Bing Shakespeare Quiz – Plays, Characters and Famous Lines
The Bing Shakespeare Quiz asks you to identify the plays, characters and famous lines behind the drama, from Hamlet, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet to Twelfth Night, Othello, King Lear, The Tempest and the Globe Theatre. A mistaken identity or a single letter can change a Shakespeare plot.
Start Bing Shakespeare Quiz
🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds
Identity
In Twelfth Night, Viola disguises herself as a man named what?
Letters
In Othello, which object does Iago use to convince Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful?
Letters
In Romeo and Juliet, why does Romeo never learn of Juliet's plan?
Macbeth
In Macbeth, how many witches appear in the opening scene?
Lear
In King Lear, which daughter refuses to flatter her father?
Tempest
In The Tempest, Prospero is a former duke of which city?
Hamlet
In Hamlet, what is the name of the play Hamlet uses to test his uncle's guilt?
Theatre
On which river's south bank did Shakespeare's Globe Theatre stand?
Comedies
In A Midsummer Night's Dream, whose head is turned into a donkey's head?
Life
In which town was Shakespeare born in 1564?
Your score
0/10
Scroll down to see the explanation for each question.
Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions
- Q1: In Twelfth Night, Viola disguises herself as a man named what?
Answer: Cesario
Viola's disguise creates a love triangle with Orsino and Olivia. Her twin brother Sebastian adds more confusion.
- Q2: In Othello, which object does Iago use to convince Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful?
Answer: A handkerchief
The handkerchief was Othello's first gift to Desdemona. Iago has his wife Emilia take it.
- Q3: In Romeo and Juliet, why does Romeo never learn of Juliet's plan?
Answer: Friar Laurence's letter is never delivered
Friar John is held in a house because of the plague. Romeo hears instead that Juliet is dead.
- Q4: In Macbeth, how many witches appear in the opening scene?
Answer: Three
The witches predict that Macbeth will become king. Actors often avoid saying the play's name in a theater.
- Q5: In King Lear, which daughter refuses to flatter her father?
Answer: Cordelia
Cordelia says she loves him according to her bond, no more and no less. Lear divides his kingdom between her flattering sisters.
- Q6: In The Tempest, Prospero is a former duke of which city?
Answer: Milan
Prospero was overthrown by his brother and lives on an island with his daughter Miranda. The play is often seen as one of his last.
- Q7: In Hamlet, what is the name of the play Hamlet uses to test his uncle's guilt?
Answer: The Mousetrap
Hamlet changes an old play to mirror his father's murder. Agatha Christie later used the title for her long-running play.
- Q8: On which river's south bank did Shakespeare's Globe Theatre stand?
Answer: The Thames
The original Globe burned down in 1613 when a cannon set fire to the thatched roof. A reconstruction opened nearby in 1997.
- Q9: In A Midsummer Night's Dream, whose head is turned into a donkey's head?
Answer: Bottom
Puck transforms the weaver Nick Bottom. The fairy queen Titania falls in love with him under a spell.
- Q10: In which town was Shakespeare born in 1564?
Answer: Stratford-upon-Avon
Shakespeare later worked in London as an actor and playwright. He died in Stratford in 1616.
Bing Shakespeare Quiz – Plays, Characters and Famous Lines
William Shakespeare wrote around 37 plays and more than 150 sonnets. Four centuries later, his stories are still performed, filmed and quoted around the world, and small plot details often decide how they end.
Mistaken identity drives many comedies. In Twelfth Night, Viola disguises herself as Cesario, and in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Puck turns Bottom's head into a donkey's. Confusion creates both romance and laughter.
In the tragedies, small objects and messages matter. Iago uses a handkerchief to deceive Othello, Friar Laurence's letter never reaches Romeo and Hamlet stages The Mousetrap to test his uncle. In King Lear, Cordelia's honesty costs her everything, while Macbeth begins with three witches.
Shakespeare's life adds context. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 and worked in London, where the Globe Theatre stood on the south bank of the Thames. The Tempest, with the exiled Duke of Milan Prospero, is often seen as one of his last plays.
The Bing Shakespeare Quiz has ten multiple-choice questions and a 150-second timer. After each answer you see a short explanation, so even a wrong guess teaches you something new. When you finish, you can check your score, review the answers and play again to see whether you can beat your first result. Many players find that the second attempt goes much better, because the explanations help the facts stick. Share the quiz with a friend and compare your results.
Play the quiz and see how well you know Shakespeare's plays and characters.
What This Quiz Teaches
- Shakespeare's comedies
- Shakespeare's tragedies
- Plot details that change endings
- Famous characters
- The Globe Theatre
- Shakespeare's life
Quick Facts
- Shakespeare added many words to English.
- Women's roles were played by boys in his time.
- The First Folio was published in 1623.
- His plays are divided into comedies, tragedies and histories.
- Hamlet is his longest play.
- He wrote 154 sonnets.
Related Quizzes
Ready for another round?
Jump to a random quiz from the archive.