Histories • c. 1613

Henry VIII: Modern English Translation & Study Guide

Name: Henry VIII
Author: William Shakespeare

King Henry's annulment from Katherine of Aragon and the fall of Cardinal Wolsey pave the way for Anne Boleyn.

Read Henry VIII Side by Side

Every scene pairs the public-domain original with a line-matched, original modern-English paraphrase. Choose a scene below to begin reading.

Act 1, Scene 0 line-by-line translation — PROLOGUE
Act 1, Scene 1 line-by-line translation — SCENE I. London. An ante-chamber in the palace.
Act 1, Scene 2 line-by-line translation — SCENE II. The same. The council-chamber.
Act 1, Scene 3 line-by-line translation — SCENE III. An ante-chamber in the palace.
Act 2, Scene 1 line-by-line translation — SCENE I. Westminster. A street.
Act 2, Scene 2 line-by-line translation — SCENE II. An ante-chamber in the palace.
Act 2, Scene 3 line-by-line translation — SCENE III. An ante-chamber of the QUEEN'S apartments.
Act 2, Scene 4 line-by-line translation — SCENE IV. A hall in Black-Friars.
Act 3, Scene 1 line-by-line translation — SCENE I. London. QUEEN KATHARINE's apartments.
Act 3, Scene 2 line-by-line translation — SCENE II. Ante-chamber to KING HENRY VIII's apartment.
Act 4, Scene 1 line-by-line translation — SCENE I. A street in Westminster.
Act 4, Scene 2 line-by-line translation — SCENE II. Kimbolton.
Act 5, Scene 1 line-by-line translation — SCENE I. London. A gallery in the palace.
Act 5, Scene 2 line-by-line translation — SCENE II. Before the council-chamber. Pursuivants, Pages, & c.
Act 5, Scene 3 line-by-line translation — SCENE III. The Council-Chamber.
Act 5, Scene 4 line-by-line translation — SCENE IV. The palace yard.

Original text source: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, MIT HTML edition. MIT states that its HTML versions of the plays are placed in the public domain.