In this article I focus my attention on archaisms. I demonstrate that they are frequently replaced by their modern counterparts, which significantly changes the uniqueness of the original text. I base my research on three Polish translations of Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare. Paszkowski’s translation is the oldest version I analyze as it dates back to the 19th century. Two other translations are more modern. Słomczyński translated the play in 1983 and Barańczak in 1990. Generally speaking, Paszkowski reflects Shakespeare’s intentions, language and style accurately and the most successfully. His target reader may sense the exceptionality of the original without referring to the English version.