Shakespeare Said It Trivia Game | For Children

Shakespeare Said It Trivia Quiz

Don't worry if you know little or nothing about Shakespeare. These questions are based on words and places he used, not on his actual plays.

A multiple-choice quiz by Christinap. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Shakespeare wrote "The Tempest". What is another word for tempest?

Answer: Storm

A tempest is a storm with high winds, usually with rain, hail or snow as well. It is a word not often used now. It has been replaced with words like gale, cyclone, rainstorm or just high winds.

2. Shakespeare wrote "Two Gentlemen of Verona". Where is Verona?

Answer: Italy

Verona is a city in northern Italy. It is popular with tourists because it has Roman architecture, including an amphitheatre. Because of the number of historical buildings in the city it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

3. Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" featured a man whose head was turned into that of an ass. What is an ass?

Answer: A donkey

An ass is a donkey, and in the play a man was given the head of a donkey by a fairy. He was turned back to a man by the end though. A donkey is really a domesticated ass. The wild population are still called asses.

4. Shakespeare wrote "Richard III". He was a real person and a king. Where was he king of?

Answer: England

Richard III was King of England from 1483 to 1485. He was killed in a battle at Bosworth Field, which was the last battle in an English civil war between the houses of York and Lancaster. Henry VII won the battle and became the next king.

5. Shakespeare wrote "The Taming of the Shrew". In the context of the title a shrew is a bad tempered woman, but what is the more common meaning of the word?

Answer: A small animal

A shrew is a small mammal that looks like a long nosed mouse, but it is not a rodent. Their diet is mainly seeds, insects and worms. They can be found in most parts of the world. There is even a shrew that lives under the snow.

6. Shakespeare wrote "Twelfth Night". What celebration is the twelfth night the end of?

Answer: Christmas

Twelfth night is the evening of the 5th January. This is because our ancestors thought Christmas started at sunset on 24th December, so the evening of 5th January is the twelfth day of Christmas. This is when all the trees and decorations must be taken down. It is thought to be very unlucky to leave them up after this date.

7. Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" is set in a city in Italy. Venice doesn't have roads, what does it have instead?

Answer: Canals

The various parts of Venice are linked by canals and everyone either walks to wherever they want to go, or travels in some form of boat. Bridges cross the canals at frequent intervals, and there are water taxis. People who live in houses with entrances on the canals often own their own small motor boat for getting around.

8. Shakespeare's "Merry Wives of Windsor" is set in England. Where else in the world would you find a town called Windsor?

Answer: Australia

Windsor in Australia is on the outskirts of Sydney, and was founded in 1811. You can also find two places called Windsor in Canada, one in Nova Scotia and one in Ontario. America has around a dozen places called Windsor.

9. Shakespeare's "Anthony and Cleopatra" is all about a Roman emperor falling in love with the queen of another country. Which country was Cleopatra queen of?

Answer: Egypt

Cleopatra was a member of the Ptolemy family who ruled Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great. She first had an affair with Emperor Julius Caesar, and after he was killed she then embarked on a love affair with Mark Anthony.
After he died she killed herself, legend says by deliberately being bitten by a poisonous snake. She died in 30BC.

10. Several of Shakespeare's plays featured a person known as a court jester. What was a jester?

Answer: An entertainer

A jester was the official court entertainer. They told jokes, sang songs and often acted as a sort of newspaper, passing on gossip. In many ways they held a position of privilege as they could say things to the king or queen that other people would probably have been executed for.

Source: Author Christinap

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor NatalieW before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Shakespeare Said It Trivia Quiz

Don't worry if you know little or nothing about Shakespeare. These questions are based on words and places he used, not on his actual plays.

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