What is the first play listed in Shakespeare's First Folio?
Answer
The Tempest
80 William Shakespeare Trivia Questions with Answers
80 public questions with answers, drawn from the well. How many can you answer?
William Shakespeare trivia covers the plays, poems, characters, settings, publications, and theatrical history of England’s most influential dramatist. Questions can range from the first play listed in the First Folio and the publication of The Rape of Lucrece to the dedication of Venus and Adonis, the Sicilian setting of Much Ado About Nothing, and Shakespeare’s alternate title for Twelfth Night.
The hub also tests recognition of iconic characters and lines, including Lady Macbeth’s “Out, damned spot!” speech, Iago’s role as Othello’s jealous ensign, and Cordelia’s place in King Lear’s family. It works for literature classes, theatre groups, pub quizzes, and game nights where players enjoy both famous quotations and less obvious details from the canon.
Which 1593 Shakespeare poem was dedicated to the Earl of Southampton?
Answer
Venus and Adonis
In which Sicilian city is Much Ado About Nothing set?
Answer
Messina
What is the alternate title of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night?
Answer
What You Will
Which character says 'Out, damned spot!' in Macbeth?
Answer
Lady Macbeth
What is the name of King Lear's youngest daughter?
Answer
Cordelia
Which two actors prepared Shakespeare's First Folio for publication?
Answer
Heminges and Condell
Who engraved the portrait of Shakespeare on the First Folio title page?
Answer
Martin Droeshout
Before becoming the King's Men, what was Shakespeare's main acting company called?
Answer
Lord Chamberlain's Men
In which Stratford church is William Shakespeare buried?
Answer
Holy Trinity Church
Which daughter of Shakespeare was Hamnet's twin?
Answer
Judith Quiney
Which of Shakespeare's children was his eldest daughter?
Answer
Susanna Hall
What was the name of William Shakespeare's father?
Answer
John Shakespeare
On what date did William Shakespeare die?
Answer
23 April 1616
Which Shakespeare play is believed to have been written in collaboration with George Wilkins?
Answer
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Which play features the character Sir Toby Belch?
Answer
Twelfth Night
What is the name of the character who delivers the 'St. Crispin's Day' speech?
Answer
King Henry V
In which play does the character Dogberry appear?
Answer
Much Ado About Nothing
Which play was co-authored by Shakespeare and John Fletcher based on Chaucer's 'The Knight's Tale'?
Answer
The Two Noble Kinsmen
In which play does King Duncan appear?
Answer
Macbeth
In which play does Shakespeare's character Portia disguise herself as a male lawyer?
Answer
The Merchant of Venice
Which Shakespeare play includes the character Polonius?
Answer
Hamlet
What is the subtitle of Shakespeare's play Othello?
Answer
The Moor of Venice
Which Shakespeare comedy features the character Sir John Falstaff?
Answer
The Merry Wives of Windsor
In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, who says 'Et tu, Brute?'?
Answer
Julius Caesar
Who was the first actor to play the role of Hamlet?
Answer
Richard Burbage
What is the only surviving play manuscript believed to be in Shakespeare's handwriting?
Answer
Sir Thomas More
Which play features a play-within-a-play based on Pyramus and Thisbe?
Answer
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Which sonnet begins 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day'?
Answer
Sonnet 18
What is the name of the ghost in Hamlet?
Answer
King Hamlet
Who is the Roman general in Antony and Cleopatra?
Answer
Mark Antony
Which play by Shakespeare is set entirely on an island?
Answer
The Tempest
Who says 'Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears'?
Answer
Mark Antony
In which play is the line 'Lord, what fools these mortals be!' spoken?
Answer
A Midsummer Night's Dream
What is the name of the character who kills Hamlet?
Answer
Laertes
William Shakespeare trivia — quick answers
What are good William Shakespeare trivia questions?
Good Shakespeare trivia questions combine well-known characters and quotations with details about publication, settings, poems, and early editions. Examples include identifying the speaker of “Out, damned spot!”, naming King Lear’s youngest daughter, identifying Othello’s ensign, and recalling which poem was dedicated to the Earl of Southampton.
How hard is Shakespeare trivia?
Shakespeare trivia can be easy or highly specialized. Questions about Macbeth, Othello, and King Lear are accessible to many readers, while First Folio listings, poem publication dates, alternate titles, and specific settings require familiarity with Shakespeare’s bibliography and the historical context of his works.
Who says “Out, damned spot!” in Macbeth?
Lady Macbeth says “Out, damned spot!” in Act 5, Scene 1 of Macbeth. The line occurs during her sleepwalking scene, when she imagines that blood from the murders she helped plan remains on her hands. It reveals her growing guilt and mental collapse after Macbeth seizes the throne.
What is Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night also called?
Twelfth Night is also known as What You Will, a subtitle that appears on the play’s title page in the 1623 First Folio. The comedy features mistaken identities, disguise, romantic confusion, and comic subplots. Its full title is commonly given as Twelfth Night, or What You Will.
Who is King Lear’s youngest daughter?
Cordelia is King Lear’s youngest daughter. Unlike her older sisters, Goneril and Regan, she refuses to flatter Lear during his public division of the kingdom. Her honesty leads to banishment, but she later returns to support her father, making her one of Shakespeare’s most tragic and morally admired characters.