Vanquished Trivia Quiz

Answer:

In Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar", the titular character's murder is a political execution staged as a ritual, a betrayal, and a psychological collapse in one fell swoop. He is stabbed by 7 men: Casca, Cassius, Cinna, Decius Brutus, Metellus Cimber, Brutus, and Ligarius. Trebonius is also part of this coup but does not stab Caesar as he is keeping Mark Antony away from the Senate chamber. These are the eight conspirators Shakespeare selected to dramatize from roughly 60 real-life historical plotters in Caesar's demise. Brutus advises the conspirators to be "sacrificers, but not butchers", endeavoring to turn the murder into a ritualistic cleansing of Rome. Caesar's ultimate collapse happens when he recognizes Brutus among his attackers, veering from fierce resistance to complete surrender.

"Macbeth" features the murders of Banquo, King Duncan, and Lady Macduff. Macbeth plans an ambush and manipulates three hired assassins to kill Banquo, fearing Banquo knows too much (having witnessed the witches' prophecy), and having a "royalty of nature" - the one thing Macbeth lacks. Banquo is stabbed repeatedly and dies in Act 3, Scene 3. Macbeth kills Duncan while Duncan is sleeping, stabbing him with daggers in his sleep. Lady Macduff is murdered in the same fashion as Banquo, with Macbeth hiring killers anonymously. Having expanded his targets of assassination to include women and children, Macbeth reveals his final moral collapse. Lady Macduff's son is stabbed by the murderers first, then she is chased offstage and murdered herself.

Hamlet stabs Polonius through the curtain in Gertrude's chamber, thinking he's striking Claudius, marking the only major accidental murder in "Hamlet". This trigger's Ophelia's madness and drowning by suicide. Gertrude is murdered by Claudius, unintentionally, through a poisoned cup he intended for Hamlet. Her death does mirror Hamlet's murder, as he is also killed by Laertes' poison-tipped rapier through Claudius's orchestrations. Lucianus murders Gonzago by pouring poison into Gonzago's ears in Hamlet's play-within-the-play.

In "Othello", Othello smothers Desdemona, suffocating her because he is convinced she has been unfaithful with Cassio. Iago kills his wife, Emilia, in "Othello". He stabs her because she refuses to be silent about Iago having orchestrated the murder of Desdemona.

"Titus Andronicus" features the murders of Lavina, Chiron, and Demetrius. Titus Andronicus kills his daughter Lavina, considering it an act of mercy because he believes she cannot live with the shame and suffering of being raped and mutilated by Chiron and Demetrius. He kills her in front of the entire court. Titus also kills Chiron and Demetrius, avenging Lavina. These murders are often staged as stabbing or throat-cutting, and he bakes their flesh into a pie to serve to their mother, Tamora.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester (the future Richard III), murders King Henry VI in "Henry VI, Part 3". Richard enters Henry VI's prison cell in the Tower of London and stabs him.

The Duke of Clarence is killed by two hired murderers sent by Richard, Duke of Gloucester in "Richard III". The murderers awaken Clarence while he is sleeping, imprisoned in the Tower of London. They stab him and drown him in a butt of Malmsey wine.

Of the five characters in this list that were not murdered, Ophelia as mentioned above drowned herself in "Hamlet", Romeo and Juliet both die by suicide in "Romeo and Juliet" - Romeo drinking poison believing Juliet is dead, and Juliet stabbing herself after finding Romeo is dead. Brutus dies by suicide, stabbing himself with his own sword after a defeat Philippi in "Julius Caesar". And Enobarbus dies of grief and guilt in "Antony and Cleopatra".