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Brush Up on Your Shakespeare Trivia Quiz

A mixed bag of questions about good old Shakespeare.

A multiple-choice quiz by kelby_lake. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
kelby_lake

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
321,075

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
514

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. On which play does Hamlet base the play he puts on for the court? Hint

The Murder of Duncan

The Murder of Claudius

The Murder of Gonzago

The Murder of Thisbe

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Question 2 of 10

2. What does Hamlet say that he will call the play he puts on for the court? Hint

The Honey Trap

The Mousetrap

The Play's The Thing

The Taming of The Shrew

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Question 3 of 10

3. Which one of these plays does not have a play within a play? Hint

Twelfth Night

A Midsummer Night's Dream

The Taming of The Shrew

Hamlet

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Question 4 of 10

4. What category does The Merchant of Venice fall under? Hint

Romances

Tragedies

Comedies

Histories

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Question 5 of 10

5. Where is 'Measure for Measure' set? Hint

Venice

Rome

Athens

Vienna

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Question 6 of 10

6. The musical called 'The Boys From Syracuse' was based on which Shakespeare play? Hint

The Comedy of Errors

All's Well That Ends Well

Love's Labour's Lost

Romeo and Juliet

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Question 7 of 10

7. Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies are the most common Shakespearean categories but which criteria must one of Shakespeare's plays meet to be labelled a 'Romance'? Hint

Love is the sole theme

A supernatural event occurs

It is unclear which other category the play falls into

It must have a woman dressing up as a man

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which of these is not a Shakespearean history? Hint

Henry IV

Richard II

Edward II

Henry VIII

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Question 9 of 10

9. The first filmed Shakespearen play was filmed in 1899, silent of course and the clip did only last a few minutes. Which play was it? Hint

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Romeo and Juliet

King John

Titus Andronicus

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Question 10 of 10

10. Which of Shakespeare's plays did T.S. Eliot describe as 'an artistic failure'? Hint

Troilus and Cressida

Titus Andronicus

King Lear

Hamlet

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. On which play does Hamlet base the play he puts on for the court?

Answer: The Murder of Gonzago

Hamlet bases his play on 'The Murder of Gonzago'. The play is intended to provoke Claudius into admitting that he murdered Hamlet's father.

2. What does Hamlet say that he will call the play he puts on for the court?

Answer: The Mousetrap

Hamlet does call it 'The Mousetrap'. 'The Play's the Thing' is a quotation from Hamlet and 'The Taming of The Shrew' is another play by Shakespeare.

3. Which one of these plays does not have a play within a play?

Answer: Twelfth Night

'A Midsummer Night's Dream' has the Mechanicals play an unintentionally funny play about Pyramus and Thisbe. 'The Taming of The Shrew' starts with an Introduction (often cut) where a drunken man, Christopher Sly, is tricked into thinking he is a lord and he watches the play with his 'wife' (a servant boy dressed up).

4. What category does The Merchant of Venice fall under?

Answer: Comedies

Although more often played as a tragedy now, it was originally a comedy.

5. Where is 'Measure for Measure' set?

Answer: Vienna

Despite the fact that none of the names sound remotely Austrian, the play is indeed set in Vienna.

6. The musical called 'The Boys From Syracuse' was based on which Shakespeare play?

Answer: The Comedy of Errors

There was a film of it in 1940 - the writing credit said 'After a play by William Shakespeare...long, long after!'

7. Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies are the most common Shakespearean categories but which criteria must one of Shakespeare's plays meet to be labelled a 'Romance'?

Answer: A supernatural event occurs

'The Tempest' is an example of a Shakespearean romance. He wrote romances nearer the end of his career- 'A Winter's Tale' and 'Cymbeline' are the other two. Plays where the category is unclear are commonly called 'problem plays'. Cross-dressing, of course, happens in most Shakespearean plays!

8. Which of these is not a Shakespearean history?

Answer: Edward II

'Edward II' was written by Christopher Marlowe.

9. The first filmed Shakespearen play was filmed in 1899, silent of course and the clip did only last a few minutes. Which play was it?

Answer: King John

This is probably the only notable thing about the play, as it is rather obscure and not often performed.

10. Which of Shakespeare's plays did T.S. Eliot describe as 'an artistic failure'?

Answer: Hamlet

Eliot didn't believe that Hamlet's grief for his father would prompt him to murder. Seeing as there are over fifty film versions of Hamlet, one might beg to differ.

Source: Author kelby_lake

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