Tragedy! Trivia Quiz

Answer:

"The Lamentable Tragedie of Titus Andronicus" (c. 1588-1593) is considered a "revenge" play. It is thought that Shakespeare was trying to emulate the often-violent "revenge" plays that were popular at the time. The plot centers on a Roman general, Titus Andronicus, and how he seeks revenge and is the target of revenge multiple times.

"The Tragedie of Romeo and Juliet" (c. 1591-1595) is arguably the best known of all of Shakespeare's plays of any type. Young Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet meet and immediately fall in love. The problem is that their families are engaged in a long-standing feud in Verona, Italy. Though popular opinion considers the story to be a romance, the deaths of the title characters aren't even the majority of deaths in the story.

In "The Tragedie of Iulius Caesar (c. 1599), Julius Caesar is the last surviving member of Rome's First Triumvirate. Though Julius Caesar is the title character, he is killed with two acts plus of the play to go. The story really focuses on the seemingly-reluctant conspirator, Marcus Junius Brutus, highlighting his thought processes and actions. Quite a number of well-known and lesser-known Romans also appear in this story.

"The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark" (c. 1599-1601) is our next play. First of all, another word for a small village is a hamlet. Hamlet's Uncle Claudius has killed Hamlet's father and married Hamlet's mother and claimed the throne. Hijinks ensue. Well, not really hijinks, but some great drama and soaring language including "To be or not to be..."

"The Tragedy (or History) of Troilus and Cressida" (c. 1602) is set in Troy during the Trojan War. Of course the two come from different sides--Troilus for the Trojans and Cressida for the Greeks. Their story veers from bawdy comedy to pathetic tragedy. The story doesn't just focus on the two ill-fated lovers but encompasses the Trojan War as a whole.

The story of "The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice" (c. 1603), which centers around the Moorish general Othello, his wife Desdemona, and his treacherous lieutenant, Iago, is a story of deception and betrayal. The story also grants a rare look at how Shakespeare handles the issue of race. A popular play, the story has been adapted numerous times for stage and screen.

In "The Tragedy of King Lear" (c. 1605-1606), King Lear of ancient Britain has decided to retire and divide his kingdom between several of his children. How the children respond to Lear and how Lear responds to the children does much to describe the plot forward. Along the way, the story explores madness and human nature.

In "The Tragedy of Macbeth" (c. 1606), Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis--pushed by the ambition of his wife--kills Duncan, King of Scotland, and claims the throne. In the play, Macbeth's rule lasts a number of months. In real life, he ruled for nearly twenty years and was briefly survived by his stepson. Among the theatrical crowd, it is considered bad luck to directly state the play's title and it is often described as "The Scottish Play".

In "The Life of Timon of Athens" (c. 1606), Timon, a wealthy lord of Greece, gains a reputation for giving and generosity. The generosity, however, is not truly thoughtful, but almost excessive and unnecessary. After he dissipates his wealth, Timon finds his "friends" are not nearly so generous. Timon ends his life as a poor and bitter misanthrope.

"The Tragedy of Anthonie, and Cleopatra" (c. 1607) focuses on Marc Antony, a former lieutenant of Julius Caesar, and Cleopatra Selene, the last Pharaoh of Egypt. In addition, the story tells of the conflict between Antony and Octavian Caesar and the beginnings of the Roman Empire. Rome and Egypt are the two primary settings of the storyline.

"Coriolanius" (c.1605-1608) focuses on a Roman general who first defeats the Voscians then finds himself allying with them, before being double crossed. The story is set during the early days of the Roman Republic. This play is considered one of the final works of Shakespeare.

Please note that the word "tragedy" changes in the titles of the plays over the years.