30 Shakespeare Trivia Questions (And Answers) For Ultimate Literary Buffs

To be, or not to be: that is the question! The fascination for Shakespeare dramas and sonnets can never go out of fashion.

The life of William Shakespeare was as mysterious and colorful as the characters in his plays. From comedies, tragedies, and romance to romantic comedies and tragicomedies, Shakespeare has contributed through numerous works of literature.

Although Shakespeare left little documentation about his personal life, he introduced various forms of culture and life through his works. Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, Richard III, Othello, and Hamlet are some of the most famous plays written by Shakespeare. His plays are still popular in several theaters all over the world. If you consider yourself as the biggest Shakespeare fan, then you are in for a treat. This ultimate Shakespeare trivia will not only test your knowledge and love for his works but will also serve you with some cool facts about Shakespeare. So here is a chance for you to rule the Shakespeare tribe by answering these interesting questions in William Shakespeare trivia. For an equally amazing literary experience, you must also have a look at our book trivia and hardest trivia questions.

William Shakespeare is said to have lived a curious yet exciting life. There are many unknown facts about Shakespeare. Do you know that Shakespeare added more than 300 words to our vocabulary without ever studying in a University? Many such William Shakespeare fun facts about his life are going to get unfolded in this Shakespeare quiz.

1. Question: In which year was William Shakespeare born?

Answer: 1564

2. Question: Who was regarded as the biggest rival of William Shakespeare?

Answer: Christopher Marlowe

3. Question: What was the name of Shakespeare's wife?

Answer: Anne Hathaway

4. Question: What was the name of Shakespeare's mother?

Answer: Mary Arden

5. Question: In which year did William Shakespeare marry Anne Hathaway?

Answer: 1582

6. Question: How many sonnets did Shakespeare write?

Answer: 154

7. Question: How many children did Shakespeare and his wife had?

Answer : 3 children

8. Question: When did William Shakespeare die?

Answer: 23rd April 1616

9. Question: Where was Shakespeare buried?

Answer: Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Shakespeare joined the acting company of Lord Chamberlain's Men, where he initially rose to fame. He was a well-known actor and playwright of the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras of literature. Shakespeare is famous for his works about life, love, death, revenge, murder, and mystery. Take this Shakespeare quiz to see how familiar you are with his many plays and get to know some important facts about Shakespeare professional life.

10. Question: How old was Shakespeare when he wrote his first play?

Answer: 25 years old

11. Question: Which was the first play written by Shakespeare?

Answer: Henry VI

12. Question: What is Shakespeare's shortest play?

Answer: The Comedy of Errors

13. Question: How many plays did Shakespeare write?

Answer: 37 plays

14. Question: In which theater was Shakespeare's first play performed?

Answer: The Globe

15. Question: The main character in which of Shakespeare's plays has the least number of lines?

Answer: Julius Caesar

16. Question: Which was the last play written by Shakespeare?

Answer: The Tempest

17. Question: What is the name of Shakespeare's longest play?

Answer: Hamlet

18. Question: Which is the first published collection of Shakespeare's plays, produced seven years after his death, in 1623?

Answer: The First Folio (Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies)

Among many facts about Shakespeare's plays and poems, the quotes he used in his plays and poems have been the most intriguing ones. Shakespeare immortalized his characters by giving them unforgettable dialogues and actions. Test your knowledge by answering these William Shakespeare questions to see if you remember his quotes by heart and learn some interesting facts about Shakespeare quotes.

19. Question: In which Shakespeare play was this quote used - 'If music be the food of love, play on.'?

Answer: Twelfth Night

20. Question: Which of William Shakespeare's character said this famous quote - 'What’s in a name that which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.'?

Answer: Juliet in Romeo and Juliet

21. Question: 'To be, or not to be: that is the question', was used in which tragic play by Shakespeare?

Answer: Hamlet

22. Question: Who said this famous quote, 'All the world's a stage' in one of Shakespeare's plays?

Answer: Jaques in As You Like It

23. Question: 'Et tu, Brute', was used in which of Shakespeare's plays?

Answer: Julius Caesar

24. Question: 'A horse! A horse! My kingdom of a horse!' is a quote from which of Shakespeare's plays?

Answer: Richard III

25. Question: 'All that glitters is not gold', was used in which play by Shakespeare?

Answer: The Merchant of Venice

26. Question: 'Nothing will come of nothing' was said in which of Shakespeare's plays?

Answer: King Lear

27. Question: 'The course of true love never did run smooth', was said by Shakespeare's which character?

Answer: Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream

Shakespeare is the most filmed author ever. The Guinness Book of Records lists the most number of TV and movie adaptations of Shakespeare's plays. Answer these questions about Shakespeare to see if you know all about Shakespeare feature and book adaptations. This quiz is full of William Shakespeare facts and how he contributed by inspiring through his plays.

28. Question: How many total screen adaptations of Shakespeare's plays are there?

Answer: 410

29. Question: Which was the first Shakespeare's play to be recorded as a film?

Answer: King John

30. Question: Which famous actor played the role of Romeo in 'Romeo+Juliet' (1996) movie adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet?

Answer: Leonardo DiCaprio

31. Question: 'The Lion King (1994)' is a movie adaptation of which play by Shakespeare?

Answer: Hamlet

32. Question: '10 Things I Hate About You' (1999) is a movie adapted from which play by Shakespeare?

Answer: The Taming of the Shrew

33. Question: 'She's The Man' (2006) is a movie adapted from which of Shakespeare's comedies?

Answer: Twelfth Night

34. Question: 'David and Fatima (2008)' is a movie based on which of Shakespeare plays?

Answer: Romeo and Juliet

35. Question: 'Fool' written by Christopher Moore is inspired from which Shakespeare play?

Answer: King Lear

36. Question: 'Hag-Seed' written by Margaret Atwood, is an adaptation of which play written by Shakespeare?

Answer: The Tempest

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created a lot of interesting family-friendly trivia for everyone to enjoy. If you liked our suggestions for Shakespeare trivia, then why not take a look at 'Harry Potter' book trivia, or 'Lord Of The Rings' trivia.