Involved with Shakespeare Trivia Quiz

Answer: Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon is 94 miles from London, where Shakespeare spent most of his adult life. He was born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, and his family was fairly 'well off'. He most likely attended a free grammar school, where he would have studied Latin. Coventry is another city in the same part of England, but as far as I know had nothing to do with Shakespeare.

Answer: 1564

No one is sure about Shakespeare's exact date of birth. He was baptized on April 26, and it was tradition to baptize children when they were about three days old, placing his birthday on April 23. April 23 is also the day on which he died in 1616, as well as St. George's day, St. George being the patron saint of England.

These two possible coincidences make the celebrated date of his birth somewhat legendary.

Answer: Plagues

Plagues closed down the theatres in London for 1592 or '93 through 1594, and again in 1603. No one is quite sure what actors did during the first plague, it seems that William Shakespeare was busy writing poetry. During the 1603 plague, he and his company went on a traveling tour.

Answer: 8 years

Shakespeare was 18 years old when he married, and his wife, Anne Hathaway, was eight years his senior. Anne was a wealthy heiress and daughter of a respected farmer.

Answer: 6

They were married in November, and their first daughter, Susanna, was born in May, 6 months later. In that time, couples could live together if pledged to be married, but there may also have been mischief involved in this story, whereby the marriage may have been forced.

Answer: True

They were his second and third children, named Hamnet and Judith. They were born 1585. Hamnet only lived until 1596. Judith married in 1616 and had three children, Shakespeare, Richard and Thomas, all of whom died by the age of 21 and none of whom had any children.

Answer: King's Men

Formerly known as Chamberlain's Men or Lord Chamberlain's Men, the group changed its name in 1603 to King's Men due to the aquired patronage of King James I. Theatre Troupe is a general term, it is also the name of the theatre club at my high school that I was a part of. Admiral's Men is the name of a rival theatre company.

Answer: False

Shakespeare was the most famous and capable user of Iambic Penatmeter, but not the first. It has been observed as early as 1514 in Renaissance Italy, and first noted in English in a 1561 play titled "Gorboduc." It was also used by Shakespeare's comtemporary, Marlowe. Iambic Pentameter consists of five iambs, or 'feet', each of which has an unaccented and an accented syllable, in that order. "Blank verse" is just a lot easier to say (and spell).

Answer: Queen Elizabeth I and King James I

Queen Elizabeth I reigned from 1558 to 1603. She was liberal minded and enjoyed the theatre, she even wrote plays herself. In her court, Shakespeare gave 32 performances. The Elizabethan period was named for her. King James I also wrote plays, as well as poems. About half of the plays he saw performed were Shakespeare's and, as mentioned earlier, he became a patron of Will's repertory group.

Answer: 36

Shakespeare was first well known as a poet to London's intellectual society, then as a brilliant actor. It was not until later that he was recognized as a great playwright, for which he is known today.

The two plays that appear in the modern canon but were absent from the First Folio are "Pericles" and "The Two Noble Kinsmen". The authorship of both plays is disputed. "Pericles" is believed to have been written in part by Shakespeare but the first two acts are possibly the work of another, less-talented, writer. "The Two Noble Kinsmen" is generally accepted to be co-authored by Shakespeare and John Fletcher, each writing approximately half of the play.