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Off With Their Heads! Trivia Quiz

A quiz about people (both real and imaginary) who lost their lives by losing their heads.

A multiple-choice quiz by Apteryx65. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
Apteryx65

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
323,914

Updated
Aug 24 24

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
544

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. This man's beheading is so famous that many Christian denominations have a feast day commemorating it, and many famous artists have painted the scene with his head often depicted on a platter. Who is he? Hint

St. Thomas More

St Paul

St Valentine

St. John the Baptist

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Question 2 of 10

2. The Headless Horseman terrifies Ichabod Crane in which book? Hint

Rip Van Winkle

Black Beauty

The Mystery of the Headless Horseman

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

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Question 3 of 10

3. Which character from "Alice in Wonderland" is famous for shouting "Off with their heads"? Hint

The Queen of Hearts

The Mad Hatter

The Red Queen

The Mock Turtle

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Question 4 of 10

4. How many wives did Henry VIII of England behead? Hint

Six

One

Three

Two

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Question 5 of 10

5. What cartoon character had his head bitten off by Ozzy Osbourne? Hint

Mr Burns

Stewie Griffin

Daffy Duck

Kenny McCormick

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Question 6 of 10

6. Kings and queens are known for beheading their subjects, but which English king was beheaded in 1649? Hint

Charles II

Ethelred the Unready

James VI

Charles I

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Question 7 of 10

7. Nearly Headless Nick is the ghost of Gryffindor House in J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series. Although his neck was struck 45 times, his head still remains attached to his body by half an inch of skin and sinew. What instrument did the hapless executioner use? Hint

A rusty sword

A faulty guillotine

A Swiss army knife

A blunt axe

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Question 8 of 10

8. From what Shakespearean play does the quote "Off with his head" come from? Hint

Richard III

The Merchant of Venice

Macbeth

Henry V

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Question 9 of 10

9. Edward Teach was a notorious English pirate who was killed in a fierce onboard battle in 1719. His head was cut off and hung from the bowsprit of the victor's boat. What name was he better known by? Hint

Jack Sparrow

Barbarossa

Henry Morgan

Blackbeard

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Question 10 of 10

10. One of the most famous beheadings in history is that of Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution. What were her last words before being executed by guillotine? Hint

"Let them eat cake!"

"Monsieur, I beg your pardon."

"It is glorious and honourable to die for one's country."

"Vive La France!"

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: St. John the Baptist

St. John the Baptist was executed by Herod. This was done upon the request of his step-daughter Salome, who asked for the Saint's head to be presented to her on a platter.

2. The Headless Horseman terrifies Ichabod Crane in which book?

Answer: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Headless Horseman is in 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' by Washington Irving. The horseman is the ghost of a soldier of the American Revolution whose head was blown off by a cannonball. Each night the horseman rides in search of his head.

3. Which character from "Alice in Wonderland" is famous for shouting "Off with their heads"?

Answer: The Queen of Hearts

From "Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll - "The Queen had only one way of settling all difficulties, great or small. 'Off with his head!' she said, without even looking round."

The Queen of Hearts is part of a pack of playing cards and likes to play croquet using hedgehogs as balls and flamingos as mallets.

4. How many wives did Henry VIII of England behead?

Answer: Two

Henry VIII had six wives and he beheaded two - Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard. This can be remembered by using the following rhyme as an aid to memory - "King Henry the Eighth, to six wives he was wedded: One died, one survived, two divorced, two beheaded."

5. What cartoon character had his head bitten off by Ozzy Osbourne?

Answer: Kenny McCormick

In the season two "South Park" episode entitled "Chef Aid", Ozzy Osbourne bites Kenny's head off while singing at a concert. Kenny was also decapitated in season one during a football game in "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boatride", and he is decapitated by Santa in a pre-"South Park" cartoon called "The Spirit of Christmas: Jesus vs Santa".

6. Kings and queens are known for beheading their subjects, but which English king was beheaded in 1649?

Answer: Charles I

Charles I, King of England, Scotland and Ireland, was beheaded on January 30th 1649 after being tried and found guilty of high treason. His crime was defying Parliament and encouraging the second English Civil War between the Parliamentarians and the Royalists.

Answer: A blunt axe

Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington, otherwise known as 'Nearly Headless Nick', was sentenced to be beheaded after botching a teeth straightening spell. The executioner was as incompetent as Nick and used a blunt axe which left Nick's head attached by a tiny bit. This prevents Nick from taking part in the 'Headless Hunt' as he is not technically headless.

8. From what Shakespearean play does the quote "Off with his head" come from?

Answer: Richard III

The quote is from Act 3, scene 4. These words are shouted by Richard III when he is in the Tower of London. He manipulates Lord Hastings into admitting to witchcraft and then shouts for him to be beheaded.

Answer: Blackbeard

Blackbeard was found to have five gunshot wounds and twenty slashes to his body. He was ambushed and killed by Lieutenant Maynard and the crew of HMS Pearl. His body was thrown into the sea and his head hung from the bowsprit so that the crew could claim the reward offered for his death.

10. One of the most famous beheadings in history is that of Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution. What were her last words before being executed by guillotine?

Answer: "Monsieur, I beg your pardon."

Marie Antoinette's last words were spoken to her executioner as she accidentally stood on his foot. There is no evidence that she ever uttered the words "Let them eat cake".

The phrase "It is glorious and honourable to die for one's country" was said in Latin by Lord Lovat, a Scottish Jacobite who was the last man in Britain to be beheaded in 1747 at Tower Hill, London.

Source: Author Apteryx65

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Pagiedamon before going online.
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