Ever found yourself confused about which Shakespeare character said “To be or not to be” or wondered why people keep talking about star-crossed lovers? With 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and language that feels like it’s from another planet (which, technically, it is), understanding the Bard’s works can be more challenging than deciphering Hamlet’s true intentions! Our Shakespeare trivia collection demystifies the dramatic world of Elizabethan theater with questions covering everything from tragic deaths to comedic misunderstandings. Perfect for impressing your English teacher or discovering why these 400-year-old stories still dominate our stages and screens today.
Try to solve these Literature Trivia Questions.
Shakespeare Trivia Questions and Answers
- What was William Shakespeare’s first name?
Answer: William - In which country was Shakespeare born?
Answer: England - What type of literary works did Shakespeare write?
Answer: Plays and poems - What is the name of the theater where many of Shakespeare’s plays were performed?
Answer: The Globe Theatre - In which century did Shakespeare live?
Answer: 16th and 17th centuries - Which Shakespeare play features a character named Romeo?
Answer: Romeo and Juliet - What is the name of the fairy king in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”?
Answer: Oberon - What is the name of the prince of Denmark in one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays?
Answer: Hamlet - What famous line did Romeo say about Juliet comparing her to the sun?
Answer: “But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.” - Which Shakespeare character says “To be, or not to be, that is the question”?
Answer: Hamlet - What is the name of the town where Shakespeare was born?
Answer: Stratford-upon-Avon - How many children did Shakespeare have?
Answer: Three - What was the name of Shakespeare’s wife?
Answer: Anne Hathaway - Which Shakespeare play features three witches?
Answer: Macbeth - What was Shakespeare often called, referring to a bird found in England?
Answer: The Bard of Avon - What is the name of the forest in “As You Like It”?
Answer: The Forest of Arden - Which Shakespeare play has a character named Puck?
Answer: A Midsummer Night’s Dream - What type of plays did Shakespeare write that end happily?
Answer: Comedies - What type of plays did Shakespeare write that end with many deaths?
Answer: Tragedies - In “Romeo and Juliet,” what are the names of the two rival families?
Answer: Montagues and Capulets - What was Shakespeare’s job before he became famous as a playwright?
Answer: Actor - What does Juliet say about roses in her famous line?
Answer: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” - How many plays did Shakespeare write?
Answer: 37 plays - What is the name of the Shakespeare play about a jealous general who is tricked into believing his wife is unfaithful?
Answer: Othello - Which Shakespeare play features a character named Bottom who gets turned into a donkey?
Answer: A Midsummer Night’s Dream - What is the name of Hamlet’s mother?
Answer: Gertrude - In “Macbeth,” what title does Macbeth hold at the beginning of the play?
Answer: Thane of Glamis - Who says “All the world’s a stage” in Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”?
Answer: Jaques - In what year did Shakespeare die?
Answer: 1616 - What is the name of the king in “Hamlet” who marries Hamlet’s mother?
Answer: Claudius - Which Shakespeare play is about a Roman general who is betrayed by his friends?
Answer: Julius Caesar - In “Romeo and Juliet,” what does Juliet drink to fake her death?
Answer: A potion (or sleeping draught) - What is the name of the island where “The Tempest” takes place?
Answer: The island has no name in the play - How many sonnets did Shakespeare write?
Answer: 154 - What is the name of the ghost in “Hamlet”?
Answer: King Hamlet (Hamlet’s father) - What does Lady Macbeth try to wash off her hands?
Answer: Blood (imaginary blood) - What is the name of the daughter of a Jewish moneylender in “The Merchant of Venice”?
Answer: Jessica - In which play does a character say “The course of true love never did run smooth”?
Answer: A Midsummer Night’s Dream - What are the names of the twins in “Twelfth Night”?
Answer: Viola and Sebastian - What is the name of the person who kills Romeo in a duel?
Answer: No one (Romeo kills himself) - What poisonous plant is mentioned in “Hamlet” that Claudius uses to kill Hamlet’s father?
Answer: Henbane