Shakespeare In Haiku Trivia Quiz

Answer: Romeo and Juliet

"In fair Verona, where we lay our scene." "Romeo and Juliet" is one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies. Unfortunately, the two lovers both die at the end of the play, but the feud between the Montagues and Capulets is ended. "Do with their death bury their parents' strife."

Answer: Hamlet

"Hamlet" may be Shakespeare's most famous play. Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, learns from his father's ghost that he was murdered by his brother, Claudius. Hamlet vows to obtain revenge. There is some debate as to whether Hamlet actually goes insane during the course of the play, but his actions certainly suggest it.

Answer: The Tempest

"The Tempest," dating from around 1610, is thought to be among the last plays written by Shakespeare. It is about a wizard named Prospero and his daughter, Miranda, who live on a deserted island with a demonic creature named Caliban, and a spirit named Ariel, who do their bidding.

As the play opens, Prospero uses his magic to raise a storm, or tempest, that causes a ship carrying his brother, Antonio, to be wrecked on his island. It was Antonio who usurped Prospero's dukedom of Milan and stranded him on the island. Miranda falls in love with Ferdinand, son of the King of Naples.

The play ends happily as Prospero forgives his former enemies, and Miranda and Ferdinand plan to be married.

Answer: Richard III

"Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York." One of the many plays Shakespeare wrote about England's Wars of the Roses, this play tracks the plot of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, to seize the throne upon the death of his older brother, Edward IV.

He is successful, becoming Richard III, but is overthrown after a brief reign by Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth Field. The play contains the famous line: "A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!"

Answer: Henry V

"O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend / The brightest heaven of invention." The play opens with a character called the Chorus urging the audience to use its imagination to bring the play's scenes to life. The climax of the play is the Battle of Agincourt, where, in 1415, the English won a famous victory over the French in the face of overwhelming odds.

The play was made into a very successful movie starring Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, and Emma Thompson in 1989.

Answer: The Merchant of Venice

"The quality of mercy is not strain'd, / It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven." Antonio, a rich merchant, stands as security for his friend, Bassanio, who borrows 3,000 ducats from a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. The terms of the loan state that if it is not repaid on time, Shylock will be entitled to "a pound of flesh" cut from Antonio's body. Due to a series of financial reverses, Antonio is unable to repay the loan, and Shylock appears in court to demand his pound of flesh.

But Portia, Bassanio's financee, disguised as a lawyer, argues Antonio's case so successfully that Shylock is required to forfeit his fortune, allow his daughter, Jessica, to marry a Christian, and convert to Christianity himself.

Answer: The Taming of the Shrew

In the Italian city of Padua, Baptista Minola has two daughters, Katherina (or Kate), and her younger sister, Bianca. Hortensio is in love with Bianca, but Baptista refuses to let her marry until a husband is found for Katherina. Because of her violent temper and quarrelsome nature, Katherina is known as a "shrew". Hortensio's friend, Petruchio, comes to Padua, and Hortensio convinces him to marry Katherina. Petruchio eventually transforms Katherina into an obedient wife, Hortensio abandons Bianca and marries a wealthy widow, and Bianca marries a student named Lucentio.

The play served as the basis for the Broadway play, "Kiss Me, Kate," and the 1999 film, "10 Things I Hate About You." It was also made into a 1967 film starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.

Answer: The Merry Wives of Windsor

Falstaff, the fat, cowardly, and always penurious character who achieved popularity in "Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2", arrives in Windsor, and, needing money, decides to pay court to two wealthy married women, Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page, and get his hands on their fortunes.

They learn about his plan, and play several cruel tricks on Falstaff. In the meantime, Mrs. Page's daughter, Anne, has fallen in love with a young man named Fenton, but her parents disapprove of him. They take advantage of the confusion to elope and get married. Eventually the wives' tricks are revealed, and the play ends happily.

Answer: Richard II

The play opens with King Richard banishing the Duke of Norfolk and the Duke of Hereford, Henry Bolingbroke, from England as the result of a quarrel between them. Richard is revealed as a weak, foolish king, who taxes his subjects heavily, and squanders the money on his favorites.

When Bolingbroke's father, John of Gaunt, dies, Richard seizes his lands and property. While Richard is away fighting in Ireland, Bolingbroke returns and starts a rebellion. When Richard returns from Ireland, Bolingbroke at first asks only for his lands to be returned to him, but then has Richard imprisoned, and himself crowned as Henry IV. Hoping to gain favor with the new king, Sir Piers Exton murders Richard. King Henry denounces Richard's murder, and vows to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem by way of penance.

Answer: Macbeth

At the beginning of the play, Macbeth and his friend, Banquo, meet three witches who prophesy that Macbeth shall be King of Scotland. He tells his wife about the prophecy, and she urges him to kill King Duncan and seize the throne. Macbeth stabs Duncan to death while he is sleeping.

He later hires assassins to kill his friend, Banquo, lest he tell others of the witches' prophecy. Overcome with guilt, Lady Macbeth goes insane and eventually dies, and Macbeth is killed by Macduff, whose family Macbeth has killed, and Duncan's son, Malcolm, is crowned king.

This play remains one of Shakespeare's most popular tragedies, and is still performed often today. Theatrical superstition says that it is unlucky to say "Macbeth," and it is referred to as "the Scottish play."