Shakespeare

In what century was William Shakespeare active as a playwright?

• 15th century

• 16th century

• 17th century

• B and C

The dates of Shakespeare’s life put him firmly in the middle of which musical period?

• Medieval

• Renaissance

• Baroque

• Classical

In addition to writing plays, William Shakespeare was also:

• A poet who wrote over 150 sonnets

• An actor who performed for royalty

• A successful businessman

• A, B and C

How many plays do we know that Shakespeare wrote?

• 11

• 26

• 32

• 37

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Shakespeare was the first to introduce over 3,000 words and expressions to the English language… words that we still use today. Which of these words do you think that Shakespeare did NOT coin?

• Eyeball

• Zany

• Joyous

• Scuffle

What kinds of characters generally sing in Shakespeare’s plays?

• Kings and queens

• Servants, clowns, fools and other minor characters with low status

• Fairies

• Noblemen

When a major character in a Shakespeare play sings, it is most likely because:

• They are suffering from mental illness

• They are in love

• They are entertaining friends or guests

• They are speaking their innermost thoughts

The music performed during Shakespeare’s plays was meant to:

• Create a mood or atmosphere

• Establish the mental or emotional state of characters

• Provide an interlude between acts

• All of the above

In Elizabethan England, people believed that this instrument could improve people’s emotional state by turning sadness into art:

• Oboes

• Trumpets

• Viols (an earlier version of the violin)

What is the name of the penniless Venetian who asks his friend for a loan in The Merchant of Venice?

• Malvolio

• Shylock

• Bassanio

• Antonio