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The Pirates of Penzance Trivia Quiz

I love Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, and 'The Pirates of Penzance' was the first one I memorised all the words to - so here's a quiz about it!

A multiple-choice quiz by Anna M. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
Anna M

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
120,920

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
10 / 15

Plays
1422

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. In the opening song, what are the pirates drinking? Hint

Sherry

Brandy

Rum

Vanilla Coke

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Question 2 of 15

2. Ruth apprenticed Frederic to the pirate band. What profession was she supposed to apprentice him to?

Answer: (One word)

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Question 3 of 15

3. How old is Ruth? Hint

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Question 4 of 15

4. Why does Frederic reveal his presence to Major-General Stanley's daughters? Hint

He is shocked by what they are about to do

He is stunned by Mabel's beauty

He wants to warn them about the pirates

He wants to ask for their help

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Question 5 of 15

5. What is NOT one of the things that Major-General Stanley knows about? Hint

All the songs from "The Mikado"

Hard acrostics and paradox

Binomial theorem and the square of the hypotenuse

Babylonic cuneiform

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Question 6 of 15

6. Why did Major-General Stanley plead with the pirates to take pity on him? Hint

He was an orphan

He didn't have long to live

His wards relied on him for support

He was in love with Ruth

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Question 7 of 15

7. What does the cast sing 'Hail' to towards the end of the first act? Hint

Piracy

Love

Orphans

Poetry

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Question 8 of 15

8. What is the repeated phrase in the policeman's song, sung when they first appear?

Answer: (One word)

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Question 9 of 15

9. Although Frederic has lived 21 years, if we go by birthdays, how old is he? Hint

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Question 10 of 15

10. Why do the pirates want to kill Major-General Stanley? Hint

He insulted the Pirate King

He lied to them

He told the police where they were

He stole their flag

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Question 11 of 15

11. When does Frederic tell Mabel that he will turn 21, and be free to marry her?

Answer: (A year)

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Question 12 of 15

12. The policemen love their work.

True

False

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Question 13 of 15

13. What is not one of the things which Samuel distributes to the pirates during 'With Cat-like Tread'? Hint

Crowbar

Skeletonic keys

Silent matches

Hammer

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Question 14 of 15

14. What time does Major-General Stanley invariably go to bed? Hint

Seven o'clock

Eight o'clock

Half-past nine

Half-past ten

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Question 15 of 15

15. What is the pirates' secret? Hint

They're not really orphans

Ruth is Frederic's mother

They don't like piracy

They're actually all noblemen

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In the opening song, what are the pirates drinking?

Answer: Sherry

'Pour, oh, pour the pirate sherry; Fill, oh, fill the pirate glass.'

2. Ruth apprenticed Frederic to the pirate band. What profession was she supposed to apprentice him to?

Answer: Pilot

'I bound him to a pirate - you - instead of to a pilot'.

3. How old is Ruth?

Answer: 47

'My love unabating, Has been accumulating, Forty-seven year - forty-seven year!'

4. Why does Frederic reveal his presence to Major-General Stanley's daughters?

Answer: He is shocked by what they are about to do

The girls are about to take off their shoes and stockings and paddle!
('Yes, yes, the very thing!') Frederic emerges to inform them that 'Under these peculiar circumstances, it is my bounden duty to inform you that your proceedings will not be unwitnessed!'

5. What is NOT one of the things that Major-General Stanley knows about?

Answer: All the songs from "The Mikado"

He couldn't have known all the songs from "The Mikado", because "The Pirates of Penzance" premiered five years before "The Mikado" did. However, he could 'whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore' (i.e., the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta "H.M.S. Pinafore").

6. Why did Major-General Stanley plead with the pirates to take pity on him?

Answer: He was an orphan

Of course, although he begged them to "Have pity on my lonely state, I am an orphan boy!", he was "telling a terrible story".

7. What does the cast sing 'Hail' to towards the end of the first act?

Answer: Poetry

'Hail, Poetry, thou heaven-born maid!'

8. What is the repeated phrase in the policeman's song, sung when they first appear?

Answer: Tarantara

'When the foeman bears his steel, Tarantara! tarantara!'

9. Although Frederic has lived 21 years, if we go by birthdays, how old is he?

Answer: 5

'Though you've lived twenty-one years, yet, if we go by birthdays, you're only five and a little bit over!'

10. Why do the pirates want to kill Major-General Stanley?

Answer: He lied to them

'Our nature stern he softened with his lies, And, in return, To-night the traitor dies'.

11. When does Frederic tell Mabel that he will turn 21, and be free to marry her?

Answer: 1940

'I've just discovered That I was born in leap-year, and that birthday Will not be reached by me till 1940'.

12. The policemen love their work.

Answer: False

'When constabulary duty's to be done - to be done, A policeman's lot is not a happy one'

13. What is not one of the things which Samuel distributes to the pirates during 'With Cat-like Tread'?

Answer: Hammer

'Take your crowbar and your centrebit, Your life-preserver - you may want to hit, Your silent matches, your dark lantern seize, Take your file and your skeletonic keys.'

14. What time does Major-General Stanley invariably go to bed?

Answer: Half-past ten

'It's his invariable rule to go to bed at half-past ten!'

15. What is the pirates' secret?

Answer: They're actually all noblemen

'They are no members of the common throng; They are all noblemen who have gone wrong!'

Source: Author Anna M

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ltc717 before going online.
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