| Play | Key Line | Modern Text | Original Text |
| All's Well That Ends Well | AW III.ii.111 | That sings with piercing; do not touch my lord. | That sings with piercing, do not touch my Lord: |
| Antony and Cleopatra | AC II.v.12 | Tawny-finned fishes. My bended hook shall pierce | Tawny fine fishes, my bended hooke shall pierce |
| As You Like It | AYL II.i.58 | Thus most invectively he pierceth through | Thus most inuectiuely he pierceth through |
| The Comedy of Errors | CE IV.iv.141.1 | Enter Antipholus of Syracuse and Dromio of Syracuse, | Enter Antipholus Siracusia with his Rapier drawne, |
| The Comedy of Errors | CE IV.iv.141.2 | with their rapiers drawn | and Dromio Sirac |
| Coriolanus | Cor I.i.81 | against the rich, and provide more piercing | against the rich, and prouide more piercing |
| Coriolanus | Cor I.v.11 | Piercing our Romans. Then, valiant Titus, take | Piercing our Romanes: Then Valiant Titus take |
| Coriolanus | Cor II.ii.113 | When by and by the din of war 'gan pierce | When by and by the dinne of Warre gan pierce |
| Coriolanus | Cor IV.vi.27 | This is a happier and more comely time | This is a happier and more comely time, |
| Coriolanus | Cor V.iv.20 | He is able to pierce a corslet with his eye, talks like | He is able to pierce a Corslet with his eye: Talkes like |
| Cymbeline | Cym I.iv.7 | Senseless linen, happier therein than I! | Senselesse Linnen, happier therein then I: |
| Cymbeline | Cym IV.ii.403 | Some falls are means the happier to arise. | Some Falles are meanes the happier to arise. |
| Cymbeline | Cym V.iv.108 | And happier much by his affliction made. | And happier much by his Affliction made. |
| Hamlet | Ham II.ii.342 | many wearing rapiers are afraid of goosequills and dare | many wearing Rapiers, are affraide of Goose-quils, and dare |
| Hamlet | Ham IV.i.10 | Whips out his rapier, cries, ‘ A rat, a rat!’ | He whips his Rapier out, and cries a Rat, a Rat, |
| Hamlet | Ham IV.v.153 | It shall as level to your judgement 'pear | It shall as leuell to your Iudgement pierce |
| Hamlet | Ham IV.vii.97 | And for your rapier most especial, | And for your Rapier most especially, |
| Hamlet | Ham V.ii.143 | Rapier and dagger. | Rapier and dagger. |
| Hamlet | Ham V.ii.147 | six French rapiers and poniards, with their assigns, as | sixe French Rapiers and Poniards, with their assignes, as |
| Hamlet | Ham V.ii.296.1 | In scuffling, they change rapiers, and both are wounded | In scuffling they change Rapiers. |
| Henry IV Part 1 | 1H4 V.iii.56 | Well, if Percy be alive, I'll pierce him. If he do | If Percy be aliue, Ile pierce him: if he do |
| Henry IV Part 2 | 2H4 II.iv.196 | Give me my rapier, boy. | Giue me my Rapier, Boy. |
| Henry V | H5 II.i.53 | foul with me, Pistol, I will scour you with my rapier, | fowle with me Pistoll, I will scoure you with my Rapier, |
| Henry V | H5 III.chorus.4 | The well-appointed King at Hampton pier | The well-appointed King at Douer Peer, |
| Henry V | H5 IV.chorus.11 | Piercing the night's dull ear; and from the tents | Piercing the Nights dull Eare: and from the Tents, |
| Henry VI Part 1 | 1H6 II.iv.70 | Ay, sharp and piercing, to maintain his truth, | I, sharpe and piercing to maintaine his truth, |
| Henry VI Part 2 | 2H6 IV.ix.34 | But now is Cade driven back, his men dispersed, | But now is Cade driuen backe, his men dispierc'd, |
| Henry VI Part 3 | 3H6 I.iii.37 | Such pity as my rapier's point affords. | Such pitty as my Rapiers point affords. |
| Henry VI Part 3 | 3H6 I.iv.41 | So doves do peck the falcon's piercing talons; | So Doues doe peck the Faulcons piercing Tallons, |
| Henry VI Part 3 | 3H6 I.iv.80 | That valiant Clifford, with his rapier's point, | That valiant Clifford, with his Rapiers point, |
| Henry VI Part 3 | 3H6 II.i.202 | I come to pierce it, or to give thee mine. | I come to pierce it, or to giue thee mine. |
| Henry VI Part 3 | 3H6 III.i.38 | Her tears will pierce into a marble heart; | Her teares will pierce into a Marble heart: |
| Henry VI Part 3 | 3H6 V.ii.17 | Have been as piercing as the midday sun, | Haue beene as piercing as the Mid-day Sunne, |
| Henry VIII | H8 I.i.68 | Pierce into that; but I can see his pride | Pierce into that, but I can see his Pride |
| Henry VIII | H8 II.i.120 | A little happier than my wretched father: | A little happier then my wretched Father: |
| Julius Caesar | JC V.iii.76 | For piercing steel and darts envenomed | For piercing Steele, and Darts inuenomed, |
| King Edward III | E3 I.ii.105 | My subject eyes from piercing majesty | My subiect eyes from persing maiestie, |
| King Edward III | E3 III.i.189 | This soldier's words have pierced thy father's heart. | This souldiers words haue perst thy fathers hart. |
| King Lear | KL I.iv.298 | Pierce every sense about thee! – Old fond eyes, | Pierce euerie sense about thee. Old fond eyes, |
| King Lear | KL I.iv.342 | How far your eyes may pierce I cannot tell; | How farre your eies may pierce I cannot tell; |
| King Lear | KL IV.i.65 | Makes thee the happier. Heavens deal so still! | Makes thee the happier: Heauens deale so still: |
| King Lear | KL IV.iii.9 | Did your letters pierce the Queen to any demonstration | |
| King Lear | KL IV.vi.85 | O thou side-piercing sight! | O thou side-piercing sight! |
| King Lear | KL IV.vi.168 | Arm it in rags, a pygmy's straw does pierce it. | Arme it in ragges, a Pigmies straw do's pierce it. |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL I.ii.72 | do excel thee in my rapier as much as thou didst me in | doe excell thee in my rapier, as much as thou didst mee in |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL I.ii.171 | Spaniard's rapier. The first and second cause will not | Spaniards Rapier: The first and second cause will not |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL I.ii.174 | glory is to subdue men. Adieu, valour; rust, rapier; be | glorie is to subdue men. Adue Valour, rust Rapier, bee |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL IV.ii.57 | The preyful Princess pierced and pricked a pretty pleasing pricket; | The prayfull Princesse pearst and prickt a prettie pleasing Pricket, |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL IV.ii.82 | Master Parson – quasi pierce-one? An if | Master Person, quasi Person? And if |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL IV.ii.83 | one should be pierced, which is the one? | one should be perst, Which is the one? |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL IV.ii.86 | Piercing a hogshead! A good lustre of conceit | Of persing a Hogshead, a good luster of conceit |
| Love's Labour's Lost | LLL V.ii.748 | Honest plain words best pierce the ear of grief; | Honest plain words, best pierce the ears of griefe |
| Macbeth | Mac I.iii.65 | Not so happy, yet much happier. | Not so happy, yet much happyer. |
| Macbeth | Mac IV.i.3 | Harpier cries! 'Tis time, 'tis time!. | Harpier cries, 'tis time, 'tis time. |
| Measure for Measure | MM I.iii.3 | Can pierce a complete bosom. Why I desire thee | Can pierce a compleat bosome: why, I desire thee |
| Measure for Measure | MM IV.iii.13 | Copperspur, and Master Starve-lackey, the rapier and | Copperspurre, and M Starue-Lackey the Rapier and |
| The Merchant of Venice | MV I.i.19 | Peering in maps for ports and piers and roads, | Peering in Maps for ports, and peers, and rodes: |
| The Merchant of Venice | MV III.ii.161 | But she may learn; happier than this, | But she may learne: happier then this, |
| The Merchant of Venice | MV IV.i.126 | Of thy sharp envy. Can no prayers pierce thee? | Of thy sharpe enuy. Can no prayers pierce thee? |
| The Merchant of Venice | MV V.i.67 | With sweetest touches pierce your mistress' ear, | With sweetest tutches pearce your Mistresse eare, |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | MW I.iv.57 | Come, take-a your rapier, and come after my heel to the | Come, take-a-your Rapier, and come after my heele to the |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | MW I.iv.67 | Rugby, my rapier! | Rugby, my Rapier. |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | MW II.i.99 | You are the happier woman. | You are the happier woman. |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | MW II.i.205 | rapier. | Rapier. |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | MW II.iii.12 | Take your rapier, Jack. I vill tell you how I vill kill him. | take your Rapier, (Iacke) I vill tell you how I vill kill him. |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | MW II.iii.14 | Villainy, take your rapier. | Villanie, take your Rapier. |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | MND II.i.160 | As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts; | As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts, |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | MND III.ii.59 | Pierced through the heart with your stern cruelty. | Pierst through the heart with your stearne cruelty: |
| Othello | Oth I.iii.217 | That the bruised heart was pieced through the ear. | That the bruized heart was pierc'd through the eares. |
| Othello | Oth III.iii.349 | The spirit-stirring drum, th' ear-piercing fife, | The Spirit-stirring Drum, th'Eare-piercing Fife, |
| Othello | Oth IV.i.270.1 | Could neither graze nor pierce? | Could neither graze, nor pierce? |
| Othello | Oth V.i.2 | Wear thy good rapier bare, and put it home. | Weare thy good Rapier bare, and put it home: |
| Pericles | Per IV.i.28 | And it pierces and sharpens the stomach. | And it perces and sharpens the stomacke, |
| Pericles | Per IV.iii.35 | Not worth the time of day. It pierced me through. | not worth the time of day. It pierst me thorow, |
| Richard II | R2 I.i.171 | Pierced to the soul with slander's venomed spear, | Pierc'd to the soule with slanders venom'd speare: |
| Richard II | R2 II.i.49 | Against the envy of less happier lands; | Against the enuy of lesse happier Lands, |
| Richard II | R2 IV.i.40 | Where it was forged, with my rapier's point. | Where it was forged with my Rapiers point. |
| Richard II | R2 V.iii.126 | That hearing how our plaints and prayers do pierce, | That hearing how our plaints and prayres do pearce, |
| Richard II | R2 V.iv.1.1 | Enter Sir Piers of Exton and a Man | Enter Exton and Seruants. |
| Richard II | R2 V.v.100 | My lord, I dare not. Sir Pierce of Exton, | My Lord I dare not: Sir Pierce of Exton, |
| Richard III | R3 I.iii.194 | Can curses pierce the clouds and enter heaven? | Can Curses pierce the Clouds, and enter Heauen? |
| Richard III | R3 IV.iv.125 | Thy woes will make them sharp and pierce like mine. | Thy woes will make them sharpe, And pierce like mine. |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ I.iv.19 | I am too sore empierced with his shaft | I am too sore enpearced with his shaft, |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ I.v.55 | Fetch me my rapier, boy. What, dares the slave | Fetch me my Rapier Boy, what dares the slaue |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ III.i.82 | Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up. | Gentle Mercutio, put thy Rapier vp. |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ III.i.159 | With piercing steel at bold Mercutio's breast; | With Peircing steele at bold Mercutio's breast, |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ III.v.3 | That pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear. | That pier'st the fearefull hollow of thine eare, |
| Romeo and Juliet | RJ IV.iii.57 | Upon a rapier's point. Stay, Tybalt, stay! | Vpon my Rapiers point: stay Tybalt, stay; |
| The Taming of the Shrew | TS II.i.176 | And say she uttereth piercing eloquence. | And say she vttereth piercing eloquence: |
| The Taming of the Shrew | TS IV.v.40 | Happier the man whom favourable stars | Happier the man whom fauourable stars |
| The Taming of the Shrew | TS IV.v.59 | Happily met – the happier for thy son. | Happily met, the happier for thy sonne: |
| The Tempest | Tem II.i.246 | Ambition cannot pierce a wink beyond, | Ambition cannot pierce a winke beyond |
| The Tempest | Tem V.i.84 | Fetch me the hat and rapier in my cell. | Fetch me the Hat, and Rapier in my Cell, |
| The Tempest | Tem epilogue.17 | Which pierces so, that it assaults | Which pierces so, that it assaults |
| Timon of Athens | Tim I.ii.202 | Happier is he that has no friend to feed | Happier is he that has no friend to feede, |
| Timon of Athens | Tim IV.iii.127 | Shall pierce a jot. There's gold to pay thy soldiers. | Shall pierce a iot. There's Gold to pay thy Souldiers, |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit II.i.8 | And overlooks the highest-peering hills, | And ouer-lookes the highest piering hills: |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit II.i.39 | Gave you a dancing-rapier by your side, | Gaue you a daunsing Rapier by your side, |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit II.i.54 | My rapier in his bosom, and withal | My rapier in his bosome, and withall |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit IV.ii.84 | I'll broach the tadpole on my rapier's point. | Ile broach the Tadpole on my Rapiers point: |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit IV.iii.12 | And pierce the inmost centre of the earth. | And pierce the inmost Center of the earth: |
| Titus Andronicus | Tit IV.iv.31 | Whose loss hath pierced him deep and scarred his heart; | Whose losse hath pier'st him deepe, and scar'd his heart; |
| Troilus and Cressida | TC IV.v.5 | May pierce the head of the great combatant, | May pierce the head of the great Combatant, |
| Twelfth Night | TN III.iv.230 | He is knight dubbed with unhatched rapier and | He is knight dubb'd with vnhatch'd Rapier, and |
| Twelfth Night | TN III.iv.268 | such a firago. I had a pass with him, rapier, scabbard | such a firago: I had a passe with him, rapier, scabberd, |
| The Two Noble Kinsmen | TNK I.i.124 | Such heart-pierced demonstration; but alas, | Such heart peirc'd demonstration; but alas |
| The Two Noble Kinsmen | TNK I.ii.56 | That does command my rapier from my hip | That does command my Rapier from my hip |
| The Two Noble Kinsmen | TNK III.i.25 | Thou thinkest thyself the happier thing, to be | Thou thinkst thy selfe, the happier thing, to be |
| The Winter's Tale | WT IV.ii.30 | his happier affairs may be are to me unknown; but I | his happier affayres may be, are to me vnknowne: but I |
| The Winter's Tale | WT V.iii.34 | Now piercing to my soul. O, thus she stood, | Now piercing to my Soule. Oh, thus she stood, |