Victor Cahn - Bard Games: The Shakespeare Quiz Book

The universal popularity of Shakespeare remains a phenomenon. Every day, in every state of our country, as well as in innumerable locales around the world, productions of his plays are under way. Across the globe (no pun intended), Shakespeare festivals flourish. At virtually every college and university, at least one course is devoted exclusively to Shakespeares works. In tens of thousands of secondary schools, where English curricula encompass vastly disparate novels, stories, and plays, the one constant is Shakespeare. For actors, directors, and designers, the scripts represent the ultimate challenge and constantly inspire fresh perspectives and interpretations. For scholars, critics, and, most of all, audiences, the plays are a source of unending delight.

With these thoughts in mind, I present Bard Games: The Shakespeare Quiz Book , a light-hearted volume that I hope will enhance readers appreciation of the plays. Toward that end, rather than simply compiling questions and answers, Ive let the teacher in me take over to offer select commentary. But dont worry: this material is brief. After all, the fun is supposed to come from the quizzes themselves.

A few words about these games. Their range of difficulty varies, for in each Ive tried to include questions that might be answered by the relatively inexperienced reader, as well as some that should challenge a devoted Bardologist. Certain quizzes near the end of the book are especially challenging. Where I offer quotations for identification, the task usually involves matching them to one of the selected speakers or plays, but those who wish to make the competition more demanding can ignore such aid and thereby show off for themselves or other contestants.

My text is The Riverside Shakespeare , second edition (Houghton Mifflin). If minor contradictions arise with other texts, please dont blame the quizmaster. Instead, Lets make the best of it ( Coriolanus , V, vi, 146).

Finally, I note that this book contains fifty-two quizzes. Why fifty-two? Theres question #1. The explanation may be found on the first page of the answer section at the end of the book.

Have a good time.

Where better to start than at the beginning? In Shakespeares plays, the action moves quickly, and even first lines propel the plot and establish themes. Match each passage to the play it opens.