Shakespeare: Killers and Their Victims Quiz

Answer: Duncan

"I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?" - "Macbeth" (Act 2, Scene 2)

Things go from bad to worse in "Macbeth" after Macbeth decides to become a king. Spurred on by some sinister prophecies from the witches and some serious pressure from Lady Macbeth, he sneaks into King Duncan's room one night and murders him in his sleep. This act begins Macbeth's downward spiral of guilt, paranoia and more violence as he tries to secure his power. The murder of Duncan is the first in a series of increasingly desperate acts by Macbeth, showing how unchecked ambition can lead to ruin. The rest of the play follows Macbeth's unravelling as the consequences of his actions catch up with him.

Answer: Polonius

"How now! A rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead!" - "Hamlet" (Act 3, Scene 4)

In "Hamlet", things get complicated pretty fast. Hamlet's father was murdered by his brother Claudius, who then married Hamlet's mother and took the throne. Hamlet, naturally, isn't thrilled about this, and he spends most of the play pretending to be mad (or maybe not) while plotting his revenge. In one scene, he's having a heated conversation with his mother when he hears someone spying on them from behind a curtain. Thinking it's Claudius, he impulsively stabs through the curtain. Bad news - it is not Claudius, but Polonius, the father of Ophelia and Laertes. This accident leads to further tragedy as Laertes seeks revenge and Ophelia goes mad.

Answer: Patroclus

"I am unarm'd. Forgo this vantage, Greek." - "Troilus and Cressida" (Act 5, Scene 6)

In "Troilus and Cressida", Shakespeare takes us into the world of the Trojan War, where things are never black and white. Hector, the noble Trojan prince, is on the battlefield when he meets Patroclus, a close friend of the Greek hero Achilles. Patroclus is unarmed and tries to avoid a fight, but Hector kills him anyway. This turns out to be a big mistake, as Achilles, already angry at the Trojans, goes into full revenge mode. Hector's days are numbered, and the death of Patroclus sets the stage for even more bloodshed.

Answer: Mercutio

"A plague o' both your houses!" - "Romeo and Juliet" (Act 3, Scene 1)

In "Romeo and Juliet", the city of Verona is essentially a powder keg, with the Montagues and Capulets constantly at each other's throats. Tybalt, a fiery Capulet, is itching for a fight with Romeo, who happens to be a Montague. But when Romeo refuses to duel (because, you know, he's secretly married to Juliet), Mercutio - Romeo's hot-tempered friend - steps in. Tybalt and Mercutio clash, and Tybalt ends up fatally wounding Mercutio. As he dies, Mercutio curses both families, foreshadowing the tragedy that's about to unfold. Romeo, overcome with guilt and rage, kills Tybalt in retaliation, setting off a chain of events that ends in heartbreak for everyone.

Answer: Desdemona

"Put out the light, and then put out the light." - "Othello" (Act 5, Scene 2)

Things take a dark turn in "Othello" when the Moorish general Othello is consumed by jealousy. Thanks to some clever (and evil) manipulation by Iago, Othello is convinced that his beloved wife Desdemona has been unfaithful. In a tragic and heartbreaking scene, Othello decides that the only way to deal with his jealousy is to kill Desdemona. He smothers her to death, but soon learns that she was innocent all along. When he realises what he's done, Othello is devastated and ends his own life. It's one of Shakespeare's most intense plays, exploring the destructive power of jealousy and the tragic consequences of choosing lies over love.

Answer: Regan

"If not, I'll ne'er trust medicine." - "King Lear" (Act 5, Scene 3)

"King Lear" is a family drama of epic proportions. Lear, the ageing king, decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters according to how much they claim to love him. The scheming sisters Goneril and Regan waste no time in betraying their father and vying for power. Their rivalry becomes so bitter that Goneril decides to eliminate the competition - her own sister Regan - by poisoning her. All this treachery and betrayal doesn't end well for Goneril either, as she eventually takes her own life. The play shows how destructive ambition and greed can be, especially when family is involved.

Answer: Macbeth

"Turn, hell-hound, turn!" - "Macbeth" (Act 5, Scene 8)

In "Macbeth" we've got one seriously ambitious man who gets involved in some pretty dark stuff. Macbeth, egged on by some mysterious witches ("Macbeth cannot be killed by any man of woman born") and his equally ambitious wife, decides that the best way to become king is to just go ahead and murder the current one - King Duncan. But power doesn't bring peace, and Macbeth descends into paranoia and madness. Enter Macduff, who isn't too happy after Macbeth slaughters his family, and challenges Macbeth to a duel where he eventually defeats him, bringing the tyrant's reign of terror to a bloody end. Oh, and it turns out that Macbeth wasn't so invincible after all - Macduff wasn't technically "born of a woman", but delivered by Caesarean section.

Answer: Tybalt

"O, I am fortune's fool!" - "Romeo and Juliet" (Act 3, Scene 1)

After Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo has had enough of playing nice in "Romeo and Juliet". Although he has just married Juliet and wants to avoid fighting with her cousin Tybalt, the death of his best friend pushes him over the edge. Romeo challenges Tybalt to a duel and kills him. This act of revenge marks a point of no return for Romeo. Not only does it deepen the feud between the Montagues and Capulets, but it also gets him banished from Verona, separating him from Juliet and setting up the tragic ending. Romeo's quick temper and impulsive actions are a big part of what makes this love story a tragedy.

Answer: Titus Andronicus

"Go, drag the villain hither by the hair; Nor age nor honour shall shape privilege." - "Titus Andronicus" (Act 5, Scene 3)

"Titus Andronicus" is Shakespeare's bloodiest play, with enough revenge, betrayal and gruesome deaths to fill a horror film. At the centre of the carnage is the tragic figure of Titus Andronicus, a Roman general caught in a vicious cycle of revenge with the newly crowned Emperor Saturninus and the Gothic Queen Tamora. By the end of the play, almost everyone is dead, including Titus himself, who kills Tamora and is then killed by Saturninus (who doesn't last long, either). It's a brutal end for a character pushed to his limits by betrayal and loss. The play is a grim look at how revenge can consume and destroy everything in its path.

Answer: Hamlet

"The treacherous instrument is in thy hand, unbated and envenom'd. The foul practice hath turn'd itself on me." - "Hamlet" (Act 5, Scene 2)

The final act of "Hamlet" culminates in a dramatic duel. Laertes, furious over the deaths of his father Polonius and sister Ophelia, challenges Hamlet to a duel, but with a twist - he has a poisoned sword. The fight turns chaotic and both Hamlet and Laertes are wounded by the poison. Laertes, realising that the whole plan has backfired, confesses to the plot before he dies, and Hamlet, in his final moments, finally gets his revenge on King Claudius. The duel is a fittingly tragic end to a play about the destructive power of revenge, deceit and the inevitability of death.