Shakespeare's plays, characters, and life.
Test your knowledge with these top questions!
In Macbeth, why does Lady Macbeth urge Macbeth to kill King Duncan?
Duncan enters Macbeth's home as an honored guest, so the regicide also breaks a host's duty to protect him.
In A Midsummer Night's Dream, whom does Puck enchant instead of Demetrius?
Lysander and Demetrius both wear Athenian clothes, so Puck chooses the wrong sleeping man.
Which weapon kills both Hamlet and Laertes in Hamlet's final duel?
The fencers exchange rapiers in the scuffle, so Laertes suffers the same poison he prepared for Hamlet.
In Macbeth, which royal future do the Weird Sisters predict for Macbeth?
Messengers soon confirm Macbeth as Thane of Cawdor, making the later promise of kingship feel possible.
How does Edmund first turn Gloucester against Edgar in King Lear?
The forged letter makes Edgar appear to plot Gloucester's death, letting Edmund pose as the loyal son.
In Henry VI, Part 1, which house claims the white rose in the Temple Garden scene?
Richard Plantagenet leads the white-rose party, while Somerset heads the rival red-rose faction.
How does Henry V end his friendship with Falstaff in Henry IV, Part 2?
The new king's "I know thee not, old man" closes Hal's life among Eastcheap's taverns.
In Othello, who manipulates the general after the action moves to Cyprus?
Othello calls Iago honest even as Iago engineers the lie about Desdemona and Cassio.
What keeps Friar John's letter from reaching Romeo before Romeo enters Juliet's tomb?
Health officers confine Friar John after a plague scare, so Romeo never learns Juliet took a sleeping potion.
Which name does Imogen use while disguised as a boy in Cymbeline?
As Fidele, Imogen joins the lost princes Guiderius and Arviragus without knowing they are her brothers.