The Ultimate William Shakespeare Quiz

How much do you know about William Shakespeare? Answer these 28 questions to find out!

Source - Wikipedia

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Last updated: April 8, 2025

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Question	Answer
When was he born?	April 1564
Where was born?	Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England
What school did he likely attend?	King's New School, Stratford
Who did he marry at the age of 18, in 1582?	Anne Hathaway
How many children did he have?	3
Who criticised Shakespeare's plays, in 1592?	Robert Greene
After 1584, what theatre was Shakespeare's plays performed?	The Theatre, Shorditch
What was the name of the people to perform in this theatre?	Lord Chamberlain's Men
What king did he famously dramatize in his first known tetralogy?	Richard III
What king did he also write about during his first tetralogy?	Henry VI
What was the tragedy Shakespeare wrote, premiered in 1597, about two teenagers in love?	Romeo and Juliet
What famous Roman Emperor did Shakespeare write a tragedy on, premiered in 1599	Julius Caesar
What theatre did his company construct, in 1599?	Globe theatre
What is the name of Shakespeare's longest play written in 1599-1601, which is known as the most quoted work in the English language?	Hamlet

Question	Answer
What quote in the play above is among the most widely known and quoted lines in English literature?	"To be, or not to be; that is the question"
What is name of the play where the main character kills his wife because of jealousy stroked by the antagonist?	Othello
What tragedy did Shakespeare write, which is about a king giving up his power, torturing of the Earl of Gloucester and murder of the king's daughter?	King Lear
What monarch of England did he first perform for, who died in 1603?	Elizabeth I
What monarch succeeded above?	James I of England (James VI of Scotland)
What was the name of the people to perform for Shakespeare after it received a royal patent from above?	King's Men
What is the name of the tragedy first performed in 1606, about a Scottish King, which is Shakespeare's shortest play?	Macbeth
What was one of Shakespeare's last major tragedies that involved the suicide of a Egyptian Pharaoh, performed in 1607?	Antony and Cleopatra
How many sonnets were published all together in a quarto, 1509?	154
What romance is considered one of Shakespeare's last plays, written in 1610-1611, set on a remote island and the characters contain a magician, monster figure and early spirit?	The Tempest
What year did Shakespeare retire from acting and writing?	1613
When did Shakespeare die?	23 April 1616 (age 52)
What church was he buried in?	Holy Trinity Church
What is the most famous comedy in his First Folio, which was published seven years after his death?	Much Ado About Nothing