| Play | Key Line | Modern Text | Original Text |
| All's Well That Ends Well | AW I.i.1.2 | the Countess, Helena, and Lord Lafew; all in black | and Helena, Lord Lafew, all in blacke. |
| All's Well That Ends Well | AW I.iii.92 | the black gown of a big heart. I am going, forsooth. The | the blacke-Gowne of a bigge heart: I am going forsooth, the |
| All's Well That Ends Well | AW III.i.5 | Upon your grace's part, black and fearful | Vpon your Graces part: blacke and fearefull |
| All's Well That Ends Well | AW IV.v.40 | The Black Prince, sir, alias the prince of darkness, | The blacke prince sir, alias the prince of darkenesse, |
| Antony and Cleopatra | AC I.v.28 | That am with Phoebus' amorous pinches black | That am with Phobus amorous pinches blacke, |
| Antony and Cleopatra | AC IV.xiv.8.1 | They are black vesper's pageants. | They are blacke Vespers Pageants. |
| As You Like It | AYL III.ii.89 | Are but black to Rosalind. | are but blacke to Rosalinde: |
| As You Like It | AYL III.v.46 | 'Tis not your inky brows, your black silk hair, | 'Tis not your inkie browes, your blacke silke haire, |
| As You Like It | AYL III.v.130 | He said mine eyes were black and my hair black, | He said mine eyes were black, and my haire blacke, |
| The Comedy of Errors | CE II.ii.201 | They'll suck our breath, or pinch us black and blue. | They'll sucke our breath, or pinch vs blacke and blew. |
| Coriolanus | Cor II.iii.18 | that our heads are some brown, some black, some abram, | that our heads are some browne, some blacke, some Abram, |
| Cymbeline | Cym III.ii.20 | Black as the ink that's on thee! Senseless bauble, | Blacke as the Inke that's on thee: senselesse bauble, |
| Hamlet | Ham I.ii.78 | Nor customary suits of solemn black, | Nor Customary suites of solemne Blacke, |
| Hamlet | Ham II.ii.451 | Black as his purpose, did the night resemble | Blacke as his purpose, did the night resemble |
| Hamlet | Ham II.ii.453 | Hath now this dread and black complexion smeared | Hath now this dread and blacke Complexion smear'd |
| Hamlet | Ham III.ii.138 | So long? Nay then, let the devil wear black, for | So long? Nay then let the Diuel weare blacke, for |
| Hamlet | Ham III.ii.264 | Thoughts black, hands apt, drugs fit, and time agreeing, | Thoughts blacke, hands apt, / Drugges fit, and Time agreeing: |
| Hamlet | Ham III.iii.67 | O, wretched state! O, bosom black as death! | Oh wretched state! Oh bosome, blacke as death! |
| Hamlet | Ham III.iii.94 | And that his soul may be as damned and black | And that his Soule may be as damn'd aud blacke |
| Hamlet | Ham III.iv.91 | And there I see such black and grained spots | And there I see such blacke and grained spots, |
| Henry IV Part 2 | 2H4 II.iv.359 | Borne with black vapour, doth begin to melt | Borne with black Vapour, doth begin to melt, |
| Henry IV Part 2 | 2H4 III.ii.7 | Alas, a black woosel, cousin Shallow! | Alas, a blacke Ouzell (Cousin Shallow.) |
| Henry IV Part 2 | 2H4 III.ii.19 | black George Barnes, and Francis Pickbone, and Will | blacke George Bare, and Francis Pick-bone, and Will |
| Henry V | H5 I.ii.105 | And your great-uncle's, Edward the Black Prince, | And your Great Vnckles, Edward the Black Prince, |
| Henry V | H5 II.ii.104 | As black and white, my eye will scarcely see it. | As black and white, my eye will scarsely see it. |
| Henry V | H5 II.iii.38 | Bardolph's nose, and 'a said it was a black soul burning in | Bardolphs Nose, and a said it was a blacke Soule burning in |
| Henry V | H5 II.iv.56 | Of that black name, Edward, Black Prince of Wales; | Of that black Name, Edward, black Prince of Wales: |
| Henry V | H5 IV.i.140 | well, it will be a black matter for the King that led them | well, it will be a black matter for the King, that led them |
| Henry V | H5 IV.vii.138 | a villain and a Jack-sauce as ever his black shoe trod | a villaine and a Iacke sawce, as euer his blacke shoo trodd |
| Henry V | H5 V.ii.159 | stoop; a black beard will turn white; a curled pate will | stoope, a blacke Beard will turne white, a curl'd Pate will |
| Henry VI Part 1 | 1H6 I.i.1 | Hung be the heavens with black, yield day to night! | HVng be ye heauens with black, yield day to night; |
| Henry VI Part 1 | 1H6 I.i.17 | We mourn in black; why mourn we not in blood? | We mourne in black, why mourn we not in blood? |
| Henry VI Part 1 | 1H6 I.ii.84 | And whereas I was black and swart before, | And whereas I was black and swart before, |
| Henry VI Part 1 | 1H6 IV.vii.78 | Your kingdom's terror and black Nemesis? | Your Kingdomes terror, and blacke Nemesis? |
| Henry VI Part 2 | 2H6 II.i.111 | Black, forsooth, coal-black as jet. | Black forsooth, Coale-Black, as Iet. |
| Henry VI Part 2 | 2H6 II.ii.11 | The first, Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales; | The first, Edward the Black-Prince, Prince ofWales; |
| Henry VI Part 2 | 2H6 II.ii.18 | Edward the Black Prince died before his father, | Edward the Black-Prince dyed before his Father, |
| Henry VI Part 2 | 2H6 III.i.349 | I will stir up in England some black storm | I will stirre vp in England some black Storme, |
| Henry VI Part 2 | 2H6 III.ii.168 | But see, his face is black and full of blood, | But see, his face is blacke, and full of blood: |
| Henry VI Part 2 | 2H6 III.iii.23 | And from his bosom purge this black despair. | And from his bosome purge this blacke dispaire. |
| Henry VI Part 3 | 3H6 II.i.160 | And wrap our bodies in black mourning gowns, | And wrap our bodies in blacke mourning Gownes, |
| Henry VI Part 3 | 3H6 IV.ii.22 | So we, well covered with the night's black mantle, | So wee, well couer'd with the Nights black Mantle, |
| Henry VI Part 3 | 3H6 V.ii.16 | These eyes, that now are dimmed with death's black veil, | These Eyes, that now are dim'd with Deaths black Veyle, |
| Henry VI Part 3 | 3H6 V.iii.4 | I spy a black, suspicious, threatening cloud, | I spy a black suspicious threatning Cloud, |
| Henry VIII | H8 I.i.209 | Which makes my whit'st part black. The will of heaven | Which makes my whit'st part, black. The will of Heau'n |
| Henry VIII | H8 I.ii.123 | That once were his, and is become as black | That once were his, and is become as blacke, |
| Henry VIII | H8 I.iii.58 | He had a black mouth that said other of him. | He had a blacke mouth that said other of him. |
| Henry VIII | H8 II.i.85 | 'Gainst me that I cannot take peace with. No black envy | Gainst me, that I cannot take peace with: / No blacke Enuy |
| Julius Caesar | JC IV.i.17 | In our black sentence and proscription. | In our blacke Sentence and Proscription. |
| King Edward III | E3 I.ii.57 | Jemmy, my man, saddle my bonny black. | Iemmy my man, saddle my bonny blacke. |
| King Edward III | E3 II.i.458 | To the black faction of bed-blotting shame. | To the blacke faction of bed blotting, shame. |
| King Edward III | E3 II.ii.107 | Thy mother is but black, and thou, like her, | Thy mother is but blacke, and thou like her. |
| King Edward III | E3 III.i.178 | So did the Black Snake of Boulogne, than which | So did the blacke snake of Bullen, then which |
| King Edward III | E3 IV.v.111 | To put his princely son, black Edward, in. | To put his princely sonne blacke Edward in, |
| King Edward III | E3 V.i.154 | As black as powder fuming into smoke. | as blacke as pouder fuming into smoke, |
| King John | KJ III.i.297 | But in despair die under their black weight. | But in despaire, dye vnder their blacke weight. |
| King John | KJ IV.iii.121 | Thou'rt damn'd as black – nay, nothing is so black; | Thou'rt damn'd as blacke, nay nothing is so blacke, |
| King John | KJ V.iv.33 | But even this night, whose black contagious breath | But euen this night, whose blacke contagious breath |
| King John | KJ V.vi.17 | Why, here walk I in the black brow of night | Why heere walke I, in the black brow of night |
| King John | KJ V.vi.20 | Black, fearful, comfortless, and horrible. | Blacke, fearefull, comfortlesse, and horrible. |
| King Lear | KL II.iv.155 | Looked black upon me, struck me with her tongue, | Look'd blacke vpon me, strooke me with her Tongue |
| King Lear | KL III.vi.31 | white herring. Croak not, black angel! I have no food for | |
| King Lear | KL III.vi.65 | Be thy mouth or black or white, | be thy mouth or blacke or white: |
| King Lear | KL IV.vi.98 | ere the black ones were there. To say ‘ ay ’ and ‘ no ’ to | ere the blacke ones were there. To say I, and no, to |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL I.i.228 | commend the black oppressing humour to the most wholesome | commend the blacke oppressing humour to the most wholesome |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL IV.iii.245 | By heaven, thy love is black as ebony! | By heauen, thy Loue is blacke as Ebonie. |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL IV.iii.251 | No face is fair that is not full so black. | No face is faire that is not full so blacke. |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL IV.iii.252 | O paradox! Black is the badge of hell, | O paradoxe, Blacke is the badge of hell, |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL IV.iii.256 | O, if in black my lady's brows be decked, | O if in blacke my Ladies browes be deckt, |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL IV.iii.259 | And therefore is she born to make black fair. | And therfore is she borne to make blacke, faire. |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL IV.iii.263 | Paints itself black, to imitate her brow. | Paints it selfe blacke, to imitate her brow. |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL IV.iii.264 | To look like her are chimney-sweepers black. | To look like her are Chimny-sweepers blacke. |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL V.ii.158.1 | Enter blackamoors with music, Mote with a speech, | Enter Black moores with musicke, the Boy with a speech, |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL V.ii.823 | I'll change my black gown for a faithful friend. | Ile change my blacke Gowne, for a faithfull friend. |
| Macbeth | Mac I.iv.52 | Let not light see my black and deep desires. | Let not Light see my black and deepe desires: |
| Macbeth | Mac III.ii.41 | His cloistered flight, ere to black Hecat's summons | His Cloyster'd flight, ere to black Heccats summons |
| Macbeth | Mac III.ii.53 | While night's black agents to their preys do rouse. | Whiles Nights black Agents to their Prey's doe rowse. |
| Macbeth | Mac IV.i.43 | Music and a song: ‘ Black spirits,’ etc. | Musicke and a Song. Blacke Spirits, &c. |
| Macbeth | Mac IV.i.47 | How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags! | How now you secret, black, & midnight Hags? |
| Macbeth | Mac IV.iii.52 | That, when they shall be opened, black Macbeth | That when they shall be open'd, blacke Macbeth |
| Macbeth | Mac IV.iii.116 | Wiped the black scruples, reconciled my thoughts | Wip'd the blacke Scruples, reconcil'd my thoughts |
| Macbeth | Mac V.iii.11 | The devil damn thee black, thou cream-faced loon! | The diuell damne thee blacke, thou cream-fac'd Loone: |
| Measure for Measure | MM II.iv.79 | When it doth tax itself, as these black masks | When it doth taxe it selfe: As these blacke Masques |
| The Merchant of Venice | MV II.v.24 | for nothing that my nose fell a-bleeding on Black Monday | for nothing that my nose fell a bleeding on blacke monday |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | MW IV.v.103 | heart, is beaten black and blue, that you cannot see a | heart) is beaten blacke and blew, that you cannot see a |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | MW IV.v.105 | What tellest thou me of black and blue? I | What tell'st thou mee of blacke, and blew? I |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | MW V.v.18 | My doe with the black scut! Let the sky rain | My Doe, with the blacke Scut? Let the skie raine |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | MW V.v.37 | Fairies black, grey, green, and white, | Fairies blacke, gray, greene, and white, |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | MND II.ii.22 | Beetles black, approach not near, | Beetles blacke approach not neere; |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | MND III.i.118 | (sings) The ousel cock so black of hue, | The Woosell cocke, so blacke of hew, |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | MND III.ii.357 | With drooping fog as black as Acheron, | With drooping fogge as blacke as Acheron, |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | MND V.i.167 | O grim-looked night, O night with hue so black, | O grim lookt night, ô night with hue so blacke, |
| Much Ado About Nothing | MA III.i.63 | If black, why, Nature, drawing of an antic, | If blacke, why Nature drawing of an anticke, |
| Much Ado About Nothing | MA V.i.292 | white and black, this plaintiff here, the offender, did call | white and black, this plaintiffe here, the offendour did call |
| Othello | Oth I.i.89 | Even now, now, very now, an old black ram | Euen now, now, very now, an old blacke Ram |
| Othello | Oth I.iii.287 | Your son-in-law is far more fair than black. | Your Son-in-law is farre more Faire then Blacke. |
| Othello | Oth II.i.130 | Well praised! How if she be black and witty? | Well prais'd: How if she be Blacke and Witty? |
| Othello | Oth II.i.131 | If she be black, and thereto have a wit, | If she be blacke, and thereto haue a wit, |
| Othello | Oth II.iii.29 | health of black Othello. | health of blacke Othello. |
| Othello | Oth III.iii.260 | To prey at fortune. Haply, for I am black | To prey at Fortune. Haply, for I am blacke, |
| Othello | Oth III.iii.384 | As Dian's visage is now begrimed and black | As Dians Visage, is now begrim'd and blacke |
| Othello | Oth III.iii.444 | Arise, black vengeance, from thy hollow cell! | Arise blacke vengeance, from the hollow hell, |
| Pericles | Per I.ii.76 | The rest – hark in thine ear – as black as incest; | The rest harke in thine eare, as blacke as incest, |
| Pericles | Per II.ii.20 | Is a black Ethiop reaching at the sun. | Is a blacke Ethyope reaching at the Sunne: |
| Pericles | Per IV.iv.44 | No visor does become black villainy | No vizor does become blacke villanie, |
| Richard II | R2 II.iii.100 | Rescued the Black Prince – that young Mars of men – | Rescued the Black Prince, that yong Mars of men, |
| Richard II | R2 III.iv.71 | That tell black tidings. | That tell blacke tydings. |
| Richard II | R2 IV.i.95 | Against black pagans, Turks, and Saracens, | Against black Pagans, Turkes, and Saracens: |
| Richard II | R2 IV.i.131 | Should show so heinous, black, obscene a deed! | Should shew so heynous, black, obscene a deed. |
| Richard II | R2 V.vi.48 | And put on sullen black incontinent. | And put on sullen Blacke incontinent: |
| Richard III | R3 I.ii.34 | What black magician conjures up this fiend | What blacke Magitian coniures vp this Fiend, |
| Richard III | R3 I.ii.131 | Black night o'ershade thy day, and death thy life! | Blacke night ore-shade thy day, & death thy life. |
| Richard III | R3 II.ii.36 | I'll join with black despair against my soul | Ile ioyne with blacke dispaire against my Soule, |
| Richard III | R3 III.vii.230 | But if black scandal or foul-faced reproach | But if black Scandall, or foule-fac'd Reproach, |
| Richard III | R3 IV.iv.7 | Will prove as bitter, black, and tragical. | Will proue as bitter, blacke, and Tragicall. |
| Richard III | R3 IV.iv.71 | Richard yet lives, hell's black intelligencer; | Richard yet liues, Hels blacke Intelligencer, |
| Richard III | R3 V.iii.281 | A black day will it be to somebody. | A blacke day will it be to somebody. |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ I.i.141 | Black and portentous must this humour prove, | Blacke and portendous must this humour proue, |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ I.i.231 | Being black, put us in mind they hide the fair. | Being blacke, puts vs in mind they hide the faire: |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ II.iv.14 | stabbed with a white wench's black eye; shot through the | stab'd with a white wenches blacke eye, runne through the |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ III.i.119 | This day's black fate on more days doth depend. | This daies blacke Fate, on mo daies doth depend, |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ III.i.178 | Some twenty of them fought in this black strife, | Some twenty of them fought in this blacke strife, |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ III.ii.11 | Thou sober-suited matron, all in black, | Thou sober suted Matron all in blacke, |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ III.ii.15 | With thy black mantle till strange love grow bold, | With thy Blacke mantle, till strange Loue grow bold, |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ III.iii.27 | And turned that black word ‘ death ’ to banishment. | And turn'd that blacke word death, to banishment. |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ IV.v.53 | Never was seen so black a day as this. | Neuer was seene so blacke a day as this: |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ IV.v.85 | Turn from their office to black funeral. | Turne from their office to blacke Funerall: |
| The Tempest | Tem II.ii.20 | sing i'th' wind. Yond same black cloud, yond huge one, | sing ith' winde: yond same blacke cloud, yond huge one, |
| Timon of Athens | Tim IV.iii.29 | Black white, foul fair, wrong right, | Blacke, white; fowle, faire; wrong, right; |
| Timon of Athens | Tim IV.iii.182 | Engenders the black toad and adder blue, | Engenders the blacke Toad, and Adder blew, |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit I.i.73.3 | Coffin covered with black, then two other sons, Lucius | Coffin couered with blacke, then two other Sonnes. |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit III.i.204 | Aaron will have his soul black like his face. | Aron will haue his soule blacke like his face. |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit III.ii.66 | Pardon me, sir, it was a black ill-favoured fly, | Pardon me sir, It was a blacke illfauour'd Fly, |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit IV.ii.66 | A joyless, dismal, black, and sorrowful issue. | A ioylesse, dismall, blacke &, sorrowfull issue, |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit IV.ii.71 | Zounds, ye whore, is black so base a hue? | Out you whore, is black so base a hue? |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit IV.ii.101 | Can never turn the swan's black legs to white, | Can neuer turne the Swans blacke legs to white, |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit IV.ii.119 | Look how the black slave smiles upon the father, | Looke how the blacke slaue smiles vpon the father; |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit V.i.64 | Acts of black night, abominable deeds, | Acts of Blacke-night, abhominable Deeds, |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit V.i.122 | Ay, like a black dog, as the saying is. | I, like a blacke Dogge, as the saying is. |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit V.ii.50 | Provide thee two proper palfreys, black as jet, | Prouide thee two proper Palfries, as blacke as Iet, |
| Troilus and Cressida | TC IV.i.13 | But when I meet you armed, as black defiance | But when I meete you arm'd, as blacke defiance, |
| Twelfth Night | TN II.iv.59 | On my black coffin let there be strewn. | On my blacke coffin, let there be strewne: |
| Twelfth Night | TN II.v.10 | we will fool him black and blue – shall we not, Sir | we will foole him blacke and blew, shall we not sir |
| Twelfth Night | TN III.iv.25 | Not black in my mind, though yellow in my | Not blacke in my minde, though yellow in my |
| Twelfth Night | TN V.i.50 | As black as Vulcan in the smoke of war. | As blacke as Vulcan, in the smoake of warre: |
| The Two Gentlemen of Verona | TG III.i.103 | Though ne'er so black, say they have angels' faces. | Though nere so blacke, say they haue Angells faces, |
| The Two Gentlemen of Verona | TG III.i.282 | Why, man? How black? | Why man? how blacke? |
| The Two Gentlemen of Verona | TG III.i.283 | Why, as black as ink. | Why, as blacke as Inke. |
| The Two Gentlemen of Verona | TG IV.iv.153 | That now she is become as black as I. | That now she is become as blacke as I. |
| The Two Gentlemen of Verona | TG V.ii.10 | Nay then, the wanton lies; my face is black. | Nay then the wanton lyes: my face is blacke. |
| The Two Gentlemen of Verona | TG V.ii.12 | Black men are pearls in beauteous ladies' eyes. | Blacke men are Pearles, in beauteous Ladies eyes. |
| The Two Noble Kinsmen | TNK I.i.25.1 | Enter three Queens in black, with veils stained, with | Enter 3. Queenes in Blacke, with vailes staind, with |
| The Two Noble Kinsmen | TNK IV.ii.79 | Nearer a brown than black, stern and yet noble, | Nearer a browne, than blacke; sterne, and yet noble, |
| The Two Noble Kinsmen | TNK IV.ii.83 | His hair hangs long behind him, black and shining | His haire hangs long behind him, blacke and shining |
| The Two Noble Kinsmen | TNK V.iii.25 | By casting her black mantle over both, | By casting her blacke mantle over both |
| The Two Noble Kinsmen | TNK V.iv.50 | Did first bestow on him, a black one, owing | Did first bestow on him, a blacke one, owing |
| The Winter's Tale | WT II.i.8 | Your brows are blacker; yet black brows, they say, | Your Browes are blacker (yet black-browes they say |
| The Winter's Tale | WT IV.iv.221 | Cypress black as e'er was crow; | Cypresse blacke as ere was Crow, |