Question

In his play Macbeth, William Shakespeare drew source material from Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles. Compare the two passages about having a guilty conscience about a murder.
Which answer best describes how Shakespeare transforms the passage from the Chronicles in his play?

In the Chronicles, King Kenneth hears the voice of his conscience. In the play, Macbeth hears the voice of his God.

In the Chronicles, King Kenneth hears a voice condemning him for the murder he committed, and thus he cannot sleep. In the play, Macbeth hears a voice commanding that he will not sleep again because of the murder he committed.

In the Chronicles, King Kenneth cannot sleep because he hears a voice telling him to murder Malcome Duffe.

In the play, Macbeth is unable to sleep because he hears a voice telling him to murder King Duncan. Shakespeare transfers the passage from the Chronicles in its entirety to the play Macbeth, without changing it at all.

Answer 1

Answer:

In the Chronicles, King Kenneth hears a voice condemning him for the murder he committed, and thus he cannot sleep. In the play, Macbeth hears a voice commanding that he will not sleep again because of the murder he committed.

Explanation:

Shakespeare's primary source for writing Macbeth was Raphael Holinshed's "Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland," first published in 1577. The main contours of the play derive from Holinshed's account of Kings Duncan and Macbeth. Shakespeare also used many details of Holinshed's account of a certain King Duff, who died eighty years before Macbeth. Both works depict a murder made out of jealousy, where the killer was disturbed by guilt.

In the Chronicles written by Raphael Holinshed, King Kenneth hears a voice condemning him for the murder he committed, and therefore he cannot sleep. In Shakespeare's play, Macbeth hears a voice ordering him not to go back to sleep because of the murder he committed.