Magic in Literature Trivia Quiz

Answer: "Out, loathed medicine! hated potion, hence!"

In "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Lysander utters this phrase in reference to Hermia, with whom he was in love until influenced by a love potion that turned his affections to Helena instead. The other three quotations are all from the witches of "Macbeth".

Answer: The Cheshire Cat

The Cheshire Cat is a character in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", that can appear and disappear at will. Alice and the Cat engage in a brief conversation, during which the Cat exercises its skill several times, ultimately fading away to just a grin suspended in midair.

The Cat reappears later in the book, again up in the air, above a most unusual croquet match hosted by the Queen of Hearts. The Cat makes the King nervous, so the Queen orders it beheaded; however, difficulty arises with that command as the Cat consists only of a disembodied head. Much discussion occurs about how to carry out the Queen's order, during which time the Cat slowly vanishes once again.

Answer: Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins is the creation of P. L. Travers, an Australian by birth who lived much of her adult life in England. Mary Poppins may have been modeled on one of Travers' great aunts. Poppins, in her role of nanny to the Banks children of Cherry Tree Lane, was capable of making all kinds of magical things happen, not the least of which was transforming the children's father from a humorless workaholic to a person capable of experiencing joy and having fun with his loved ones.

Answer: Peter Pan

J. M. Barrie wrote "Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up" as a play, not a novel. It was first performed on stage on December 27, 1904. However, Peter Pan's first appearance was in a novel by Barrie, "The Little White Bird", which was published in 1902. Although best known for his Peter Pan stories, Barrie has more than 80 publications to his credit.

Answer: Scheherazade

Scheherazade sought to disrupt the practice of a Sultan who, after being betrayed by his wife and putting her to death, had begun marrying a maiden each day only to have her executed the next. This bizarre plan was intended to thwart any plots against him or his reign. Scheherazade volunteered to marry the Sultan, counting on her ability as a storyteller to spare her life.

Her plan worked: the Sultan was enchanted by her stories and deferred her execution for 1001 nights, after which he abandoned his plan to replace his wives each day, and he and Scheherazade lived happily ever after.

Answer: Rumpelstiltskin

Rumpelstiltskin is an imp who is both good and bad - he saves the life of a miller's daughter whose father told the king she could spin straw into gold. She cannot, but Rumpelstiltskin can, and will-for a price. Ultimately the girl agrees to give him her firstborn child if Rumpelstiltskin will perform this feat for a third time, which he does, and as a reward for "her" achievement, she is married to the king. When their first child is born, Rumpelstiltskin arrives to take the baby, but she begs him not to. He then gives her three chances to guess his name, and luckily for her, she finds his house in the deep forest and hears him name himself. She guesses his name and he flies into a rage, disappearing forever.

The story was part of a collection by The Brothers Grimm, published in 1812. It has several variations.

Answer: Harry Potter

Harry Potter, young wizard extraordinaire! For the very few of you who may not know, a snitch in Harry's world is the target to be captured in the sport of quidditch, a fast and furious team game played on broomsticks. Hedwig was Harry's courier owl-used to convey messages to and from friends and their school.

Answer: Needful Things

Leland Gaunt, proprietor of Needful Things, is generally assumed by students of King's works to be a manifestation of the Devil. While beguiling unwary customers with cheap trinkets that appear to the buyer to be the treasures they have always longed for, he adds a small price: play a prank on someone else from the town.

The pranks quickly escalate out of control and King-like gruesome mayhem ensues, but Gaunt ultimately escapes the town, which is in ruins by the book's end. The final passage in the book announces the opening of a new shop in Junction City, Iowa, called Answered Prayers...

Answer: Discworld

Terry Pratchett's Discworld is a fantasy world that was the location of around 40 books. Discworld consisted of a huge disc set on the backs of four elephants, who in turn stood on the shell of an immense turtle. The Discworld series has ardent fans, and Discworld conventions have been held in England.

Pratchett passed away in March 2015, from complications due to Alzheimer's Disease, from which he had suffered for several years.

Answer: Paul Gallico

Paul Gallico wrote many heart-lifting stories in his career. In addition to his lovely story of "The Snow Goose", he wrote many more stories with animal protagonists or in which animals played a major role. Gallico also wrote a humorous series of stories about the travels of one Mrs. 'Arris (Harris with a Cockney accent).

Prior to his literary career, Gallico worked as a sportswriter for the New York "Daily News".

He passed away in 1976 at the age of 78.