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Shakespeare's Riddles Trivia Quiz

Many of Shakespeare's plays contain riddles or contests. This tricky quiz features several of the most famous scenes. Can you solve these questions on questions?

A multiple-choice quiz by jeremyB. Estimated time: 8 mins.

Author
jeremyB

Time
8 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
156,722

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
7 / 15

Plays
944

Last 3 plays: Guest 70 (2/15), Guest 97 (2/15), Guest 82 (2/15).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. "I may command where I adore;
But silence, like a Lucrece knife,
With bloodless stroke my heart doth gore:
M, O, A, I, doth sway my life."
This riddle is dropped in the way of whom, as part of a trap? Hint

Malvolio

Olivia

Viola

Moriarti

NEXT>

Question 2 of 15

2. Who actually wrote the M, O, A, I letter riddle in "Twelfth Night"? Hint

Sir Thopas

Olivia

Sir Toby

Maria

NEXT>

Question 3 of 15

3. How does the writer of the M, O, A, I letter riddle in "Twelfth Night" sign off? Hint

The Fortunate-Unhappy

The Faithful-Unhappy

The Happy-Unfortunate

The Happy-Commander

NEXT>

Question 4 of 15

4. How does Nerissa describe the trial of the caskets in "The Merchant of Venice"? Fill in the gap.
"NERISSA: Your father was ever virtuous; and holy men at their
death have good inspirations: therefore ___
_______,
that he hath devised in these three chests of gold,
silver and lead, whereof who chooses his meaning
chooses you, will, no doubt, never be chosen by any
rightly but one who shall rightly love."
Hint

the task

the venture

the lottery

the riddle

NEXT>

Question 5 of 15

5. The casket scene in "The Merchant of Venice" contains several riddles. Which of these nobles was NOT a suitor to Portia? This odd-man-out noble might easily be confused with the contender who chose 'Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.' Hint

The County Palatine

The Prince of Tangiers

The Baron Falconbridge

Monsieur Le Bon

NEXT>

Question 6 of 15

6. The Prince of Arragon is one suitor to Portia, prepared to risk his dignity in the trial by Caskets. What does his choice of casket contain, actually and metaphorically? Hint

as much as he deserves

All of these

the portrait of a blinking idiot

a fool's head

NEXT>

Question 7 of 15

7. In "The Merchant of Venice" Bassanio, Portia's favoured suitor, picks which casket and why? Hint

Gold, as Portia deserves the 'fine ornament'

Bronze, as she should be guarded by the 'strength of shields'

Silver, as she is of this world, she may be 'bought and sold'

Lead, as he is not deceived by 'outward shows'

NEXT>

Question 8 of 15

8. Pericles must answer Antiochus' riddle to win the hand of his daughter. If he fails he will face death. The riddle is:
"I am no viper, yet I feed
On mother's flesh which did me breed.
I sought a husband, in which labour
I found that kindness in a father:
He's father, son, and husband mild;
I mother, wife, and yet his child.
How they may be, and yet in two,
As you will live, resolve it you."
What does Pericles do? Hint

Tells Antiochus that his vice is incest and is given 40 days to flee the country.

Answers the riddle and claims 'the fair glass of light'.

Understands the riddle to mean incest and hints to Antiochus his understanding.

Fails to answer but is smuggled out by Antiochus' daughter.

NEXT>

Question 9 of 15

9. Because of the answer (or lack of answer) to his riddle, Antiochus means to have Pericles killed. By what means? Hint

have Thaliard challenge Pericles to a duel with poisoned swords

get his henchman Thaliard to poison him

get his daughter to poison him on the wedding night

stage a celebratory joust and give Pericles a weakened lance

NEXT>

Question 10 of 15

10. Moth, Adriano de Armado's servant in "Loves Labours Lost", riddles with his foolish master. He will carry the message:
"ADRIANO DE ARMADO: The way is but short: away!
MOTH: As swift as ____, sir."
What is missing?

Hint

lead

the fastest swain

a hobby-horse

a bird

NEXT>

Question 11 of 15

11. In "All's Well that Ends Well", Helena gets Bertram to acknowledge her as his wife, after much travail. How did she fulfil his stipulation:
"when from my finger you can get this ring and are by me with child", when he will not sleep with her? Hint

by employing a love potion which makes him forget their encounter

by changing places with his old love interest, Mariana

by changing places with his latest love interest, Diana

by hiding in a chest in his bedroom and he thinks he dreams making love to her

NEXT>

Question 12 of 15

12. Macbeth is given three pieces of oracular information by the apparitions. The first apparition, an armed head, states 'beware _____, beware the Thane of Fife'. Who was the Thane of Fife? (He had a wife). Hint

Banquo

Donalbain

Malcolm

Macduff

NEXT>

Question 13 of 15

13. The second apparition in "Macbeth", the bloody child, recommends 'be bloody, bold and resolute, laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth'. How was the Thane of Fife able to kill Macbeth in the light of this prophecy? Hint

his mother had a Caesarean

he was the first in vitro fertilisation

his mother, Amalthea, was a she-goat

he was a supernatural power

NEXT>

Question 14 of 15

14. The third apparition in "Macbeth", a child carrying a tree (what a hint), says that Macbeth shall not vanquished be 'until Great Birnam wood to high _________ hill shall come against him'. Hint

Dunsinane

Dunedin

Dundee

Duns Scotus

NEXT>

Question 15 of 15

15. King Lear tests his daughters' love by the strength of their protestations. What a foolish fond old man!
Goneril says amongst other things that Lear is 'dearer than eyesight, space and liberty'. Regan professes that she is 'an enemy to all other joys'. Cordelia the favourite daughter is tongue-tied and she offers one word only '________'.
Fill in the blank.

Answer: (One Word (something and ...))

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. "I may command where I adore; But silence, like a Lucrece knife, With bloodless stroke my heart doth gore: M, O, A, I, doth sway my life." This riddle is dropped in the way of whom, as part of a trap?

Answer: Malvolio

Malvolio, Olivia's steward in "Twelfth Night", is tricked into thinking that his mistress loves him and conned into some amusing inappropriate behaviour. He comes such a cropper that we begin to feel sorry for him. Shakespeare does not explain why the letters don't really fit Malvolio's name.

2. Who actually wrote the M, O, A, I letter riddle in "Twelfth Night"?

Answer: Maria

The conspirators comprised Maria and Sir Toby Belch with the agreement of Sir Andrew Aguecheek (who is too dim to initiate anything) and Feste, the clown. Maria is Olivia's attendant and housekeeper and Sir Toby is Olivia's drunken uncle. Sir Thopas is an alias for Feste, when he pretends friendship to Malvolio in his imprisonment for madness (not very kind).

3. How does the writer of the M, O, A, I letter riddle in "Twelfth Night" sign off?

Answer: The Fortunate-Unhappy

'Go to, thou art
made, if thou desirest to be so; if not, let me see
thee a steward still, the fellow of servants, and
not worthy to touch Fortune's fingers. Farewell.
She that would alter services with thee,
THE FORTUNATE-UNHAPPY.'

4. How does Nerissa describe the trial of the caskets in "The Merchant of Venice"? Fill in the gap. "NERISSA: Your father was ever virtuous; and holy men at their death have good inspirations: therefore ___ _______, that he hath devised in these three chests of gold, silver and lead, whereof who chooses his meaning chooses you, will, no doubt, never be chosen by any rightly but one who shall rightly love."

Answer: the lottery

I was surprised that lottery had a traditional meaning before our modern get-rich-quick schemes. Marrying Portia was Venice's lottery.

Answer: The Prince of Tangiers

The north African suitor was the Prince of Morocco. He chose the gold casket:
"Let's see once more this saying graved in gold
'Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.'
Why, that's the lady; all the world desires her;
From the four corners of the earth they come,"

The gold casket contains a skull:
" O hell! what have we here?
A carrion Death, within whose empty eye
There is a written scroll! I'll read the writing.
[Reads] All that glitters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.
Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old,
Your answer had not been inscroll'd:
Fare you well; your suit is cold."

6. The Prince of Arragon is one suitor to Portia, prepared to risk his dignity in the trial by Caskets. What does his choice of casket contain, actually and metaphorically?

Answer: All of these

The silver casket is said to bring the chooser 'as much as he deserves', which turns out to be The Portrait of a Blinking Idiot.
The schedule reads (extract)
"Take what wife you will to bed,
I will ever be your head:
So be gone: you are sped.
Still more fool I shall appear
By the time I linger here
With one fool's head I came to woo,
But I go away with two."

7. In "The Merchant of Venice" Bassanio, Portia's favoured suitor, picks which casket and why?

Answer: Lead, as he is not deceived by 'outward shows'

He chose lead 'Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath' and won fair Portia. He probably reasoned that all the failures would have chosen gold or silver as lead was base metal:
"Therefore, thou gaudy gold,
Hard food for Midas, I will none of thee;
Nor none of thee, thou pale and common drudge
'Tween man and man: but thou, thou meagre lead,
Which rather threatenest than dost promise aught,
Thy paleness moves me more than eloquence;
And here choose I; joy be the consequence!"

8. Pericles must answer Antiochus' riddle to win the hand of his daughter. If he fails he will face death. The riddle is: "I am no viper, yet I feed On mother's flesh which did me breed. I sought a husband, in which labour I found that kindness in a father: He's father, son, and husband mild; I mother, wife, and yet his child. How they may be, and yet in two, As you will live, resolve it you." What does Pericles do?

Answer: Understands the riddle to mean incest and hints to Antiochus his understanding.

Antiochus realises from Pericles' hints that Pericles has understood the riddle and determines to have him killed. I am not aware of any other reference to incest in Shakespeare. Incest seems to retain its rightful shock value much more in Shakespeare and the classics.

9. Because of the answer (or lack of answer) to his riddle, Antiochus means to have Pericles killed. By what means?

Answer: get his henchman Thaliard to poison him

"ANTIOCHUS: Thaliard,
You are of our chamber, and our mind partakes
Her private actions to your secrecy;
And for your faithfulness we will advance you.
Thaliard, behold, here's poison, and here's gold;
We hate the prince of Tyre, and thou must kill him:
It fits thee not to ask the reason why,
Because we bid it. Say, is it done?

THALIARD: My lord,
'Tis done."

Pericles realises that Antiochus has understood his hints and makes his escape from the kingdom before Antiochus' scheme to poison him is perpetrated.

10. Moth, Adriano de Armado's servant in "Loves Labours Lost", riddles with his foolish master. He will carry the message: "ADRIANO DE ARMADO: The way is but short: away! MOTH: As swift as ____, sir." What is missing?

Answer: lead

"ADRIANO DE ARMADO: The meaning, pretty ingenious?
Is not lead a metal heavy, dull, and slow?
MOTH: Minime, honest master; or rather, master, no.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO: I say lead is slow.
MOTH: You are too swift, sir, to say so:
Is that lead slow which is fired from a gun?"

11. In "All's Well that Ends Well", Helena gets Bertram to acknowledge her as his wife, after much travail. How did she fulfil his stipulation: "when from my finger you can get this ring and are by me with child", when he will not sleep with her?

Answer: by changing places with his latest love interest, Diana

Well, I hope Bertram was worth all the trouble. He seems very unsympathetic, as Shakespeare engages us on the side of Helena. Bertram's capitulation also seems very begrudging and possibly only because of the King's presence.

Answer: Macduff

Only the first apparition answers straightforwardly. Macbeth should have taken notice of such specific information. The other two apparitions present riddles, where the answer is not what it seems.

Answer: his mother had a Caesarean

A bit of a quibble really but those apparitions did not play fair; Macduff was from his mother's womb untimely ripped. Presumably this was an early Caesarean.

14. The third apparition in "Macbeth", a child carrying a tree (what a hint), says that Macbeth shall not vanquished be 'until Great Birnam wood to high _________ hill shall come against him'.

Answer: Dunsinane

Macduff and the opposing forces camouflage themselves with branches from Birnam Forest. Dunsinane is a peak of the Sidlaw Hills, in the parish of Collace, Perthshire, Scotland, 8 m. N.E. of Perth. It is 1012 ft. high, and commands a fine view of the Carse of Gowrie and the valley of the Tay.

Its chief claim is due to the association with Birnam Wood (about 12 m. N.W.) in these passages in Macbeth. An old fort on the summit, of which faint traces are still discernible, is traditionally called Macbeth's Castle.

15. King Lear tests his daughters' love by the strength of their protestations. What a foolish fond old man! Goneril says amongst other things that Lear is 'dearer than eyesight, space and liberty'. Regan professes that she is 'an enemy to all other joys'. Cordelia the favourite daughter is tongue-tied and she offers one word only '________'. Fill in the blank.

Answer: Nothing

"Nothing will come of nothing, speak again". Lear really wants her to try again but she counters that she cannot "heave my heart into my mouth" and also doubts her sisters sincerity, "Why have my sisters husbands, if they say they love you all? ". Lear cannot believe her lack of warmth "so young and so untender". Cordelia counters "so young, my lord, and true".

Source: Author jeremyB

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