| Play | Key Line | Modern Text | Original Text |
| All's Well That Ends Well | AW I.i.223 | To show her merit that did miss her love? | To shew her merit, that did misse her loue? |
| All's Well That Ends Well | AW II.i.148 | Inspired merit so by breath is barred. | Inspired Merit so by breath is bard, |
| All's Well That Ends Well | AW III.vi.55 | It is to be recovered. But that the merit of | It is to be recouered, but that the merit of |
| Antony and Cleopatra | AC II.vii.55 | If for the sake of merit thou wilt hear me, | If for the sake of Merit thou wilt heare mee, |
| As You Like It | AYL V.iv.185 | You to a love that your true faith doth merit; | you to a loue, that your true faith doth merit: |
| Coriolanus | Cor I.i.274.1 | In aught he merit not. | In ought he merit not. |
| Coriolanus | Cor II.iii.163 | His marks of merit, wounds received for's country. | His Marks of Merit, Wounds receiu'd for's Countrey. |
| Coriolanus | Cor III.i.61.1 | I'th' plain way of his merit. | I'th' plaine Way of his Merit. |
| Coriolanus | Cor IV.vii.48 | So hated, and so banished. But he has a merit | So hated, and so banish'd: but he ha's a Merit |
| Cymbeline | Cym I.v.81 | merit for the gift. The other is not a thing for sale, | merite for the guift. The other is not a thing for sale, |
| Cymbeline | Cym I.vi.74 | To load thy merit richly. Call my women: | To loade thy merit richly. Call my women. |
| Hamlet | Ham II.ii.530 | they deserve, the more merit is in your bounty. Take | they deserue, the more merit is in your bountie. Take |
| Hamlet | Ham III.i.74 | That patient merit of th' unworthy takes, | That patient merit of the vnworthy takes, |
| Henry IV Part 1 | 1H4 I.ii.107 | match! O, if men were to be saved by merit, what | Watch. O, if men were to be saued by merit, what |
| Henry IV Part 2 | 2H4 II.iv.370 | men of merit are sought after; the undeserver may sleep, | men of Merit are sought after: the vndeseruer may sleepe, |
| Henry V | H5 II.ii.34 | Sooner than quittance of desert and merit | Sooner then quittance of desert and merit, |
| Henry VI Part 2 | 2H6 V.i.81 | May Iden live to merit such a bounty, | May Iden liue to merit such a bountie, |
| Henry VIII | H8 I.i.64 | The force of his own merit makes his way – | The force of his owne merit makes his way |
| King John | KJ II.i.520 | That I can find should merit any hate. | That I can finde, should merit any hate. |
| King John | KJ III.i.165 | And by the merit of vile gold, dross, dust, | And by the merit of vilde gold, drosse, dust, |
| King Lear | KL I.i.53 | Where nature doth with merit challenge. Gonerill, | Where Nature doth with merit challenge. Gonerill, |
| King Lear | KL III.v.6 | a provoking merit set a-work by a reprovable badness in | a prouoking merit set a-worke by a reprouable badnesse in |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL IV.i.21 | See, see, my beauty will be saved by merit! | See, see, my beautie will be sau'd by merit. |
| Measure for Measure | MM III.i.233 | What a merit were it in death to take this poor | What a merit were it in death to take this poore |
| The Merchant of Venice | MV II.ix.39 | Without the stamp of merit? Let none presume | Without the stampe of merrit, let none presume |
| The Merchant of Venice | MV II.ix.43 | Were purchased by the merit of the wearer! | Were purchast by the merrit of the wearer; |
| The Merchant of Venice | MV III.v.72 | And if on earth he do not merit it, | And if on earth he doe not meane it, it |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | MW III.v.47 | then judge of my merit. | then iudge of my merit. |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | MND I.i.139 | Or else it stood upon the choice of friends – | Or else it stood vpon the choise of merit. |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | MND V.i.92 | Takes it in might, not merit. | Takes it in might, not merit. |
| Much Ado About Nothing | MA III.i.19 | To praise him more than ever man did merit. | To praise him more then euer man did merit, |
| Much Ado About Nothing | MA III.i.70 | Which simpleness and merit purchaseth. | Which simplenesse and merit purchaseth. |
| Othello | Oth II.i.143 | woman indeed? One that in the authority of her merit | woman indeed? One, that in the authorithy of her merit, |
| Othello | Oth II.iii.262 | imposition; oft got without merit and lost without | imposition; oft got without merit, aud lost without |
| Othello | Oth III.iv.113 | Nor purposed merit in futurity, | Nor purpos'd merit in futurity, |
| Pericles | Per II.iii.12 | 'Tis more by fortune, lady, than by merit. | Tis more by Fortune (Lady) then my Merit. |
| Richard II | R2 I.iii.156 | A dearer merit, not so deep a maim | A deerer merit, not so deepe a maime, |
| Richard II | R2 V.vi.18 | Right noble is thy merit, well I wot. | Right Noble is thy merit, well I wot. |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ I.i.222 | To merit bliss by making me despair. | To merit blisse by making me dispaire: |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ I.ii.31 | And like her most whose merit most shall be; | And like her most, whose merit most shall be: |
| Troilus and Cressida | TC I.iii.349 | Makes merit her election, and doth boil, | Makes Merit her election, and doth boyle |
| Troilus and Cressida | TC II.ii.61 | Without some image of th' affected merit. | Without some image of th'affected merit. |
| Troilus and Cressida | TC II.iii.190 | Nor, by my will, assubjugate his merit – | Nor by my will assubiugate his merit, |
| Troilus and Cressida | TC III.ii.90 | bare till merit crown it; no perfection in reversion shall | bare till merit crowne it: no perfection in reuersion shall |
| Troilus and Cressida | TC III.iii.83 | Prizes of accident as oft as merit – | Prizes of accident, as oft as merit: |
| Troilus and Cressida | TC IV.iv.84 | So mainly as my merit: I cannot sing, | So mainely as my merit: I cannot sing, |
| The Two Gentlemen of Verona | TG V.iv.145 | Plead a new state in thy unrivalled merit, | Plead a new state in thy vn-riual'd merit, |
| The Two Noble Kinsmen | TNK V.i.128 | Is true love's merit, and bless me with a sign | Is true loves merit, and blesse me with a signe |