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William Shakespeare Background

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 10mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

When was William Shakespeare born?

a)

April 23, 1564

b)

April 23, 1546

c)

April 23, 1574

d)

April 23, 1554

2.

Where was William Shakespeare born?

a)

Stratford-upon-Avon

b)

London

c)

Oxford

d)

Cambridge

3.

What were William Shakespeare's professions? Select all that apply.

a)

Playwright/Actor

b)

Painter

c)

Scientist

d)

Politician

e)

Poet

4.

When did William Shakespeare die and at what age?

a)

April 23, 1616 at age 52

b)

April 23, 1616 at age 50

c)

April 23, 1616 at age 54

d)

April 23, 1616 at age 55

5.

Who were the parents of William Shakespeare?

a)

John & Mary Shakespeare

b)

William & Anne Shakespeare

c)

Henry & Elizabeth Shakespeare

d)

Mary & James Shakespeare

6.

What was the occupation of John Shakespeare?

a)

A glove maker and town official

b)

A farmer

c)

A blacksmith

d)

A merchant

7.

Fill in the blank: Shakespeare was 1 of 8 children, but only ___ survived.

a)

5

b)

3

c)

6

d)

2

8.

Who did Shakespeare marry in 1582?

a)

Anne Hathaway

b)

Mary Arden

c)

Elizabeth I

d)

Catherine of Aragon

9.

How many children did Shakespeare have?

a)

One

b)

Two

c)

Three

d)

Four

10.

Fill in the blank: Hamnet died at age ____, inspiring themes of grief in Shakespeare's later works.

a)

11

b)

10

c)

12

d)

13

11.

True or False: In the Elizabethan Era, women were treated as property.

a)

True

b)

False

12.

Why were Shakespeare's parents well known and well liked in Stafford-Upon-Avon?

a)

they donated money to science

b)

they were wealthy

c)

they volunteered at the local church

d)

they had a beautiful house

13.

Why do we still study Shakespeare 400 years later?

a)

He wrote about timeless themes like family, love, anger, jealousy, etc.

b)

He really knows how to form a great story by using metaphors and vivid details

c)

He created most of the English Language that we use today, even the word swagger

d)

He was a great actor and made his living on the stage, which is inspiring

14.

What was scandalous about Shakespeare's relationship with Anne Hathaway? Select all that apply.

a)

She was pregnant before being married

b)

She was 26 and Shakespeare was 18

c)

She did't like Shakespeare's parents and they didn't like her

d)

She hated theater and actors, which was awkward for Shakespeare

e)

Nothing was scandalous; it was a boring relationship

15.

True or False: People in the 16th Century believed in witches, omens, magic, etc.

a)

True

b)

False

16.

True or False: William Shakespeare had 4 children total, but one died.

a)

True

b)

False

17.

True or False: William Shakespeare is known as "The Bard of England"

a)

True

b)

False

18.

Which of the following is NOT true of the Elizabethan Era?

a)

Queen Elizabeth was the ruler at this time

b)

There was very little illness during this time

c)

Literature and poetry began to become more popular

d)

There were very obvious social class divisions

19.

Shakespeare lived almost entirely during the reign of...

a)

Queen Victoria

b)

Queen Elizabeth II

c)

Queen Elizabeth I

d)

Queen Mary

20.

In which country did Shakespeare live?

a)

England

b)

France

c)

Italy

d)

Russia