Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (2 of 6): England (02 of 12)
 William Rufus

by Raphael Holinshed

"Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (2 of 6): England (02 of 12)" by Raphael Holinshed is a collaborative historical work published in 1577, with a revised edition in 1587. This comprehensive chronicle of British history became a crucial source for Renaissance writers, particularly William Shakespeare. Its vivid accounts of kings, battles, and political intrigue inspired plays like Macbeth and King Lear, though Shakespeare transformed the material significantly. The Chronicles present dramatically different versions of familiar stories, revealing how history became literature in Elizabethan England.