Name:____**ANSWER KEY**______
Hour:______
William Shakespeare & the
Elizabethan Era Scavenger Hunt –
ANSWER KEY
Basic Information…
1. What is the date of Shakespeare’s birth?
April 23, 1564 (Not when he was baptized 3 days later on April 26)
2. Where was he born?
Stratford-Upon-Avon, UK/England
3. Who were his parents?
John and Mary (Arden)
4. When was Shakespeare baptized?
April 26, 1564
5. What was his wife’s name?
Anne Hathaway
6. What is the date of his death?
April 23, 1616
7. What was his father’s occupation?
Glover & Tanner of Leathers
8. How many children did Shakespeare have?
3
9. What were Shakespeare’s kid(s) name(s)?
Susanna, Judith & Hamnet (Twins)
His works…
10. To what acting company did Shakespeare belong?
“The Lord Chamberlain’s Men” (later called “The King’s Men”)
11. What was the title of his first play?
Henry VI (Part 2 & 3 performed first, then Part 1)
12. List AT LEAST ten words or phrases that Shakespeare created that are still used in
the English language, and explain what each one means.
Swagger = to walk with air; strut
Arouse = excite to wake up
Torture = inflict pain
Cruel = not kind; perceived as hurtful
Green-Eyed Monster = jealousy
Dwindle = get smaller
Blood-stained = covered in blood
Break the Ice = meet/open the conversation
In a Pickle = In a difficult situation
Bandit = a robber or outlaw
Dexterously = skillfully
Best Foot Forward = best effort
All’s Well that Ends Well = if it ends up okay, then don’t worry about it
Love is Blind = to overlook the flaws in those we love
Wear my heart on my sleeve = to display one’s feelings
13. How many plays did he write? 37 (debatable)
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William Shakespeare & the Elizabethan era Scavenger Hunt
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14. How many sonnets did Shakespeare write? 154
Life in Elizabethan times…
15. Describe a few of the popular clothing fashions for women. Gowns, hats, corsets,
underwear, collars, ruffs, shoes
16.Describe a few of the popular clothing fashions for men. Doublets, breeches,
underwear, collars, ruffs, hats shoes
17.List two forms of entertainment for the Elizabethans. Theater, dances/sing-alongs,
feats, games: checkers, tennis
18. List three foods that were commonly eaten during this era. Beef/mutton, porridge,
beer (low alcohol), vegetables in soup, Upper Class = spices
Now presenting the Globe Theater…
19.When was the Globe Theater built? 1599
20.Where was it located? London (on the river Thames in Southwark)
21.Briefly describe how the audience was divided and arranged for performances.
Commoners in the pit, Gentry on cushions/balcony, Nobility in chairs on the stage
22.Who played the females roles in the plays? Young boys
23.Briefly describe the difference between a comedy and a tragedy. Comedy = ordinary
hero; funny. Tragedy = god-like hero; sad. (Theater Flags: Black = tragedy, White =
comedy, Red = History)
Name and illustrate one of the following, plus provide the names of the plays
in which they occur.
24.The weapon used to murder King Duncan. Dagger - Macbeth
25.The piece of linen, “proof” of Desdemona’s infidelity. Handkerchief - Othello
26.The symbol of justice, likely to have been used by Shylock to ensure that Antonio’s
debt is paid in full. Scale (Justice) – The Merchant of Venice
Shakespeare’s England…
27. Who was the queen? Queen Elizabeth I
28. What were the dates of her reign? 1558-1603
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William Shakespeare & the Elizabethan era Scavenger Hunt
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29. Who was the king? King James I
30. What were the dates of his reign? 1603-1625
31. Why didn’t Queen Elizabeth marry while she held the throne? Different theories –
the people were her priority; didn’t want a man to rule?
32. How was Mary Queen of Scots related to Elizabeth? 2nd cousin
33. Why was she executed? She posed a threat to the throne (was “accused” of
plotting to kill Queen Elizabeth)
34. What was the black plague? “Black Death” or “Bubonic Plague” – 1563 killed
20,000 in London; 80,000 in England
35. What effect did it have on public theater? The theater had to close down
36. What are the four ‘humours’ that referred to medicine/psychology? Briefly describe
each one.
Blood – air – liver – sanguine (cheerful)
Yellow Bile – fire – gallbladder – choleric (angry/proud)
Black – earth – spleen – melancholic (irritable)
Phlegm – water – brain/lungs – phlegmatic (cowardly, lazy, laid back)
His Plays…
37. Identify four plays which have the names of their locations in their titles. Two
Gentlemen of Verona, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Merchant of Venice, Pericles,
Prince of Tyre
38. Identify one play set in Scotland. Macbeth
39. Identify a play which opens on a street in Rome. Coriolanus, Titus Andronicus, or
Julius Caesar
In which plays do you find the following line?
40. “This above all; To thine own self be true.” Hamlet
41. “Et tu Brute.” Julius Caesar
42. ”Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble." Macbeth
43. "The lady doth protest too much, methinks". Hamlet
44. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as
sweet". Romeo & Juliet
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William Shakespeare & the Elizabethan era Scavenger Hunt
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45. "The course of true love never did run smooth". A Midsummer Night’s Dream
46. "‘T’is neither here nor there." Othello
Tidbits…
47. Name the painter of the Sistine Chapel in Rome who died in the year of
Shakespeare’s birth. Michaelangelo
48. Name the Italian who first used a telescope to study astronomy; born in the same
year as Shakespeare. Galileo
49. Name three Shakespearean plays that have been made into movies. Hamlet,
Romeo & Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello
50. Name an actor or actress who appeared in each of the movies, and the character
they played. Mel Gibson, Hamlet; Leonardo DiCaprio, Romeo; Kenneth Branagh,
Director; Laurence Fishburne, Othello
**Good Websites:
www.shakespeare-online.com (biography)
www.william-shakespeare.info (biography)
www.shakespeareinamericancommunties.org
www.elizabethan-era.org (clothing styles, food)
www.bardweb.net/poetry.html