Literary Protection Program Trivia Quiz

Answer: William Shakespeare

In the Shakespearean play "Hamlet", the prince of Denmark, whose throne has recently been usurped, attempts to avenge his father's death at the hand of the usurper, Claudius. In the end, Hamlet accepts a duel proposal from Laertes, whom was sent by Claudius to kill Hamlet. Prince Hamlet, Laertes, and Claudius all die by the same poisoned sword, with the poison specifically killing Hamlet.

Answer: Ahab

Captain Ahab's death comes at the hands of the giant whale Moby Dick in the novel of the same name. In the middle of a skirmish with the enormous beast, Ahab launches his harpoon toward it and lands a hit. However, the rope of his harpoon wraps around his body and drags him to the bottom of the sea.

Answer: train

Anna throws herself on the train tracks in "Anna Karenina", leading to one of the most potent and gruesome deaths in literary history. She has a final regret right before the train runs over her. Tolstoy was said to have based Anna's death on an event that happened near his home.

Answer: Stephen King

"The Green Mile" was a serial novel written by Stephen King. It tells the fantastical tale of John Coffey and prison guard Paul Edgecombe. In the end, Coffey accepts his fate and is electrocuted, though the reader knows he is an innocent man.

Answer: witchcraft

While the real John Proctor (who was executed for witchcraft in 1692) was 60 when he died, the character of "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller was in his thirties. The character ultimately confesses his guilt to the crime to save his family from disrepute and is hanged, though he is of course innocent.

Answer: orc

Boromir was killed by orc archers as he was helping some hobbits escape their onslaught. He had tried to take the ring from them, but redeemed himself by protecting the group and dying in the process. If he were to be safe again, hopefully he wouldn't try to take the ring once again.

Answer: arsenic

In "Madame Bovary", Emma Bovary has multiple affairs while racking up quite a debt from a moneylender. When the moneylender calls on her to collect what is owed, Bovary swallows arsenic to escape the humiliation. Her husband is soon on the line for the debt, and he goes into poverty paying it. He also dies miserably in the book.

Answer: George Wilson

George Wilson is Myrtle Wilson's husband. Myrtle Wilson was the woman who Daisy killed by accidentally running her over with Gatsby's car. Wilson comes to Gatsby's house and shoots him because he believed that Gatsby had had an affair with Myrtle and killed her to cover it up.

Answer: World War I

"All Quiet on the Western Front" takes place during World War I when a teacher convinces Paul Bäumer and his classmates to join the war effort. Paul, however, learns that war is actually quite terrible, and his friends die one by one. In the end, he dies on a relatively peaceful day, which is reported as being "all quiet".

Answer: William Golding

While there is no exact year given for "Lord of the Flies", many believe it is some time in the 1950s, post-WWII. Piggy is seen to be the character with reason and a conscience, but the other boys on the island don't care about those attributes in their mini-society. One of the boys drops a boulder onto Piggy, and he cracks his head open as he falls into sea and vanishes.