Original: Those gracious words revive my drooping thoughts
Modern: Your kind words lift my sinking spirits

Original: And give my tongue-tied sorrows leave to speak.
Modern: And allow my grief, which has kept me silent, to finally speak out.

Original: Now, therefore, be it known to noble Lewis,
Modern: So now, let me make it clear to you, noble Lewis,

Original: That Henry, sole possessor of my love,
Modern: That Henry, the only man I love,

Original: Is of a king become a banish’d man,
Modern: Has gone from being a king to an exiled man,

Original: And forced to live in Scotland a forlorn;
Modern: And is forced to live in Scotland, lonely and abandoned;

Original: While proud ambitious Edward Duke of York
Modern: While the proud and power-hungry Edward, Duke of York,

Original: Usurps the regal title and the seat
Modern: Illegally seizes the royal title and throne

Original: Of England’s true-anointed lawful king.
Modern: That belongs to England’s rightful, God-appointed king.

Original: This is the cause that I, poor Margaret,
Modern: This is the reason why I, poor Margaret,

Original: With this my son, Prince Edward, Henry’s heir,
Modern: Together with my son, Prince Edward, Henry’s heir,

Original: Am come to crave thy just and lawful aid;
Modern: Have come to beg for your fair and rightful help;

Original: And if thou fail us, all our hope is done:
Modern: And if you refuse us, all our hope is lost:

Original: Scotland hath will to help, but cannot help;
Modern: Scotland wants to help us, but doesn’t have the power to do so;

Original: Our people and our peers are both misled,
Modern: Our common people and our noblemen have both been deceived,

Original: Our treasures seized, our soldiers put to flight,
Modern: Our wealth has been stolen, our soldiers have been scattered and defeated,

Original: And, as thou seest, ourselves in heavy plight.
Modern: And, as you can see, we ourselves are in a desperate situation.

Henry VI, Part 3: Act III, Scene 3

In this scene, set in France at King Lewis’s palace, Queen Margaret arrives with her son Prince Edward to seek French military support for restoring Henry VI to the English throne. She presents her case eloquently, describing how Edward IV has usurped the crown and reduced the once-powerful Henry to a prisoner. King Lewis expresses sympathy for her plight and appears inclined to help, particularly after the Earl of Oxford and other English lords arrive to pledge their allegiance to Henry’s cause and request French assistance. The political situation becomes more complicated when Warwick, previously Edward IV’s chief supporter, arrives as an ambassador to negotiate a marriage between King Edward and Lady Bona, Lewis’s sister-in-law.

The scene takes a dramatic turn when Warwick learns through letters that Edward IV has secretly married Lady Grey (Elizabeth Woodville), making his diplomatic mission to secure the French alliance through marriage pointless and personally humiliating him. Feeling betrayed and dishonored, Warwick immediately renounces his allegiance to Edward IV and pledges to support Henry VI’s restoration instead. He proposes to seal this new alliance by marrying his own daughter to Prince Edward, Margaret’s son. King Lewis, also insulted by Edward’s actions, agrees to provide troops to invade England and restore Henry. The scene ends with the former enemies—Margaret, Warwick, and Oxford—united in their purpose to overthrow Edward IV, with French military support secured for their cause.

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.