Original: Enforced thee! art thou king, and wilt be forced?
Modern: They forced you! You’re the king—how can you let yourself be forced?

Original: I shame to hear thee speak. Ah, timorous wretch!
Modern: I’m ashamed to hear you talk like this. You coward!

Original: Thou hast undone thyself, thy son and me;
Modern: You’ve destroyed yourself, your son, and me;

Original: And given unto the house of York such head
Modern: And you’ve given the York family so much power

Original: As thou shalt reign but by their sufferance.
Modern: That you’ll only rule because they allow it.

Original: To entail him and his heirs unto the crown,
Modern: To guarantee him and his descendants the crown—

Original: What is it, but to make thy sepulchre
Modern: What is that but digging your own grave

Original: And creep into it far before thy time?
Modern: And climbing into it way before you need to die?

Original: Warwick is chancellor and the lord of Calais;
Modern: Warwick is the chancellor and controls Calais;

Original: Stern Falconbridge commands the narrow seas;
Modern: Harsh Falconbridge controls the English Channel;

Original: The duke is made protector of the realm;
Modern: The duke has been made protector of the kingdom;

Original: And yet shalt thou be safe? such safety finds
Modern: And you think you’ll be safe? That’s the kind of safety

Original: The trembling lamb environed with wolves.
Modern: A trembling lamb finds when it’s surrounded by wolves.

Original: Had I been there, which am a silly woman,
Modern: If I had been there—even though I’m just a weak woman—

Original: The soldiers should have toss’d me on their pikes
Modern: The soldiers would have had to stab me with their spears

Original: Before I would have granted to that act.
Modern: Before I would have agreed to that deal.

Original: But thou preferr’st thy life before thine honour:
Modern: But you value your life more than your honor:

Original: And seeing thou dost, I here divorce myself
Modern: And since that’s true, I’m separating myself right now

Original: Both from thy table, Henry, and thy bed,
Modern: From your table and your bed, Henry,

Original: Until that act of parliament be repeal’d
Modern: Until that law passed by parliament is canceled

Original: Whereby my son is disinherited.
Modern: That takes away my son’s inheritance.

Original: The northern lords that have forsworn thy colours
Modern: The northern lords who have abandoned your banner

Original: Will follow mine, if once they see them spread;
Modern: Will follow mine once they see my flags flying;

Original: And spread they shall be, to thy foul disgrace
Modern: And fly they will, to your terrible shame

Original: And utter ruin of the house of York.
Modern: And complete destruction of the York family.

Original: Thus do I leave thee. Come, son, let’s away;
Modern: So I’m leaving you now. Come on, son, let’s go;

Original: Our army is ready; come, we’ll after them.
Modern: Our army is ready; come on, we’ll go after them.

In Act 1, Scene 1 of Henry VI, Part 3, the scene opens in the Parliament House in London where the Duke of York and his supporters, including his sons Edward and Richard, along with the Earls of Warwick, Norfolk, and Montague, have seized the throne room following their victory at the Battle of St. Albans. York seats himself in the royal throne, claiming his hereditary right to the crown. When King Henry VI arrives with his own supporters, including Clifford, Northumberland, Westmoreland, and Exeter, a tense confrontation ensues. The Yorkists refuse to yield, and both sides exchange accusations of treason and debate the legitimacy of York’s claim versus Henry’s inherited title from his grandfather Henry IV.

After heated arguments about lineage and rightful succession, with Warwick threatening military action on York’s behalf, a compromise is eventually reached. King Henry, seeking to avoid further bloodshed and swayed by York’s genealogical arguments about his descent from Lionel Duke of Clarence, agrees to disinherit his own son Prince Edward and name York and York’s heirs as successors to the throne, while Henry himself will retain the crown for his natural life. York and his supporters swear an oath to honor this agreement and allow Henry to reign peacefully until his death. However, when Queen Margaret and Prince Edward arrive after the accord is struck, they are outraged by Henry’s decision to disinherit their son, with Margaret furiously rejecting Henry’s authority and vowing to fight for their son’s birthright.

Henry VI, Part 3 opens with the aftermath of the Battle of St. Albans, where the Yorkists have achieved victory over the Lancastrians. The Duke of York enters Parliament and claims the throne, leading to a confrontation with King Henry VI. A compromise is reached whereby Henry remains king for his lifetime but agrees to disinherit his son Prince Edward in favor of York and his heirs. When Queen Margaret learns of this arrangement, she is furious and raises an army to defend her son’s birthright.

The conflict escalates into full civil war. Margaret’s forces defeat and kill the Duke of York at the Battle of Wakefield, but York’s sons—Edward, George, and Richard—continue the fight. They achieve victory at the Battle of Towton, where King Henry is captured and Edward of York is proclaimed King Edward IV. Henry escapes and flees to Scotland with Margaret and Prince Edward, while Edward IV consolidates his power and marries Elizabeth Woodville, causing tension with his supporter the Earl of Warwick.

Warwick, feeling betrayed by Edward’s marriage, switches sides and allies with Margaret and the exiled Henry VI. With French support, they invade England and briefly restore Henry to the throne while Edward flees to Burgundy. However, Edward returns with an army and reclaims his crown. The final act culminates in the Battle of Tewkesbury, where the Yorkists achieve decisive victory. Prince Edward is killed in battle, Queen Margaret is captured, and Henry VI is murdered in the Tower of London by Richard of Gloucester. The play concludes with Edward IV seemingly secure on the throne, though Richard’s final soliloquy hints at his own future ambitions for the crown.