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Quiz about Prayer and Invocation in Shakespeare
Quiz about Prayer and Invocation in Shakespeare

Prayer and Invocation in Shakespeare Quiz


Shakespeare's characters will every so often pray or invoke supernatural powers - can you answer these questions about such religious and supernatural moments?

A multiple-choice quiz by merylfederman. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
360,922
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
291
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Question 1 of 10
1. A famously plot-relevant moment of prayer comes to us from "Hamlet", where Hamlet witnesses someone kneeling in a solemn moment - and cannot bring himself to confront someone at prayer. Who exactly is spared because of his/her reverent behavior? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. This next incantation is a charmed potion that creates hallucinogens: "double, double, toil and trouble, cauldron burn and fire bubble" - which play that features a supernaturally-compelled protagonist also contains such a spell? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Moving to a violent history play, we meet the angry Queen Margaret of the Lancaster clan who potently curses anyone who fought on the York side against her. She curses Edward IV, his new Queen Elizabeth, Elizabeth's family, and more - which cruel opponent does she save for last and curse the most extensively? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Henry V is a title character and military leader facing extreme odds in a foreign land. In a private moment, he prays for victory, saying (among other things): "steel my soldiers' hearts". Which battle is he preparing for? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. In another pre-battle scene from a history play, the Earl of Richmond, alone in his tent, prays for God's protection. As he lays down to sleep, he prays "Sleeping and waking, O defend me still!" His invocations seem to work, as several ghosts of his adversary's enemies flock to him for support (in his dreams). Which battle is this one, where Richmond faces off against Richard III? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. In yet another battle scene, a female fighter literally calls up fiends from hell to try and fight her enemies of the English Lancastrian line, saying "Now, ye familiar spirits, that are cull'd/Out of the powerful regions under earth/Help me this once, that France may get the field." Which of these women, a powerful legendary figure, raises this incantation? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Not all prayers and invocations are serious - in "Romeo and Juliet," Mercutio jokingly "conjures" his friend using all the proper tropes of a magical incantation, using a woman's "parts" as invocatory tools to "summon" the man he's looking for, just as one would summon a demon. Which character is Mercutio trying to summon? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. It's not only humans who use prayer and invocation - in "Midsummer Night's Dream", a group of fairies sing a protective prayer for their queen beginning with "You spotted snakes with double tongue, Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen." What is the name of their queen, who they are hoping is not disturbed by creepy crawlies while asleep? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. In a late play, Shakespeare has a wizard character and his sidekick Ariel raise three Roman goddesses to bless a young couple (his daughter Miranda and a young man the wizard has helped match with her). Which play does this powerfully magical moment come from? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. This isn't a spoken incantation or prayer, but in "Titus Andronicus" the title character shoots arrows with pleas to the various Roman gods who he thinks can provide him with better justice than the emperor seems able to provide. Which Emperor are they trying to shame by insulting his justice? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. A famously plot-relevant moment of prayer comes to us from "Hamlet", where Hamlet witnesses someone kneeling in a solemn moment - and cannot bring himself to confront someone at prayer. Who exactly is spared because of his/her reverent behavior?

Answer: Claudius

Claudius, the king of Denmark and murderer of the former king Hamlet, is terrified by the re-enactment of his crime in the play within the play, and immediately runs off to pray. Hamlet, finally convinced of Claudius' guilt, tries to kill the man but believes that killing a man in prayer would send him to heaven - hardly fair for his father's murderer.

After Hamlet leaves, Claudius reveals that since he is so guilty, he wasn't quite able to pray in the first place.
2. This next incantation is a charmed potion that creates hallucinogens: "double, double, toil and trouble, cauldron burn and fire bubble" - which play that features a supernaturally-compelled protagonist also contains such a spell?

Answer: Macbeth

It's the big scary magical play - in "Macbeth", the witches have dark and mysterious powers, and raise up images to Macbeth's mind that prophesy his power and his downfall. The cauldron they use is a key image and tool of power in the play.
3. Moving to a violent history play, we meet the angry Queen Margaret of the Lancaster clan who potently curses anyone who fought on the York side against her. She curses Edward IV, his new Queen Elizabeth, Elizabeth's family, and more - which cruel opponent does she save for last and curse the most extensively?

Answer: Richard Duke of Gloucester

Richard, Duke of Gloucester and future Richard III, is Margaret's final and most extensive curse victim. She knows just how treacherous this man is, and correctly predicts how his villainy will destroy all of his current "allies" and eventually himself. She knows that, later in the play, Richard's still-living victims will say "Margaret was a prophetess".
4. Henry V is a title character and military leader facing extreme odds in a foreign land. In a private moment, he prays for victory, saying (among other things): "steel my soldiers' hearts". Which battle is he preparing for?

Answer: Agincourt

Agincourt is the climactic battle of "Henry V", where the English face overwhelming odds and win a decisive battle despite them. Henry knows that his soldiers must have faith in their ability to win - and prays that their resolve won't fail them coming up to the battle.
5. In another pre-battle scene from a history play, the Earl of Richmond, alone in his tent, prays for God's protection. As he lays down to sleep, he prays "Sleeping and waking, O defend me still!" His invocations seem to work, as several ghosts of his adversary's enemies flock to him for support (in his dreams). Which battle is this one, where Richmond faces off against Richard III?

Answer: Bosworth Field

The battle of Bosworth Field is the climactic event that cost Richard III his life - after a reign of tyranny and murder, Richard falls to the rising star Henry of Richmond, who later becomes Henry VII and founds the Tudor dynasty.
6. In yet another battle scene, a female fighter literally calls up fiends from hell to try and fight her enemies of the English Lancastrian line, saying "Now, ye familiar spirits, that are cull'd/Out of the powerful regions under earth/Help me this once, that France may get the field." Which of these women, a powerful legendary figure, raises this incantation?

Answer: Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was a legendary French fighter during the Hundred Years War, and she appears in "Henry VI Part I" as an antagonistic semi-supernatural force against the English. She is a powerful being, but resorts to demonic support and ultimately fails in her anti-English quest.
7. Not all prayers and invocations are serious - in "Romeo and Juliet," Mercutio jokingly "conjures" his friend using all the proper tropes of a magical incantation, using a woman's "parts" as invocatory tools to "summon" the man he's looking for, just as one would summon a demon. Which character is Mercutio trying to summon?

Answer: Romeo

Mercutio uses Rosaline (Romeo's first love interest) and her various appealing parts as a way to summon Romeo to him. Benvolio argues that being so blasphemous, not to mention hypersexualized, will only make Romeo angry, but Mercutio laughs off this suggestion, saying he's just trying to get his friend's attention.

But even this joking moment is stated as a parody of a conjuration - oh Mercutio!
8. It's not only humans who use prayer and invocation - in "Midsummer Night's Dream", a group of fairies sing a protective prayer for their queen beginning with "You spotted snakes with double tongue, Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen." What is the name of their queen, who they are hoping is not disturbed by creepy crawlies while asleep?

Answer: Titania

Titania is the fairy queen in "Midsummer", who is protected from creepy crawlies while sleeping, but unfortunately is not protected from Oberon, the powerful fairy king who enchants her in her sleep so she will fall in love with the first thing she meets. Shenanigans ensue, despite this protective enchantment.
9. In a late play, Shakespeare has a wizard character and his sidekick Ariel raise three Roman goddesses to bless a young couple (his daughter Miranda and a young man the wizard has helped match with her). Which play does this powerfully magical moment come from?

Answer: The Tempest

"The Tempest" features Prospero raising Iris, Ceres, and Juno (three goddesses whose strengths include fertility and family, among others) to bless the union of his daughter Miranda and the young prince Ferdinand. Prospero then gives up his powers.
10. This isn't a spoken incantation or prayer, but in "Titus Andronicus" the title character shoots arrows with pleas to the various Roman gods who he thinks can provide him with better justice than the emperor seems able to provide. Which Emperor are they trying to shame by insulting his justice?

Answer: Saturninus

Saturninus is the foolish Roman emperor who marries the treacherous Goth Queen and presides over a highly corrupt court, unable to see the cruelty and crime around him. Titus is a victim of much of this crime (and brings a good bit of it down on himself too - like any good tragic protagonist), and pleads for justice in vain, even to the gods.
Source: Author merylfederman

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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