial grace,
Modern: Inspired by heavenly grace,

Original: To work exceeding miracles on earth.
Modern: To perform amazing miracles on earth.

Original: I never had to do with wicked spirits:
Modern: I never dealt with evil spirits:

Original: But you, that are polluted with your lusts,
Modern: But you, who are corrupted by your desires,

Original: Stain’d with the guiltless blood of innocents,
Modern: Stained with the innocent blood of the blameless,

Original: Corrupt and tainted with a thousand vices,
Modern: Rotten and infected with countless sins,

Original: Because you want the grace that others have,
Modern: Because you lack the divine blessing that others have,

Original: You judge it straight a thing impossible
Modern: You immediately think it’s impossible

Original: To compass wonders but by help of devils.
Modern: To achieve miracles without the devil’s help.

Original: No, misconceived! Joan of Arc hath been
Modern: No, you’re wrong! Joan of Arc has been

Original: A virgin from her tender infancy,
Modern: Pure since she was a young child,

Original: Chaste and immaculate in very thought;
Modern: Innocent and pure even in her thoughts;

Original: Whose maiden blood, thus rigorously effused,
Modern: Whose virgin blood, spilled so cruelly,

Original: Will cry for vengeance at the gates of heaven.
Modern: Will demand justice at heaven’s gates.

Original: Will nothing turn your unrelenting hearts?
Modern: Will nothing soften your merciless hearts?

Original: Then, Joan, discover thine infirmity,
Modern: Then, Joan, reveal your weakness,

Original: That warranteth by law to be thy privilege.
Modern: Which the law says gives you special protection.

Original: I am with child, ye bloody homicides:
Modern: I am pregnant, you murderers:

Original: Murder not then the fruit within my womb,
Modern: Don’t kill the baby growing inside me,

Original: Although ye hale me to a violent death.
Modern: Even though you’re dragging me to a brutal death.

In Act V, Scene 4 of Henry VI, Part 1, Joan of Arc (referred to as Joan la Pucelle) is captured by the Duke of York and his forces. When brought before York, Suffolk, and Warwick, Joan initially denies her identity, claiming she is merely a simple shepherdess and daughter to a poor shepherd. She insists she was born of noble blood and attempts to distance herself from her humble origins, declaring that her supposed father is actually descended from kings and that she has always been chaste and virtuous.

As her captors remain unmoved by her protestations of nobility and virtue, Joan desperately reveals that she is pregnant, hoping this will spare her from execution. She first claims that the Dauphin is the father of her unborn child, but when this fails to gain sympathy, she successively names Alençon and then René of Anjou as potential fathers. Her attempts to save herself through these various deceptions ultimately fail, and York orders her to be taken away to face burning at the stake. The scene concludes with the arrival of Cardinal Beaufort and the Earl of Suffolk, who bring news of a proposed peace treaty and a marriage alliance between Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou, daughter of René.

Henry VI, Part 1 opens with the funeral of King Henry V, England’s great warrior king. The English nobles mourn his death while news arrives of military disasters in France, where English territories are being lost to French forces led by the Dauphin Charles. The Duke of Gloucester and the Bishop of Winchester engage in a bitter power struggle over control of the young King Henry VI, creating division within the English court.

In France, Joan of Pucelle (Joan of Arc) arrives at the French court, claiming divine guidance to drive the English from French soil. She demonstrates her supernatural powers and convinces the Dauphin of her mission. Joan leads the French forces to several victories, including the recapture of Orléans from the English. Meanwhile, the English hero Lord Talbot fights valiantly but faces increasingly difficult circumstances as French resistance grows stronger under Joan’s leadership.

The English nobles’ internal conflicts intensify when Richard Plantagenet (later Duke of York) and Edmund Beaufort, Earl of Somerset, quarrel in the Temple Garden. Their dispute leads to the symbolic plucking of white and red roses, representing the future Wars of the Roses. Plantagenet seeks to restore his family’s honor after his father’s execution for treason, while Somerset defends the Lancastrian cause.

The play concludes with the capture and execution of Joan of Pucelle by the English, though not before she attempts various defenses including claims of pregnancy. Despite her death, the French continue their resistance. Lord Talbot dies heroically in battle alongside his son John at Bordeaux, abandoned by the feuding English nobles who fail to send reinforcements. The Earl of Suffolk captures Margaret of Anjou and arranges her marriage to King Henry VI, setting the stage for future conflicts. The play ends with the English position in France severely weakened and internal divisions threatening the stability of the English crown.