Shakespeare Is Dead! Quiz | Logic Puzzles

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. You suddenly find yourself in a strange place and as you wonder where you are a mysterious voice begins speaking to you. "I have brought you here to test your skills of logic and knowledge of history. Shakespeare has been murdered, stabbed in the back, you must find the culprit or culprits. The killer(s) will be among these historical figures. Each of the five first questions will give you one suspect. You will give a key to each suspect you have identified. Each key provides clues that you must use in the future." Key I has a note attached that says, "The person with Key I drank two glasses of wine. The one who drank four glasses of wine owns the Hammer. The one who drank five glasses of wine did not read the Newspaper" The first test is this: If 15 19 4 10 is PTEK and 22 9 1 7 is WJBH then what is 19 7 4 0 3 12 8 17 0 11? The answer to the above puzzle is your clue to finding the first suspect. Who is it?

Answer: Lord Horatio Nelson, give him Key I

The numbers simply stand for the letter's position in the alphabet minus 1. So C, which is the 3rd letter, is represented by the number 2 here (3-1=2). 19 7 4 0 3 12 8 17 0 11 translates to THEADMIRAL (The Admiral). Lord Nelson, being the only admiral of the four, is the answer.

Lord Horatio Nelson has become an almost legendary figure in history. Some say whatever genius Napoleon possessed on land, Nelson possessed at sea. The battles at the Nile and Trafalgar have become two of the most famous naval engagements in history. He managed his accomplishments with just one eye and one arm! Unfortunately, he was killed at Trafalgar and Britain lost what was perhaps its greatest naval commander.

2. Key II has a note that says, "The person with Key II read either the Stone Tablet or the Bound Book. Of the person who read the Ancient Scroll and the person with Key IV, one drank two glasses of wine and the other owns the Whip" One of these four is the suspect. Each claims to be telling the truth but only one actually is. Match the descriptions to the names given and find out who is telling the truth. What he says will lead you to the suspect. "Old Blood and Guts", who regrets striking one of his hospitalized soldiers, says the "Little Corporal" is lying The "Little Corporal", who is reminiscing about his triumph at Austerlitz, says "Old Blood and Guts" is the suspect The man with the "New Deal", who is planning for his trip to Yalta, says he is not the suspect The Duke says the "Little Corporal" is the suspect and thinks he should be remembering Waterloo instead of Austerlitz Who is the suspect? You will give him Key II.

Answer: Franklin Delano Roosevelt

One can deduce that, with the given facts, the one telling the truth must be "Old Blood and Guts" (Patton). This means that the man with the "New Deal"(Roosevelt) is the suspect because he lied when he claimed that it wasn't him.

President Roosevelt instituted the New Deal in order to address the country's economic troubles. Many believe this policy was at least moderately successful though America's entry into WWII is most often credited with economic recovery. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin (The Big Three) met several times during the war to discuss post-war plans for Europe. The Yalta Conferences, held in Crimea, is the most well known and perhaps most controversial of these meetings. A major result of Yalta was the division of Berlin into separate sectors of control symbolized most famously by the Berlin Wall.

Napoleon Bonaparte's soldiers nicknamed him "The Little Corporal (le petit caporal)" after his victories on the Italian border. The nickname refers to his relatively low rank rather than his height. Napoleon was actually taller than average at the time. One of his most famous battles was that at Austerlitz where he displayed the best of his military genius.

General Patton, also known as "Old Blood and Guts", was one of the Allies' most effective generals during WWII. Although he is also known for his intolerance for what he viewed as cowardice. This led to the unfortunate incident where he struck a soldier suffering from battle shock whom Patton thought was just being a coward.

General Arthur Wellesley, also known as The Duke of Wellington, was Britain's finest commander during the Napoleonic Wars. His simple but highly effective tactics in Spain turned that campaign into a constant drain on Napoleon's resources and energy. He would use the very same tactics to defeat Napoleon at Waterloo. Speaking of this, Wellesley said, "They came on in the same old way and we defeated them in the same old way."

I borrowed the logical structure for this question, three & five from puzzles that I have come across over the years. They have appeared in various versions but with similar structures. Unfortunately, I can't provide a definite source but I can say they are not my creations. It was difficult enough trying to tie every question together so I thought I might try to maintain my sanity.

3. Key III's note says, "The one who read the Newspaper drank less than the one who read the Stone Tablet. The owner of the Dagger did not read the Newspaper or Stone Tablet" Of these five, one is the suspect. Each person says two things, one of which is a lie and the other is the truth. Determine which statements are true and which are false. This will give you the suspect. Gaius Julius Caesar says the suspect is Genghis. It isn't Vlad Vlad the Impaler says the suspect is not Attila. The suspect is Caesar. Attila the Hun says the suspect is Vlad. It isn't Genghis. Qin Shi Huangdi says the suspect is Attila. It isn't Caesar Genghis 'Temujin' Khan says the suspect is Huangdi. The suspect is Caesar. Once you have your suspect, choose one of the following descriptions that best fits the person. You will give him Key III.

Answer: The suspect was the first emperor of his country and created the Terracotta Army

Because one of each person's statements is true and one is false, the only contradiction free statements would be those that eventually identify Qin Shi Huangdi as the suspect.

Qin Shi Huangdi unified China in 221 BC and founded the Qin dynasty becoming its first emperor. He is credited with establishing the system of imperial rule that characterized China for two thousand years. He ordered the creation of an army made of terracotta (clay) to accompany him in his burial mound. It included approximately 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots and 670 horses. It is said that each soldier possesses unique facial features with none being the same. He was a megalomaniac to be sure but who isn't? The Terracotta Army can be seen today near the city of Xi'an in Shaanxi province.

Caesar, as an imperial title, has been adopted by over thirty languages including the German "Kaiser" and the Arabic "Qaysar". The transition from family name to imperial title is usually dated to around AD 68, a period sometimes referred to as The Year of Four Emperors.

Attila the Hun's conquests and invasion of Rome led the Romans to dub him the Scourge of God. His invasion of Western Rome was halted at the battle of Chalon near Orleans. Although he is often portrayed as barbaric and savage, historical accounts actually reveal him to be highly intelligent and diplomatically astute as well as a fierce warrior.

Vlad the Impaler belonged to the House of Draculesti of Wallachia. Bram Stoker drew the name of his "Dracula" from Vlad, perhaps inspired by Vlad's reputation for cruelty. However, Vlad was also a capable leader and had much success in combating the Ottoman Empire's invasion of Europe.

4. Key IV says, "The person with Key IV drank less than the one who read the Newspaper but drank more than the owner of the Crossbow" The murder victim will now lead you to your fourth suspect. You turn around and are terrified to see a zombie Shakespeare standing before you. He keeps saying, "ENI REH TAC" but you are unable to discern its meaning. He (it?) finally starts to make sense as he recites a passage you've never heard before. He says, Great is the family from whence you came Among the age's most powerful names Queen Regent of France but still a beast some say The cause of massacre on St. Bartholomew's Day (Note: Zombie Shakespeare's ability to compose verse was much better when he was alive) Who is Zombie Shakespeare talking about? This person will receive Key IV.

Answer: Catherine De Medici

ENI REH TAC is CATHERINE broken up and spelled backwards.

This passage refers to Catherine de Medici. She descended from the Medici family, one of the most influential families in Italy and had all but ruled Florence. Catherine was wedded to Henry, Duke of Orleans and heir to the French throne. When Henry became king, Catherine, appropriately, became Queen.

During her son King Charles IX's reign, tensions between the country's Roman Catholics and Calvinist Protestants (or Huguenots) started turning violent. On August 23 1572, Charles IX ordered the assassination of several prominent Huguenot leaders but the killing soon spread throughout Paris and France leading to thousands if not tens of thousands of deaths.

Catherine initially attempted to ease tensions between the two groups but soon turned towards more hard line measures. Her policies led many to blame her for what became known as the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre.

5. Key V says, "The owner of the Crossbow, the person who read the Wood Engraving, the person with Key V, the one who drank six glasses of wine and the owner of the Whip are five separate people" These four were given colored flags and numbered badges as they entered my realm. You must use these clues to match the people with the descriptions given and determine the order in which each entered. The Queen who hails from Iberia, has the yellow & red flag The "Iron Lady" entered first and has the flag colored blue, white & red The "Dragon Lady" does not have Badge II and entered before the one with the yellow & red flag The one who led a failed rebellion against the Romans entered before the one with Badge III The one whose Badge number is the same as the order of her entrance does not have the flag colored blue, white & red The one with Badge II has the blue flag One person has a flag colored blue, red & yellow The one with Badge I entered third From left to right, in what order did these women enter (1st - 4th)? You will give Key V to the person who entered LAST.

Answer: Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Boudicca of Iceni, Empress Dowager Cixi, Isabella of Castile

From the facts given, you can deduce the appropriate matches:

The Iron Lady entered 1st, had Badge IV and the blue, white & red flag
The rebellion leader against Rome entered 2nd, had Badge II and the blue flag
The Dragon Lady entered 3rd, had Badge I and the blue, red & yellow
The Queen from Iberia entered 4th, had Badge III and the yellow & red flag

Margaret Thatcher, the British Prime Minister, became known as the Iron Lady due to her conservatism and stringent position on Soviet foreign policy. As Education Secretary, she abolished free milk for young schoolchildren in an effort to divert funds towards academic needs. The nickname Iron Lady might be quite apt.

Boudicca of the Iceni tribe in Britain led an uprising against Roman occupation around AD 60. Though she gathered a vast host of warriors, she was ultimately unable to defeat the Romans and reportedly took her own life after the defeat.

Empress Dowager Cixi became known as the Dragon Lady primarily due to Sterling Seagrave's biography. Empress of the Qing dynasty, she effectively ruled China even though she was not officially recognized. The Qing dynasty was China's last and many historians blame Cixi for its collapse.

Isabella of Castile and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon ruled the kingdoms of Castile and Leon. They did much to unify Spain, successfully reclaiming land from Moorish occupation during the Reconquista. Isabella was also responsible for sponsoring the voyages of a little known explorer named Columbus. Maybe you've heard of him? Iberia refers to the peninsula area that includes Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar.

6. If you have answered all previous questions correctly you will now have your list of five suspects. To identify the culprit you must complete this puzzle. Match each suspect with the weapon owned, item read and glasses of wine drunk. Each of the five keys you have given to the suspects includes clues that will aid you in deciphering the puzzle (the five keys have given a total of nine separate clues, remember to match the key with the name of the person to which it belongs) WEAPON OWNED - Crossbow, Dagger, Gun, Hammer, Whip ITEM READ - Ancient Scroll, Bound Book, Newspaper, Stone Tablet, Wood Engraving GLASSES OF WINE - Two, Three, Four, Five, Six Remember how Shakespeare was murdered, there is only one weapon here that could have been used. Whoever owns that weapon killed Shakespeare. Who was it? Write the person's three-part name exactly as it appears in this quiz. (e.g. Gaius Julius Caesar or Peter the Great)

Answer: Qin Shi Huangdi

Your five suspects should have been Lord Horatio Nelson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Qin Shi Huangdi, Catherine de Medici and Isabella of Castille. The first question said that Shakespeare was stabbed and since Qin Shi Huangdi has the dagger, he is the murderer.

Using the clues found on each of the five keys you can make these matches:

Nelson, Crossbow, Ancient Scroll and 2 glasses
Medici, Whip, Bound Book, 3 glasses
Isabella, Hammer, Newspaper, 4 glasses
Huangdi, Dagger, Wood Engraving, 5 glasses
Roosevelt, Gun, Stone Tablet, 6 glasses

This type of puzzle is known as a Zebra puzzle and should be familiar to anyone who enjoys brainteasers. Some say it was created by Albert Einstein and others say it was Lewis Carroll but neither has been verified. It is also claimed that only 2% of the population can solve it but, in my opinion, that is unlikely. As long as you have paper and pencil, it shouldn't be as difficult as that. Perhaps the 2% refers to people who can do it in their heads alone. That would really be impressive! I can barely do division in my head.

I'm afraid I don't have the mental capacity to create my own so I borrowed this particular puzzle's structure from www.logic-puzzles.org. They offer a large database of these puzzles of varying difficulty and provide a very user-friendly platform for doing them.

7. Now you should be certain which of the five suspects is the murderer but did the culprit have help? It could have been one, some, all or none of the remaining suspects. Answer these questions to reach your answer. To get you started, I will tell you that the person who had four glasses of wine was too drunk to commit a crime because he or she is a total lightweight. You can exclude that person from your list. Firstly, if the murderer did have help, the accomplice(s) would have to be physically capable of moving around freely. Walking, running and jumping are necessary. Look at your remaining suspects and recall what you know about these historical figures. Does this requirement exclude any of the three suspects (anyone who is not physically able)?

Answer: One can be excluded, two suspects remain

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was diagnosed with polio many years before his presidency which left him paralyzed from the waist down. Roosevelt and his team took great care in not drawing media attention to his disability. He always appeared in public standing up supported by someone at his side. He even owned a car that he could drive with just his hands.

This condition should have excluded him from the list of possible suspects. Since the one who drank four glasses of wine (Isabella of Castille) was eliminated for you, Lord Horatio Nelson and Catherine de Medici should be the only two remaining suspects.

8. Second, the accomplice(s) must also have the use of two healthy arms. Anyone unable to do so would make for a poor partner(s). Having sight in both eyes couldn't hurt either. Look at your remaining suspects and recall what you know about these historical figures. Does this requirement exclude any of them?

Answer: One can be excluded

Lord Horatio Nelson spent a good portion of his naval career with two significant injuries. He was blinded in the right eye during action on Corsica and his right arm was amputated following a wound sustained at Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

However, he managed to take advantage of his injuries during the Battle of Copenhagen. Nelson's commanding officer ordered him to pull his ships back when Danish resistance turned out to be heavier than expected. Nelson disobeyed claiming that his partial blindness prevented him from seeing the signal flag. The battle concluded when the Danish Prince accepted Nelson's offer of truce, an armistice eventually followed. As the story goes, Nelson deliberately raised his telescope to his bad eye, said he could see no signal and continued the fight. He was a tough one.

This means that Nelson should be excluded as a suspect leaving only Catherine de Medici.

9. Lastly, the accomplice(s) must be sound of mind. Anyone with a mental or neurological disorder, such as epilepsy, would not be dependable. Look at your remaining suspects and recall what you know about these historical figures. Does this requirement exclude any of them (someone with a history of mental or neurological problems)?

Answer: No one can be excluded

Catherine de Medici had no documented mental or neurological disorders and should have remained a suspect.

Some believe that Julius Caesar however, did suffer from epilepsy. Though this is debated among historians as records from that time are sparse and the condition is not mentioned often. Though Caesar was highly conscious of his image and kept tight control of his public face. He certainly would have kept such a condition a tight secret which may account for the lack of historical documentation.

10. If there are any that you have not excluded after the previous three questions then they are definitely accomplices to the murder. If you answered all previous questions correctly, you should have the identity of all culprits including the murderer and any possible accomplices. The answer is three words, read the following instructions on how to enter your answer. 1) If the murderer acted alone write their three-part name here exactly as you did in question six (e.g. Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte) 2) If the murderer had one accomplice then write the last word of the murderer's and accomplice's three-part names in alphabetical order separated by "and"(e.g. Bonaparte and Patton) 3) If the murderer had two accomplices write just the last word of each culprit's three-part names in alphabetical order (e.g. Bonaparte Caesar Patton) 4) If the murderer had three accomplices then write the full three-part name of the one suspect that did NOT participate in the murder To avoid complications, remember to use the exact spelling as in this quiz and order the names in alphabetical order. This means there is only one way to write the answer.

Answer: Huangdi and Medici

You should have identified one murderer and one accomplice, Qin Shi Huangdi as the murderer and Catherine de Medici as the accomplice. Since this question states that any suspects remaining after question nine are definitely accomplices. Catherine de Medici, being the only one remaining, is therefore the accomplice.

Source: Author McAngus

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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Shakespeare Is Dead! Trivia Quiz

Shakespeare has been murdered and you must solve the crime. Both your skills of logic and knowledge of history will be tested.(Paper and pencil suggested)

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