| Play | Key Line | Modern Text | Original Text |
| Antony and Cleopatra | AC II.ii.23 | The rather for I earnestly beseech, | The rather for I earnestly beseech, |
| As You Like It | AYL I.ii.26 | no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither, | no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neyther, |
| As You Like It | AYL I.iii.26 | let us talk in good earnest: is it possible on such a sudden | let vs talke in good earnest: Is it possible on such a sodaine, |
| As You Like It | AYL IV.i.174 | By my troth, and in good earnest, and so God | By my troth, and in good earnest, and so God |
| As You Like It | AYL IV.iii.170 | in your complexion that it was a passion of earnest. | in your complexion, that it was a passion of earnest. |
| The Comedy of Errors | CE II.ii.24 | Hold, sir, for God's sake; now your jest is earnest. | Hold sir, for Gods sake, now your iest is earnest, |
| The Comedy of Errors | CE IV.ii.3 | That he did plead in earnest, yea or no? |
That he did plead in earnest, yea or no: |
| Coriolanus | Cor I.iii.96 | In earnest, it's true. I heard a senator speak it. | In earnest it's true; I heard a Senatour speake it. |
| Coriolanus | Cor II.i.205 | In earnestness to see him. Seld-shown flamens | In earnestnesse to see him: seld-showne Flamins |
| Coriolanus | Cor IV.vi.58 | The nobles in great earnestness are going | The Nobles in great earnestnesse are going |
| Cymbeline | Cym I.vi.65 | It is an earnest of a farther good | It is an earnest of a farther good |
| Hamlet | Ham V.ii.38 | An earnest conjuration from the King, | An earnest Coniuration from the King, |
| Henry IV Part 1 | 1H4 II.iv.296 | Faith, tell me now in earnest, how came | Tell mee now in earnest, how came |
| Henry IV Part 2 | 2H4 II.i.153 | i'faith, I am loath to pawn my plate, so God save me, | I loath to pawne my Plate, in good earnest |
| Henry IV Part 2 | 2H4 V.v.16 | It shows my earnestness of affection – | It shewes my earnestnesse in affection. |
| Henry V | H5 II.ii.169 | Received the golden earnest of our death; | Receyu'd the Golden Earnest of Our death: |
| Henry V | H5 V.i.60 | I take thy groat in earnest of revenge. | I take thy groat in earnest of reuenge. |
| Henry VI Part 1 | 1H6 V.iii.16 | In earnest of a further benefit, | In earnest of a further benefit: |
| Henry VI Part 1 | 1H6 V.iv.98 | Have earnestly implored a general peace | Haue earnestly implor'd a generall peace, |
| Henry VI Part 2 | 2H6 III.ii.105 | My earnest-gaping sight of thy land's view, | My earnest-gaping-sight of thy Lands view, |
| Henry VI Part 2 | 2H6 III.ii.316 | My tongue should stumble in mine earnest words, | My tongue should stumble in mine earnest words, |
| Henry VIII | H8 II.iv.233 | Meanwhile must be an earnest motion | Meane while, must be an earnest motion |
| Henry VIII | H8 V.ii.11 | How earnestly he cast his eyes upon me! | How earnestly he cast his eyes vpon me: |
| Julius Caesar | JC IV.iii.121 | When you are overearnest with your Brutus, | When you are ouer-earnest with your Brutus, |
| King Edward III | E3 III.i.151 | Give earnest penny of a further wrack, | Giue earnest peny of a further wracke, |
| King Edward III | E3 IV.iii.4 | Am I become an earnest advocate, | Am I become an earnest aduocate, |
| King Edward III | E3 IV.iv.3 | We pay sour earnest for a sweeter life. | We pay sower earnest for a sweeter life, |
| King Lear | KL I.ii.28 | Why so earnestly seek you to put up that | Why so earnestly seeke you to put vp yt |
| King Lear | KL I.iv.94 | earnest of thy service. | earnest of thy seruice. |
| Macbeth | Mac I.iii.103 | And, for an earnest of a greater honour, | And for an earnest of a greater Honor, |
| Macbeth | Mac I.iii.131 | Why hath it given me earnest of success | why hath it giuen me earnest of successe, |
| The Merchant of Venice | MV IV.i.121 | Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly? | Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly? |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | MND III.ii.277.1 | In earnest, shall I say? | In earnest, shall I say? |
| Much Ado About Nothing | MA II.i.35 | earnest of the bear-ward, and lead his apes into hell. | earnest of the Berrord, and leade his Apes into hell. |
| Much Ado About Nothing | MA V.i.187 | He is in earnest. | He is in earnest. |
| Much Ado About Nothing | MA V.i.188 | In most profound earnest; and, I'll warrant | In most profound earnest, and Ile warrant |
| Othello | Oth I.iii.151 | To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart | To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart, |
| Othello | Oth III.iii.311 | What will you do with't, that you have been so earnest | What will you do with't, that you haue bene so earnest |
| Othello | Oth V.ii.225 | For often, with a solemn earnestness – | For often, with a solemne earnestnesse, |
| Pericles | Per IV.ii.42 | If you like her, so. If not, I have lost my earnest. | if you like her so, if not I haue lost my earnest. |
| Richard II | R2 V.iii.99 | Pleads he in earnest? Look upon his face. | Pleades he in earnest? Looke vpon his Face, |
| Richard III | R3 I.iii.86 | An earnest advocate to plead for him. | An earnest aduocate to plead for him. |
| Richard III | R3 II.ii.15 | With earnest prayers all to that effect. | With earnest prayers, all to that effect. |
| Richard III | R3 III.vii.105 | Who, earnest in the service of my God, | Who earnest in the seruice of my God, |
| Richard III | R3 V.i.22 | And given in earnest what I begged in jest. | And giuen in earnest, what I begg'd in iest. |
| Timon of Athens | Tim III.vi.9 | I should think so. He hath sent me an earnest | I should thinke so. He hath sent mee an earnest |
| Timon of Athens | Tim IV.iii.48 | Nay, stay thou out for earnest. | Nay stay thou out for earnest. |
| Timon of Athens | Tim IV.iii.169 | More whore, more mischief first. I have given you earnest. | More whore, more Mischeefe first, I haue giuen you earnest. |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit I.i.280 | How, sir? Are you in earnest then, my lord? | How sir? Are you in earnest then my Lord? |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit V.i.22 | And as I earnestly did fix mine eye | And as I earnestly did fixe mine eye |
| Troilus and Cressida | TC IV.ii.40 | How earnestly they knock! – Pray you, come in; | How earnestly they knocke: pray you come in. |
| Troilus and Cressida | TC V.x.37 | O traitors and bawds, how earnestly are you | Oh traitours and bawdes; how earnestly are you |
| The Two Gentlemen of Verona | TG II.i.148 | her earnest? | her earnest? |
| The Two Gentlemen of Verona | TG II.v.11 | Marry, after they closed in earnest, they parted | Marry after they cloas'd in earnest, they parted |
| The Winter's Tale | WT I.ii.150.2 | No, in good earnest. | No, in good earnest. |
| The Winter's Tale | WT IV.i.32 | He wishes earnestly you never may. | He wishes earnestly, you neuer may. |
| The Winter's Tale | WT IV.iv.638 | Are you in earnest, sir? (Aside) I smell the | Are you in earnest, Sir? (I smell the |
| The Winter's Tale | WT IV.iv.641 | Indeed, I have had earnest, but I cannot | Indeed I haue had Earnest, but I cannot |