| Play | Key Line | Modern Text | Original Text |
| Antony and Cleopatra | AC IV.xv.4 | But comforts we despise. Our size of sorrow, | But comforts we dispise; our size of sorrow |
| Coriolanus | Cor III.i.22 | The tongues o'th' common mouth. I do despise them, | The Tongues o'th' Common Mouth. I do despise them: |
| Henry IV Part 2 | 2H4 V.v.54 | But being awaked I do despise my dream. | But being awake, I do despise my dreame. |
| Henry VI Part 1 | 1H6 II.ii.47 | You may not, my lord, despise her gentle suit. | You may not (my Lord) despise her gentle suit. |
| Henry VIII | H8 III.ii.297 | How much, methinks, I could despise this man, | How much me thinkes, I could despise this man, |
| King Lear | KL V.iii.130 | Despite thy victor sword and fire-new fortune, | Despise thy victor-Sword, and fire new Fortune, |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL V.ii.441 | Despise me when I break this oath of mine. | Despise me when I breake this oath of mine. |
| Macbeth | Mac IV.iii.201 | Let not your ears despise my tongue for ever, | Let not your eares dispise my tongue for euer, |
| The Merchant of Venice | MV I.ii.60 | he would despise me, I would forgive him, for if he love | hee would despise me, I would forgiue him, for if he loue |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | MW I.i.63 | Shall I tell you a lie? I do despise a liar as I do | Shall I tell you a lye? I doe despise a lyer, as I doe |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | MW I.i.64 | despise one that is false, or as I despise one that is not | despise one that is false, or as I despise one that is not |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | MND III.ii.235 | This you should pity rather than despise. | This you should pittie, rather then despise. |
| Othello | Oth I.i.8 | Despise me, if I do not. Three great ones of the city, | Despise me / If I do not. Three Great-ones of the Cittie, |
| Othello | Oth II.iii.289 | to make me frankly despise myself. | to make me frankly despise my selfe. |
| Pericles | Per II.iii.26 | Envied the great nor shall the low despise. | Enuies the great, nor shall the low despise. |
| Pericles | Per IV.ii.113 | despise profit where you have most gain. To weep that | despise profite, where you haue most gaine, to weepe that |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit IV.ii.112 | Rome will despise her for this foul escape. | Rome will despise her for this foule escape. |
| The Two Gentlemen of Verona | TG IV.ii.99 | That I despise thee for thy wrongful suit; | That I despise thee, for thy wrongfull suite; |
| The Two Noble Kinsmen | TNK III.vi.249 | Despise my cruelty, and cry woe worth me, | Despise my crueltie, and cry woe worth me, |
| The Two Noble Kinsmen | TNK III.vi.258 | O all ye gods, despise me then. Thy banishment | O all ye gods dispise me then: Thy Banishment |