Shakespeare Not in Love Trivia Quiz

Answer: Beatrice

Beatrice, one of the wittiest characters in "Much Ado About Nothing", delivers this line to Benedick to show her scepticism about romance. At the beginning of the play, she is outspoken, sarcastic and doesn't seem interested in love at all. Her comment, "I would rather hear my dog bark at a crow than have a man swear he loved me", in Act 1, Scene 1, reflects her independent spirit and her dislike of what she sees as the empty promises of romance.

Throughout the play, Beatrice and Benedick are known for their "merry war of words". They tease each other, exchange sharp remarks, and both insist that they'll never marry. At one point, Beatrice mocks Benedick directly, saying, "I wonder if you will still speak, Signor Benedick; no one marks you" (Act 1, Scene 1) - her way of telling him that no one cares what he has to say.

Beatrice's attitude begins to change, however, when her friends make her believe that Benedick loves her. As the story progresses, she lets her guard down and finally admits her feelings. In Act 4, Scene 1, she tells Benedick, "I love you with so much of my heart that there is nothing left to protest," showing her transformation from sceptic to someone who embraces love.

Answer: As You Like It

Celia, Duke Frederick's daughter, delivers this line during a conversation with Rosalind in Act 3, Scene 4 of "As You Like It". At this moment, Rosalind is lovesick over Orlando's absence, and Celia humorously counters her cousin's romantic idealism by pointing out the fleeting and unreliable nature of a lover's promises. When Celia says, "The oath of a lover is no stronger than the word of a tapster", she's expressing her scepticism about grand declarations of love, comparing them to the insincere promises of a bartender trying to keep customers drinking.

Celia's attitude to love is shaped by her pragmatic and down-to-earth nature, which contrasts with Rosalind's passionate idealism. While Rosalind throws herself wholeheartedly into her feelings for Orlando, Celia is more cautious and often teases Rosalind for her lovesick behaviour. For example, early in the play, when Rosalind raves about Orlando's poetic abilities, Celia sarcastically remarks: "O wonderful, wonderful, and most wonderful wonderful! And yet again wonderful, and after that out of all whooping!" (Act 3, Scene 2).

Celia's scepticism stems in part from her loyalty to Rosalind. She sees herself as her cousin's protector, often serving as a voice of reason amid Rosalind's emotional highs. However, her cautious attitude to love softens as the play progresses. Eventually, Celia falls in love with Orlando's brother, Oliver. This change in her perspective highlights one of the central themes of the play: love has the power to transform even the most cautious of hearts.

Answer: Cupid

King Lear delivers the line, "No, do thy worst, blind Cupid, I'll not love" to Gloucester in Act 4, Scene 6 of "King Lear". At this point, Lear is heartbroken and bitter about love. His elder daughters, Goneril and Regan, have betrayed him, and he feels that there's no one left who truly loves him. Ironically, he has rejected his youngest daughter, Cordelia, who genuinely cares for him.

Lear's words show his frustration and defiance. By challenging Cupid, the god of love, to "do thy worst," Lear is rejecting the very idea of love. This moment reflects his pride, as he still sees himself as strong enough to stand up to the gods, even as his world crumbles around him. His bitterness stems from the pain caused by his daughters' betrayal and his own mistakes, such as misjudging Cordelia earlier in the play when she said: "I love your majesty / According to my bond; no more nor less." (Act 1, Scene 1)

Later, Cordelia forgives Lear, and for a brief moment he feels loved again. But her tragic death leaves him broken, and his defiance of love and Cupid seems even more poignant.

Answer: Romeo

In "Romeo and Juliet", this line is spoken by Romeo in Act 1, Scene 4, as he shares his conflicted feelings about love with his friends Mercutio and Benvolio. Romeo, heartbroken over his unrequited love for Rosaline, expresses his frustration at the pain that love can bring. By comparing love to a thorn, he highlights its ability to wound as much as it delights.

Although he seems disillusioned here, his attitude to love changes dramatically when he meets Juliet at the Capulet party shortly afterwards. In Act 1, Scene 5, he declares: "Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night." This shift from despair to infatuation underlines Romeo's passionate but often fleeting approach to love.

Romeo's contrasting views of love, from pain to ecstasy, reflect one of the play's central themes - the power of love to uplift and destroy.

Answer: Jaques

Jaques, also known as "the melancholy Jaques", delivers this line in Act 3, Scene 2, during a conversation with Orlando. Jaques, known for his sardonic and often cynical outlook, criticises Orlando for being in love and continues: "By my troth, I was seeking for a fool when I found you." This moment reflects Jaques' distance from the romantic ideals embraced by other characters in the play.

Jaques is sceptical of love, seeing it as a foolish distraction rather than a noble pursuit. His reaction contrasts sharply with Orlando's earnest devotion to Rosalind, as seen in Orlando's love-stricken poems scattered throughout the Forest of Arden. Jaques' disapproval of love is in keeping with his general disdain for human folly, as shown in his famous "All the world's a stage" monologue earlier in the play, in which he laments the futility and absurdity of life.

However, Jacques' attitude sets him apart from the other characters, who ultimately find joy and resolution in love. While others, such as Rosalind and Orlando, embrace romantic relationships, Jaques chooses solitude at the end of the play, refusing to participate in the celebratory marriages.

Answer: Othello

The line "I take this, that you call love, to be a sect or scion" is spoken by Iago in "Othello" (Act 1, Scene 3) as he expresses his deeply cynical view of love. At this moment Iago is manipulating the heartbroken Roderigo, who is consumed by unrequited love for Desdemona. Iago's choice of metaphor - comparing love to a "sect" and a "scion" - is particularly revealing of his condescending perspective.

A sect suggests a narrow, irrational devotion, implying that love is more like blind allegiance than a reasoned connection. Meanwhile, a scion - a branch or shoot grafted onto another plant - evokes the image of something delicate, fragile and ultimately dependent on external forces for survival. Through these images, Iago frames love as both shallow and fleeting, a far cry from the lofty ideal of mutual emotional fulfilment.

Iago goes further, calling it "merely a lust of the blood and a permission of the will". This bit of cynical philosophy shocks Roderigo who protests: "It cannot be!". But Iago, ever the manipulator, persists in convincing Roderigo that love is nothing more than physical desire, easily discarded once the novelty has worn off.

This dismissive attitude is consistent with Iago's cynical and calculating nature. Throughout the play, Iago shows no belief in true love, seeing relationships as opportunities to exploit others for his own personal gain. For example, he later mocks Othello's love for Desdemona, claiming, "Blessed fig's - end! The wine she drinks is made of grapes" (Act 2, Scene 1), implying that love is banal and not worthy of the reverence others pay to it.

Answer: Cressida

Cressida's quote, "To be wise and love exceeds man's might, that dwells with gods above", speaks to the tension between reason and emotion. At this point in the play, Cressida is wrestling with her feelings for Troilus and recognising that love, though powerful, often defies reason. Cressida is a character caught between the personal and the political, torn between her love for Troilus and her duty to her family and the city of Troy. This line reveals her sense of helplessness as she realises that the power of love can overwhelm reason, making it impossible to remain in full control of her emotions.

As the play progresses, Cressida's character reveals the complexity of her situation and the vulnerability of her emotions. In Act 4, Scene 4, just before she is taken away from Troy, she says to Troilus, "The grief is fine, full, perfect, that I taste, / And violenteth in a sense as strong / As that which causeth it". Here Cressida articulates the depth of her grief, acknowledging the intense emotional pain caused by her impending separation. This moment highlights her inner turmoil: although she loves Troilus deeply, her forced departure demonstrates how little control she has over her fate.

Answer: "...against my will."

Benedick's line "I do suffer love indeed, for I love thee against my will" is part of his self-aware dialogue, showing his reluctant acknowledgement of his feelings for Beatrice. Initially, Benedick is strongly opposed to love and marriage, famously declaring, "When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I was married" (Act 2, Scene 3). His disdain for romantic entanglements is a source of comic irony as he gradually falls in love with Beatrice.

Benedick's confession of love "against my will" reflects the struggle between his pride and his growing affection for Beatrice. Benedick is a character who often hides his vulnerability behind humour, but this line subtly reveals his inner turmoil. As the play progresses, his transformation becomes apparent when he defends Beatrice's honour and agrees to challenge Claudio, illustrating the depth of his commitment to her. Later in the play, Benedick's love for Beatrice even leads him to declare, "I love nothing in the world so well as you: is it not strange?" (Act 4, Scene 1).

Answer: Rosalind

This line is spoken by Rosalind in "As You Like It" (Act 3, Scene 5) during her playful and sharp exchange with the lovestruck shepherdess Phebe. Disguised as a young man named Ganymede, Rosalind delivers this line with characteristic wit, fully embracing her assumed identity to lecture Phebe on the dangers of falling in love with someone as deceitful as "Ganymede".

Rosalind's words reflect her keen insight into the folly and impulsiveness of romantic attraction, a recurring theme in the play. The metaphor of "vows made in wine" suggests the fleeting nature of promises made under the influence, and highlights how easily emotions can be misled.

Interestingly, Rosalind herself is deeply in love with Orlando, and her disguise allows her to explore the dynamics of love from a different perspective. Her warning to Phebe is laced with irony, as she navigates her own romantic feelings while trying to teach others about the absurdities of love.

Answer: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Hermia's outburst comes from Act 3, Scene 2 of "A Midsummer Night's Dream". This moment of intense emotion is directed at Helena, Hermia's childhood friend, during a chaotic love quadrangle caused by magical interference. Hermia believes that Helena has stolen Lysander's love and calls her a "juggler" and a "cankerblossom" to express her feelings of betrayal.

Helena responds to Hermia's accusations with indignation, saying, "Have you no modesty, no maidenly shame, no touch of bashfulness?" This quote highlights the darker, more volatile side of love in the play. Hermia, usually portrayed as gentle and steadfast, is pushed to the brink by what she perceives as Helena's disloyalty. Her jealousy and frustration show how the trials of love can strain even the closest of friendships.

Interestingly, Hermia's fiery accusation is the result of the intervention of the fairy Puck. Under the influence of a love potion, Lysander and Demetrius abandon their original affections, leading to misunderstandings and heightened emotions. At the end of the play, however, the magic spell is lifted, harmony is restored and Hermia and Helena reconcile.