Shakespeare Quiz
Plays, characters, sonnets and the man himself: 15 Bard questions with quick explanations.
In which play does the character Prospero appear?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
The Tempest
Prospero is the exiled Duke of Milan who rules an enchanted island with his magic in The Tempest, written around 1611 and among Shakespeare's last plays.
Prospero's speech renouncing his magic, 'I'll drown my book', is often read as Shakespeare's own farewell to the stage.
"To be, or not to be, that is the question" is spoken by which character?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Hamlet
Hamlet delivers the soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 1, weighing whether to endure life's suffering or end it, as he broods over avenging his father's murder.
Hamlet is Shakespeare's most quoted play and also gives us 'brevity is the soul of wit' and 'the lady doth protest too much'.
What is the name of Shakespeare's theatre in London?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
The Globe
The Globe opened on London's Bankside in 1599, built by Shakespeare's company the Lord Chamberlain's Men, with Shakespeare himself holding a share.
The original Globe burned down in 1613 when a cannon fired during Henry VIII set the thatched roof alight; a modern replica opened nearby in 1997.
In "Romeo and Juliet," which two families are feuding?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Montagues and Capulets
Romeo is a Montague and Juliet a Capulet, and their families' 'ancient grudge' in Verona drives the lovers to secrecy and, finally, tragedy.
Shakespeare borrowed the plot from Arthur Brooke's 1562 poem The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet, compressing months of action into five days.
Which Shakespeare play features the character Shylock?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
The Merchant of Venice
Shylock is the moneylender who demands a pound of Antonio's flesh in The Merchant of Venice, and his 'Hath not a Jew eyes?' speech is the play's heart.
Portia's courtroom argument that the bond allows flesh but 'no jot of blood' saves Antonio and ruins Shylock.
Where was Shakespeare born?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Stratford-upon-Avon
Shakespeare was baptised at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon on 26 April 1564, and his birthday is traditionally celebrated on 23 April.
He died in Stratford on 23 April 1616 and is buried in the same church, beneath an epitaph cursing anyone who moves his bones.
Which of these is NOT one of Shakespeare's four great tragedies?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Julius Caesar
The 'four great tragedies' identified by critic A. C. Bradley are Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth; Julius Caesar is usually classed as a Roman play.
All four were written in a burst between about 1600 and 1606, the most productive tragic period of Shakespeare's career.
"All the world's a stage" comes from which play?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
As You Like It
The melancholy Jaques speaks the 'seven ages of man' speech in Act 2, Scene 7 of As You Like It, tracing life from 'mewling' infant to 'second childishness'.
The Globe's motto was reputedly 'Totus mundus agit histrionem', Latin for 'all the world plays the actor', which the line echoes.
In "Macbeth," who kills Macbeth?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Macduff
Macduff kills Macbeth in the final act, revealing he was 'from his mother's womb untimely ripped' and so not 'of woman born' as the witches' prophecy required.
Actors call it 'the Scottish play' because of a superstition that saying 'Macbeth' inside a theatre brings bad luck.
What is the name of the fairy king in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Oberon
Oberon, king of the fairies, quarrels with his queen Titania over a changeling boy and sends Puck to work mischief with a love potion.
The moons of Uranus are named after Shakespeare and Pope characters, and Oberon, Titania and Puck are all among them.
How many sonnets did Shakespeare write?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
154
Shakespeare's 154 sonnets were published together in 1609; the first 126 address a 'fair youth' and most of the rest a mysterious 'dark lady'.
Sonnet 18, 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?', is the most famous, and the 14-line English form he used is now named after him.
Which play features the line "Et tu, Brute?"
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Julius Caesar
Caesar's dying words to his friend Brutus, Latin for 'And you, Brutus?', come as the conspirators stab him in the Senate on the Ides of March.
Ancient historians never recorded the phrase; Suetonius said Caesar either stayed silent or spoke in Greek, so the Latin line is Shakespeare's popularisation.
What was the name of Shakespeare's wife?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Anne Hathaway
Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in November 1582 when he was 18 and she was 26 and already pregnant; their daughter Susanna was born six months later.
In his will Shakespeare famously left Anne his 'second best bed', a bequest scholars still argue was either a snub or a sentimental gift.
In "Othello," who manipulates Othello into believing Desdemona is unfaithful?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Iago
Iago, Othello's ensign, plants a handkerchief and drips poisonous hints until Othello murders Desdemona, all out of resentment at being passed over for promotion.
Iago has more lines than Othello, around 1,100 to roughly 890, making him one of the largest roles in the whole canon.
Which of Shakespeare's plays is the longest?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Hamlet
Hamlet runs to roughly 4,000 lines and around 30,000 words, and a full uncut staging takes about four hours.
The Comedy of Errors is the shortest play at under 1,800 lines, less than half the length of the longest.
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All Literature quizzes →About the Shakespeare Quiz
More than four centuries after his death in 1616, William Shakespeare is still the most performed playwright on earth. He left around 39 plays, a celebrated sequence of sonnets and two long narrative poems, and he coined or first recorded hundreds of words we still use, from 'bedroom' to 'eyeball'. His works have been translated into more than 100 languages, and Hamlet alone has been filmed dozens of times. Not bad for a glover's son from a small market town.
These 15 questions range across the tragedies, comedies and histories, the characters who steal them, the lines everyone half remembers and the details of Shakespeare's own life. It suits English literature students, theatre lovers and quiz regulars who want to know their Falstaff from their Feste. Each answer comes with a short explanation, so a wrong guess still teaches you something.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Medium. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
How many plays did Shakespeare write?
Scholars usually count 37 to 39, depending on whether collaborations such as The Two Noble Kinsmen and Edward III are included.
Which Shakespeare play is the best one to start with?
Macbeth is short, fast and full of famous lines, while A Midsummer Night's Dream is the most accessible comedy. Romeo and Juliet is the usual classroom starting point.
How hard is the Shakespeare Quiz?
Medium. Anyone who studied a play or two at school will handle most of it, but questions on the sonnets, his theatre and his longest play will test genuine enthusiasts.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- In which play does the character Prospero appear?
The Tempest Prospero is the exiled Duke of Milan who rules an enchanted island with his magic in The Tempest, written around 1611 and among Shakespeare's last plays. Prospero's speech renouncing his magic, 'I'll drown my book', is often read as Shakespeare's own farewell to the stage. - "To be, or not to be, that is the question" is spoken by which character?
Hamlet Hamlet delivers the soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 1, weighing whether to endure life's suffering or end it, as he broods over avenging his father's murder. Hamlet is Shakespeare's most quoted play and also gives us 'brevity is the soul of wit' and 'the lady doth protest too much'. - What is the name of Shakespeare's theatre in London?
The Globe The Globe opened on London's Bankside in 1599, built by Shakespeare's company the Lord Chamberlain's Men, with Shakespeare himself holding a share. The original Globe burned down in 1613 when a cannon fired during Henry VIII set the thatched roof alight; a modern replica opened nearby in 1997. - In "Romeo and Juliet," which two families are feuding?
Montagues and Capulets Romeo is a Montague and Juliet a Capulet, and their families' 'ancient grudge' in Verona drives the lovers to secrecy and, finally, tragedy. Shakespeare borrowed the plot from Arthur Brooke's 1562 poem The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet, compressing months of action into five days. - Which Shakespeare play features the character Shylock?
The Merchant of Venice Shylock is the moneylender who demands a pound of Antonio's flesh in The Merchant of Venice, and his 'Hath not a Jew eyes?' speech is the play's heart. Portia's courtroom argument that the bond allows flesh but 'no jot of blood' saves Antonio and ruins Shylock. - Where was Shakespeare born?
Stratford-upon-Avon Shakespeare was baptised at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon on 26 April 1564, and his birthday is traditionally celebrated on 23 April. He died in Stratford on 23 April 1616 and is buried in the same church, beneath an epitaph cursing anyone who moves his bones. - Which of these is NOT one of Shakespeare's four great tragedies?
Julius Caesar The 'four great tragedies' identified by critic A. C. Bradley are Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth; Julius Caesar is usually classed as a Roman play. All four were written in a burst between about 1600 and 1606, the most productive tragic period of Shakespeare's career. - "All the world's a stage" comes from which play?
As You Like It The melancholy Jaques speaks the 'seven ages of man' speech in Act 2, Scene 7 of As You Like It, tracing life from 'mewling' infant to 'second childishness'. The Globe's motto was reputedly 'Totus mundus agit histrionem', Latin for 'all the world plays the actor', which the line echoes. - In "Macbeth," who kills Macbeth?
Macduff Macduff kills Macbeth in the final act, revealing he was 'from his mother's womb untimely ripped' and so not 'of woman born' as the witches' prophecy required. Actors call it 'the Scottish play' because of a superstition that saying 'Macbeth' inside a theatre brings bad luck. - What is the name of the fairy king in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"?
Oberon Oberon, king of the fairies, quarrels with his queen Titania over a changeling boy and sends Puck to work mischief with a love potion. The moons of Uranus are named after Shakespeare and Pope characters, and Oberon, Titania and Puck are all among them. - How many sonnets did Shakespeare write?
154 Shakespeare's 154 sonnets were published together in 1609; the first 126 address a 'fair youth' and most of the rest a mysterious 'dark lady'. Sonnet 18, 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?', is the most famous, and the 14-line English form he used is now named after him. - Which play features the line "Et tu, Brute?"
Julius Caesar Caesar's dying words to his friend Brutus, Latin for 'And you, Brutus?', come as the conspirators stab him in the Senate on the Ides of March. Ancient historians never recorded the phrase; Suetonius said Caesar either stayed silent or spoke in Greek, so the Latin line is Shakespeare's popularisation. - What was the name of Shakespeare's wife?
Anne Hathaway Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in November 1582 when he was 18 and she was 26 and already pregnant; their daughter Susanna was born six months later. In his will Shakespeare famously left Anne his 'second best bed', a bequest scholars still argue was either a snub or a sentimental gift. - In "Othello," who manipulates Othello into believing Desdemona is unfaithful?
Iago Iago, Othello's ensign, plants a handkerchief and drips poisonous hints until Othello murders Desdemona, all out of resentment at being passed over for promotion. Iago has more lines than Othello, around 1,100 to roughly 890, making him one of the largest roles in the whole canon. - Which of Shakespeare's plays is the longest?
Hamlet Hamlet runs to roughly 4,000 lines and around 30,000 words, and a full uncut staging takes about four hours. The Comedy of Errors is the shortest play at under 1,800 lines, less than half the length of the longest.
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