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Elizabethan England and Shakespeare Intro Material

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 14mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What was The Globe?

a)

a map

b)

a theater Shakespeare built

c)

a toy

2.

Which of the following was a feature of Elizabethan theater?

a)

grand lighting sets

b)

elaborate scenery

c)

elaborate costumes

d)

none of these

3.

Check all that apply.

What were the features of the Elizabethan theater?

a)

no lighting

b)

open roof

c)

women in elaborate costumes

d)

no women on stage

e)

no elaborate scenery or props

4.

What did the different colored flags flown on the roof of the stage represent.

a)

They indicated when the theater was open or closed.

b)

The indicated how many seats were available.

c)

They indicated what type of play was being performed.

d)

The indicated the time of the performance.

5.

Queen Elizabeth's father was...

a)

King Henry VIII

b)

William the Conqueror

c)

She did not have a father

d)

King Richard

6.

What were the people who stood on the ground around the stage called?

a)

pignuts

b)

courtiers

c)

groundlings

d)

nobility

7.

What happened to Shakespeare's Globe Theater when theater performances were banned in London?

a)

Shakespeare quit writing plays and concentrated on his poetry letting the theater stand empty.

b)

It was burned down.

c)

He dismantled it and rebuilt it across the river in Southwark.

d)

He held illegal performances of his plays.

8.

What was unusual about the female parts in Shakespeare's plays when they were performed.

a)

The women were always in heavy makeup.

b)

The parts were left out due to a shortage in actresses.

c)

Adolescent boys in platform shoes and heavy make up played all of the female parts.

d)

none of these

9.

Shakespeare's Globe Theater included...

a)

columns that could be used as trees in a forest.

b)

a curtain to allow for scenery changes.

c)

an intricate lantern system to provide light effects for performances.

d)

a balcony area

e)

a roof over the stage

10.

Why was Queen Elizabeth referred to as "The Virgin Queen"?

a)

it was a joke

b)

because she refused to marry

c)

because her skin was so pale

d)

because her subjects thought she was too ugly to ever marry.

11.

Queen Elizabeth's reign was

a)

a time of horrible famine and drought

b)

a time of great prosperity and exploration

c)

a time of constant political unrest

d)

a time when the Catholic Church was really running the country.

12.

Which years are considered to be the Elizabethan Era?

a)

1200-1300

b)

1800-1900

c)

1500-1600

d)

1700-1800

13.

How much did it cost to get into one of Shakespeare's plays?

a)

a sixpence

b)

a 1 pound note

c)

a penny

d)

4 pennies

14.

Which are some of the features of The Globe Theater? Check all that apply.

a)

a trapdoor in the floor of the stage

b)

a curtain to allow for scene changes

c)

a pulley system to lower people from above the stage so as to look like they were floating or flying.

d)

tapestries on the back of the stage

e)

a system of candles with metal reflectors to light the stage.

15.

Which church did Queen Elizabeth support?

a)

Catholic

b)

Islamic

c)

Protestant

d)

none of these

16.

How did the Protestant church come into being?

a)

It was created by King Henry VIII so that he could get a divorce.

b)

It was created by priests who were unhappy about not being able to have families of their own.

c)

It was created by Queen Elizabeth so that she would not have to marry.

d)

none of these

17.

Shakespeare wrote which kind of plays? Check all that apply.

a)

comedies

b)

tragedies

c)

histories

d)

autobiographies

e)

horrors

18.

What level of education did William Shakespeare have?

a)

Basic reading, writing, and arithmetic.

b)

He earned the equivalent of a masters degree in college today.

c)

He attended school but not college. He studied mythology, latin, and other challenging subjects.

d)

He had little to no education.

19.

Shakespeare most likely wrote Macbeth because...

a)

King James was a Scottish and had some notable ancestors during the time Macbeth is set.

b)

He wanted to criticize the way kings were chosen.

c)

Queen Elizabeth commissioned the play for court.

d)

None of these.

20.

What was the purpose of the trapdoor on the stage of the Globe Theater?

a)

It allowed access to costume and scenery storage.

b)

It was to hide women actors when the authorities came to inspect.

c)

It was used a a grave, or a pit of hell in some of the plays.

d)

It was used to lower actors onto the stage from the heavens.

21.

What time of day were plays performed at the Globe Theater?

a)

Early morning.

b)

Dusk

c)

Mid Morning

d)

Early afternoon around 2:00.

22.

What caused the Globe to burn down?

a)

The Gunpowder Plot riots.

b)

A cannon fired during a performance caught the thatched roof on fire.

c)

The Puritans believed witchcraft was practiced there so they burned it down.

d)

None of these

23.

The Tiring House of the Globe Theater was used to do what?

a)

A smugglers hideout.

b)

A practice space for play rehearsals.

c)

Tie up horses or other livestock while patrons watched plays.

d)

Store equipment, props, and costumes.

24.

King James is most notably known for ...

a)

Bringing peace and prosperity to England.

b)

The first version of the Bible translated into English.

c)

His many wives

d)

None of these

25.

King James had a special interest and fascination with...

a)

Witches

b)

Flora and Fauna

c)

Scientific Discovery

d)

Furthering the reach of the Catholic Church