| Play | Key Line | Modern Text | Original Text |
| Coriolanus | Cor I.ii.23 | We shall be shortened in our aim, which was | We shalbe shortned in our ayme, which was |
| Hamlet | Ham V.i.20 | his own death shortens not his own life. | his owne death, shortens not his owne life. |
| Henry IV Part 2 | 2H4 V.ii.145 | God shorten Harry's happy life one day! | Heauen shorten Harries happy life, one day. |
| Henry VI Part 1 | 1H6 IV.vi.37 | 'Tis but the shortening of my life one day. | 'Tis but the shortning of my Life one day. |
| Henry VI Part 1 | 1H6 V.iv.58 | That so her torture may be shortened. | That so her torture may be shortned. |
| King Lear | KL IV.vii.9 | Yet to be known shortens my made intent. | Yet to be knowne shortens my made intent, |
| Much Ado About Nothing | MA III.ii.92 | shortened, for she has been too long a talking of, the | shortned, (for she hath beene too long a talking of) the |
| Richard II | R2 I.iii.217 | He shortens four years of my son's exile. | He shortens foure yeares of my sonnes exile: |
| Richard II | R2 I.iii.227 | Shorten my days thou canst with sullen sorrow, | Shorten my dayes thou canst with sudden sorow, |
| Richard II | R2 III.iii.13 | Have been so brief with you to shorten you, | Haue beene so briefe with you, to shorten you, |
| The Tempest | Tem IV.i.260 | With dry convulsions, shorten up their sinews | With dry Convultions, shorten vp their sinewes |
| The Winter's Tale | WT IV.iv.419 | But shorten thy life one week. – And thou, fresh piece | But shorten thy life one weeke. And thou, fresh peece |