THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM 207-780-4249 www.usm.maine.edu/planet 70 Falmouth Street Portland, Maine 04103 43.6667° N, 70.2667° W Founded January 1970 "“I am constant as the northern star, Of whose true-fixed and resting quality There is no fellow in the firmament.” Julius Caesar, act 3, scene 1 THE DAILY ASTRONOMER Friday, January 29, 2016 Quiz: The Bard's Death The year 2016 marks the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death. This year, myriad commemorative events have been scheduled in honor of the man whom many regard as the English language's finest writer. Today, we join in the revels! Today's quiz consists of twenty questions pertaining to the playwright so divinely gifted he is often known simply as "the bard." Now, then, for those who think the topic far too high brow for the Daily Astronomer, which is the astronomical world's equivalent of the Penny Dreadfuls, well...blah! blah! snort! snort! Look at it this way, next week is the annual Superbowl Quiz, which is slightly less than high brow. Later this year (calendar, if not academic) we will offer one more Shakespeare quiz. After all, the quadricentennial of Shakespeare's death doesn't happen every year. 1. Which play begins with the Chorus saying, "Two households, both alike in dignity?" a. MacBeth b. Romeo and Juliet c. Anthony and Cleopatra d. Titus Andronicus 2. If you wanted to marry Portia, you had to choose a casket made out of what? a. lead b. silver c. gold d. wax 3. If you happened upon a frolick of fairies gathered around a bewildered man with the head of a donkey, what would you be watching? a. A performance of "The Tempest." b. A typical Denver Broncos practice session c. A performance of "A Mid Summer Night's Dream." d. A performance of "Twelfth Night." 4. "Hamlet" has only two female characters. Give yourself 5 points if you can name one. Give yourself 10 points if you can name both. 5. Who did Mercutio blame for making 'worm's meat' out of him? a. Romeo b. Tybalt c. Both the Montague and Capulet families d. Friar John 6. Miranda and Prospero are moons orbiting around which planet? a. Jupiter b. Saturn c. Uranus d. Neptune 7. In which play did the famous spirit Ariel appear? a. A Mid Summer Night's Dream b. The Tempest c. Taming of the Shrew d. King Lear 8. What was the first line spoken by any of the MacBeth witches? a. "When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning or in rain?" b. "Double, double, toil and trouble Fire burn and cauldron bubble." c. "All hail, MacBeth! hail to thee Thane of Glamis." d. Trick question: The MacBeth Witches never actually speak. 9. Which one of these King Henrys did Shakespeare not write a play about? a. Henry V b. Henry VI c. Henry VII d. Henry VIII 10. Although Othello smothered Desdemona, who could be regarded as having been responsible for the murder by manipulating Othello into believing that Desdemona had been unfaithful? a. Iago b. Mercutio c. Bianca d. Hero 11. Which ONE of the following is not an ingredient used by the MacBeth witches for their potions? a. Scale of dragon b. Tooth of wolf c. Blood of virgin d. Nose of Turk 12. MacBeth killed King _____________ and, in so doing, became the King, himself a. Kong b. Duncan c. MacDuff d. Thane 13. Whose first line was "Now is the winter of our discontent?" a. King Lear b. Hamlet c. Richard III d. Falstaff 14. What was the name of the "shrew" Petrucio "tamed?" a. Ophelia b. Katherina c. Bianca d. Jessica 15. Which play was set in Greece? a. Romeo and Juliet b. Love's Labour Lost c. The Tempest d. A Mid Summer Night's Dream 16. During Shakespeare's lifetime, which of the following historical events occurred? (Could be more or less than one.) a. The defeat of the Spanish Armada b. The execution of Giordano Bruno c. Guy Fawkes' Gunpowder Plot d. The English Civil War 17. Shakespeare lost a young son whose name, strangely, was what? a. Otello b. Hamnet c. Romeo d. Falstaff 18. Which of the following everyday sayings were coined by Shakespeare? (Could be more or less than one.) a. Knock! Knock! Who's there? b. Good riddance c. One fell swoop d. Wear my heart upon my sleeve e. Forever and a Day 19. How many characters (speaking) did Shakespeare create? a. 910 b. 1145 c. 1223 d. 2679 20. Which Shakespearan character has the greatest number of lines in a single play? a. Hamlet b. Henry V c. Falstaff d. King Lear ANSWERS 1. b. Romeo and Juliet 2. a. lead 3. c. A performance of "A Mid Summer Night's Dream." 4. Ophelia and Gertrude 5. c. Both the Montague and Capulet families [Note: Tybalt killed Mercutio, though, perhaps, unintentionally. As he was dying, Mercutio attributed his death to both warring families. Hence, the famous phrase "A plague on both your houses."] 6. c. Uranus 7. b. The Tempest 8. a. "When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning or in rain?" 9. c. Henry VII 10. a. Iago {Granted, Iago's involvement doesn't absolve Othello of culpability in his wife's murder, but the marriage would have likely proven much happier were it not for Iago's interference.) 11. c. Blood of virgin (Blood of a baboon was required. These distinctions are important for some recipes.) 12. b. Duncan 13. c. Richard III (True, he wasn't Richard III at that moment, but that it nit picking.) 14. b. Katherina 15. d. A Mid Summer Night's Dream 16. a. The defeat of the Spanish Armada (1588) b. The execution of Giordano Bruno (1600) c. Guy Fawkes' Gunpowder Plot (1605) 17. b. Hamnet 18. All of them originate with Shakespeare a. Knock! Knock! Who's there? (Macbeth) b. Good riddance (Troilus and Cressida) c. One fell swoop (Macbeth) d. Wear my heart upon my sleeve (Othello) e. Forever and a Day (As You Like It) 19. c. 1223 20. a. Hamlet The issue is more complicated when you talk about characters with the most lines, as some characters appear in more than one play. Hamlet, though, has more lines in a single play than any other character.