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Quiz about War of The Words
Quiz about War of The Words

War of The Words Trivia Quiz


Shakespeare plays have been remade many times - let's look at these challengers on the field of each play's film adaptations. Who does the Bard's words justice?

A multiple-choice quiz by merylfederman. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
361,905
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
477
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Okay, the big one - "Hamlet" has been made and remade many times, the first major instance of which was in 1948. The Laurence Olivier movie won Best Picture and he won Best Actor. It was going to be hard to equal it. However, after lots of lower-profile examples, another A-list challenger came onto the field in 1996, a very unusual uncut-text version with a star-studded cast. Which Shakespearean icon directed and starred in the uncut 1996 "Hamlet"? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Love stories are also popular for film, so let's talk about the battlefield that is the tale of young love "Romeo and Juliet". In 1968, Franco Zeffirelli directed a gripping version with age-appropriate actors in the leads. But, Hollywood couldn't stay away from the classic story, and in 1996 (a big year), Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes stepped into the title roles for which director, who also directed "Moulin Rouge"? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. It's been a bit tragic so far, so let's look at the joyous comedy of "Much Ado About Nothing". The legendary Kenneth Branagh version featured himself as Benedick, Emma Thompson as Beatrice, and a whole host of stars in the supporting roles. It is nearly universally hailed as a Shakespearean-cinematic triumph, but in 2013 a plucky smaller challenger emerged featuring Nathan Fillion as Dogberry, among others. Who directed the challenger on the field, the same guy who had directed "The Avengers" and "Dr. Horrible"? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Alright, enough lovey dovey stuff, let's go to a real battle. "Richard III" started out, like "Hamlet," as an Olivier title, featuring Laurence Olivier in a definitive performance. But in 1995, we saw a new contender with a sleek modern look and a cast featuring Robert Downey Jr., Annette Bening, Jim Broadbent, and Maggie Smith, among others. Who dared to challenge Olivier in the title role? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. On a "usurpers" kick, let's talk "Macbeth". Roman Polanski's 1971 film with Jon Finch and Francesca Annis was the standard for Macbeth productions onscreen for a while, but it wasn't the first - which Shakespearean icon of the Golden Age was the first major onscreen Macbeth, as well as an onscreen Falstaff in a "Henry IV" inspired film? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The first major version of "Titus Andronicus" is a powerhouse on the field of Shakespearean film for its stellar cast, including Anthony Hopkins, Harry Lennix, Jessica Lange, Alan Cumming, and more. Which film and theater director was the first to make a major motion picture of "Titus"? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Sticking around ancient Rome, let's talk "Coriolanus," another rarely-done play. In 2011, the first major motion picture of the title was made starring Vanessa Redgrave as Volumnia, Brian Cox as Menenius, Gerard Butler as Tullus Aufidius, and Jessica Chastain as Virgilia. Which actor made his directing debut with this film and also starred as Caius Marcius Coriolanus? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Okay, sometimes Shakespearean films of the same title come out decades apart but sometimes you have the same play hit the big screen within a year! This happened in 2010, when a major motion picture of a title ended up against a filmed live production that aired in movie theaters as well as the Stratford Festival live stage. The film was directed by Julie Taymor and starred Helen Mirren as a typically male character, and the Stratford original was directed by Des McAnuff and starred Christopher Plummer. Which play was this? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. "Othello" is a title that has been done many times, with Orson Welles and Laurence Olivier in the title role of the Moor of Venice in 1952 and 1965 (regrettably, blackface was seen as a viable option at the time). We needed a remedy against this awful antiquated tradition, and in 1995 we got a great big one in the form of a major release - which actor played Othello in the 90s' "Othello" film? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Let's end with a rousing flag-waver of a play (okay, sometimes it's presented that way but not always). "Henry V" is a great war story with a great lead role for a big-name actor. Like "Hamlet" it was also done by Laurence Olivier and Kenneth Branagh, so let's dig a bit deeper. In the first film, the Chorus is played by Leslie Banks. Which Shakespearean actor (also in Branagh's "Hamlet" film) took on the role in Branagh's version? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Okay, the big one - "Hamlet" has been made and remade many times, the first major instance of which was in 1948. The Laurence Olivier movie won Best Picture and he won Best Actor. It was going to be hard to equal it. However, after lots of lower-profile examples, another A-list challenger came onto the field in 1996, a very unusual uncut-text version with a star-studded cast. Which Shakespearean icon directed and starred in the uncut 1996 "Hamlet"?

Answer: Kenneth Branagh

Kenneth Branagh used the full text of "Hamlet", leading to an epic four hour movie, and cast every star in Hollywood. Derek Jacobi was Claudius, Kate Winslet was Ophelia, and even the cameo roles were played by the likes of Robin Williams and Gerard Depardieu.

However, in this battle, the regal Best Actor performance of Laurence Olivier makes a very good case for the earlier film as well.
2. Love stories are also popular for film, so let's talk about the battlefield that is the tale of young love "Romeo and Juliet". In 1968, Franco Zeffirelli directed a gripping version with age-appropriate actors in the leads. But, Hollywood couldn't stay away from the classic story, and in 1996 (a big year), Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes stepped into the title roles for which director, who also directed "Moulin Rouge"?

Answer: Baz Luhrmann

Baz Luhrmann, known for high-stylization and wild editing, made a raucously fun movie, but on the battlefield of "words" could definitely not compete on a Shakespearean level with the rock-solid performances, text interpretation, and character choices of the Zeffirelli version.
3. It's been a bit tragic so far, so let's look at the joyous comedy of "Much Ado About Nothing". The legendary Kenneth Branagh version featured himself as Benedick, Emma Thompson as Beatrice, and a whole host of stars in the supporting roles. It is nearly universally hailed as a Shakespearean-cinematic triumph, but in 2013 a plucky smaller challenger emerged featuring Nathan Fillion as Dogberry, among others. Who directed the challenger on the field, the same guy who had directed "The Avengers" and "Dr. Horrible"?

Answer: Joss Whedon

Joss Whedon of sci-fi esteem is the director of "Firefly," "Cabin in the Woods," and other more "geeky" titles, but revealed his inner Shakespeare-aholic in his thoughtful treatment of "Much Ado About Nothing". It's a great complement to the Branagh but by no means blasts its predecessor off the field. Let's call this one a happy draw in the War of the Words.
4. Alright, enough lovey dovey stuff, let's go to a real battle. "Richard III" started out, like "Hamlet," as an Olivier title, featuring Laurence Olivier in a definitive performance. But in 1995, we saw a new contender with a sleek modern look and a cast featuring Robert Downey Jr., Annette Bening, Jim Broadbent, and Maggie Smith, among others. Who dared to challenge Olivier in the title role?

Answer: Ian McKellen

Ian McKellen played a fascist-style Richard III in a very aggressively adapted version of the original play. It's quite different from the more classical Olivier version, and both are considered must-watches for Shakespearean cinephiles. Another draw in this War of Words?
5. On a "usurpers" kick, let's talk "Macbeth". Roman Polanski's 1971 film with Jon Finch and Francesca Annis was the standard for Macbeth productions onscreen for a while, but it wasn't the first - which Shakespearean icon of the Golden Age was the first major onscreen Macbeth, as well as an onscreen Falstaff in a "Henry IV" inspired film?

Answer: Orson Welles

Orson Welles was "Macbeth" in 1948, a move which pre-empted such an attempt on the title by the prolific Laurence Olivier. The film was troubled, however, and this is definitely a case where the latter film made a successful attempt to supplant the prior film's status. Orson Welles, however, was quite successful as Othello and Falstaff, definitive as the latter.
6. The first major version of "Titus Andronicus" is a powerhouse on the field of Shakespearean film for its stellar cast, including Anthony Hopkins, Harry Lennix, Jessica Lange, Alan Cumming, and more. Which film and theater director was the first to make a major motion picture of "Titus"?

Answer: Julie Taymor

Julie Taymor, designer and director of "The Lion King" on Broadway, went on to direct Shakespearean adaptations of both "Titus Andronicus" and "The Tempest". Her "Titus" is the first major adaptation of the play and a makes a case for itself as the performance to beat for this wonderful title.
7. Sticking around ancient Rome, let's talk "Coriolanus," another rarely-done play. In 2011, the first major motion picture of the title was made starring Vanessa Redgrave as Volumnia, Brian Cox as Menenius, Gerard Butler as Tullus Aufidius, and Jessica Chastain as Virgilia. Which actor made his directing debut with this film and also starred as Caius Marcius Coriolanus?

Answer: Ralph Fiennes

Ralph Fiennes, perhaps best known for playing villains in "Harry Potter," the "Titans" franchise, and of course, "Schindler's List," also played the military hero Caius Marcius Coriolanus in a 2011 film. It was the first major film release of this title, which had previously only ever been done on the small screen.

The modern look, stunning performances, and gripping fight sequences make this one a major player in the filmed War of the Words.
8. Okay, sometimes Shakespearean films of the same title come out decades apart but sometimes you have the same play hit the big screen within a year! This happened in 2010, when a major motion picture of a title ended up against a filmed live production that aired in movie theaters as well as the Stratford Festival live stage. The film was directed by Julie Taymor and starred Helen Mirren as a typically male character, and the Stratford original was directed by Des McAnuff and starred Christopher Plummer. Which play was this?

Answer: The Tempest

"The Tempest" was done in 2010 by Julie Taymor of "Titus" fame, and took the daring risk of turning "Prospero" into "Prospera," making Shakespeare's famous wizard a woman. Helen Mirren was more than up to the task, but the film did not get the same respect of Taymor's first Shakespearean outing of "Titus". Meanwhile, Christopher Plummer also played Prospero on the Stratford, Ontario stage the same year, and the production was shown in theaters across North America and is available on DVD.
9. "Othello" is a title that has been done many times, with Orson Welles and Laurence Olivier in the title role of the Moor of Venice in 1952 and 1965 (regrettably, blackface was seen as a viable option at the time). We needed a remedy against this awful antiquated tradition, and in 1995 we got a great big one in the form of a major release - which actor played Othello in the 90s' "Othello" film?

Answer: Laurence Fishburne

Laurence Fishburne played Othello in the Oliver Parker-directed movie also starring Kenneth Branagh as Iago and Irene Jacob as Desdemona. For sheer antidote-to-old-racism reasons, it became a winner on the "War of the Words" battlefield of Shakespearean cinema, but it also featured great performances and a well fleshed out world of Venice and Cyprus.
10. Let's end with a rousing flag-waver of a play (okay, sometimes it's presented that way but not always). "Henry V" is a great war story with a great lead role for a big-name actor. Like "Hamlet" it was also done by Laurence Olivier and Kenneth Branagh, so let's dig a bit deeper. In the first film, the Chorus is played by Leslie Banks. Which Shakespearean actor (also in Branagh's "Hamlet" film) took on the role in Branagh's version?

Answer: Derek Jacobi

Kenneth Branagh's "Henry V" used the chops of Derek Jacobi in the narrator role of the Chorus, and on the whole this movie posed a nice counterpoint to the more rousing pro-war Olivier version of the play, which was made during WWII and was used largely as a way to raise British morale. Branagh's movie came out in 1989 and was far more circumspect about the violence occurring throughout the storyline. And so we end on another great draw between legends in the War of the Words.
Source: Author merylfederman

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