Original: I call’d thee then vain flourish of my fortune;
Modern: Back then, I called you an empty decoration of my good luck;

Original: I call’d thee then poor shadow, painted queen;
Modern: I called you a weak imitation, a fake queen with only the appearance of power;

Original: The presentation of but what I was;
Modern: Just a display of what I used to be;

Original: The flattering index of a direful pageant;
Modern: A misleading preview of a terrible show;

Original: One heaved a-high, to be hurl’d down below;
Modern: Someone lifted up high only to be thrown down hard;

Original: A mother only mock’d with two sweet babes;
Modern: A mother cruelly teased with two precious children;

Original: A dream of what thou wert, a breath, a bubble,
Modern: A fantasy of what you once were, as temporary as a breath or a bubble,

Original: A sign of dignity, a garish flag,
Modern: A symbol of rank, a flashy banner,

Original: To be the aim of every dangerous shot,
Modern: Made into a target for every attack;

Original: A queen in jest, only to fill the scene.
Modern: A queen as a joke, just there for decoration.

Original: Where is thy husband now? where be thy brothers?
Modern: Where is your husband now? Where are your brothers?

Original: Where are thy children? wherein dost thou, joy?
Modern: Where are your children? What brings you happiness now?

Original: Who sues to thee and cries ‘God save the queen’?
Modern: Who begs favors from you and shouts ‘God save the queen’?

Original: Where be the bending peers that flatter’d thee?
Modern: Where are the bowing noblemen who flattered you?

Original: Where be the thronging troops that follow’d thee?
Modern: Where are the crowding soldiers who followed you?

Original: Decline all this, and see what now thou art:
Modern: List all you’ve lost, and see what you’ve become:

Original: For happy wife, a most distressed widow;
Modern: Instead of a happy wife, you’re now a grief-stricken widow;

Original: For joyful mother, one that wails the name;
Modern: Instead of a joyful mother, you’re one who cries out in grief;

Original: For queen, a very caitiff crown’d with care;
Modern: Instead of a queen, you’re a miserable wretch crowned with worries;

Original: For one being sued to, one that humbly sues;
Modern: Instead of one who received requests, you’re now one who humbly begs;

Original: For one that scorn’d at me, now scorn’d of me;
Modern: Instead of one who mocked me, you’re now mocked by me;

Original: For one being fear’d of all, now fearing one;
Modern: Instead of being feared by everyone, you now fear someone;

Original: For one commanding all, obey’d of none.
Modern: Instead of commanding everyone, you’re now obeyed by no one.

Original: Thus hath the course of justice wheel’d about,
Modern: This is how justice has come full circle,

Original: And left thee but a very prey to time;
Modern: And left you as nothing but a victim of time;

Original: Having no more but thought of what thou wert,
Modern: With nothing left except memories of what you used to be,

Original: To torture thee the more, being what thou art.
Modern: Which tortures you even more, given what you’ve become.

Original: Thou didst usurp my place, and dost thou not
Modern: You stole my position, so shouldn’t you also

Original: Usurp the just proportion of my sorrow?
Modern: Take your fair share of my grief?

Original: Now thy proud neck bears half my burthen’d yoke;
Modern: Now your arrogant neck carries half of my heavy burden;

Original: From which even here I slip my weary neck,
Modern: From which I’m now freeing my tired neck,

Original: And leave the burthen of it all on thee.
Modern: And I’m leaving the entire weight of it on you.

Original: Farewell, York’s wife, and queen of sad mischance:
Modern: Goodbye, wife of York, and queen of terrible misfortune:

Original: These English woes will make me smile in France.
Modern: These English troubles will make me happy once I’m in France.

In Act IV, Scene iv of “Richard III,” Queen Elizabeth confronts King Richard after he has murdered her sons, the Princes in the Tower. Richard attempts to woo Elizabeth by asking her to help him marry her daughter, Princess Elizabeth of York, claiming this union would bring peace to the kingdom and restore her family’s honor. Elizabeth initially resists with bitter accusations, reminding Richard of all the family members he has killed, including her brothers, her sons, and her previous husband. She challenges his every argument, questioning how she could possibly present such a proposal to her daughter or how her daughter could trust a man who murdered her brothers.

Richard persists with elaborate promises and oaths, swearing by various sacred things to prove his sincerity, though Elizabeth dismisses each oath by pointing out how he has already broken similar vows. Despite her continued resistance and verbal sparring, the scene ends ambiguously when Elizabeth appears to soften or at least agrees to consider Richard’s suit, though her true intentions remain unclear as she exits. Richard believes he has won her over and will secure the marriage alliance. Following this encounter, Richard receives a series of reports about military threats to his reign, including news that the Earl of Richmond is sailing toward England with a fleet, Buckingham is raising an army in Wales, and various nobles are defecting to join forces against him.

Richard III opens with Richard, Duke of Gloucester, revealing his villainous intentions to claim the throne of England. Despite his physical deformities, he is determined to remove all obstacles to his coronation. He begins by manipulating his brother Clarence into imprisonment and death, convincing King Edward IV that Clarence poses a threat. Richard also courts Lady Anne, widow of Prince Edward (whom Richard killed), successfully wooing her despite having murdered both her husband and father-in-law. When King Edward IV dies, Richard is named Lord Protector for the young Prince Edward, heir to the throne.

Richard systematically eliminates his rivals and supporters of the rightful heirs. He has Lord Hastings executed for opposing his claim to the throne, and convinces the Duke of Buckingham to help him secure power. Richard and Buckingham spread rumors about the legitimacy of Edward IV’s children, claiming they are bastards. They stage a public scene where Richard reluctantly accepts the crown after appearing to refuse it. Once crowned King Richard III, he orders the murder of the two young princes (Edward V and his brother Richard, Duke of York) in the Tower of London, though their deaths occur offstage.

Richard’s reign becomes increasingly tyrannical and unstable. The Duke of Buckingham eventually rebels against him and is captured and executed. Richard attempts to consolidate power by proposing to marry Elizabeth of York, his niece, but faces growing opposition. Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, lands in England with an army to claim the throne. The play culminates in the Battle of Bosworth Field, where Richard is haunted by the ghosts of all those he has murdered. Richmond defeats and kills Richard in battle, then marries Elizabeth of York to unite the warring houses of Lancaster and York, establishing the Tudor dynasty and bringing peace to England.