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Modernizing Shakespeare Trivia Quiz

Many people find Shakespeare difficult to read, so here is a quiz on just a few Shakespeare plays that have been made into easier to follow movies.

A multiple-choice quiz by bookworm78. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
bookworm78

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
203,276

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
1610

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. "The Taming of the Shrew" is a story about a younger daughter who can't marry until her shrewish older sister does. What 1999 film updates this classic, even keeping many character names the same? Hint

Bring It On

Clueless

10 Things I Hate About You

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

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Question 2 of 10

2. In the modern version of "Taming of the Shrew", what is the name of the high school the main stars attend? Hint

Padua High School

Verona High School

Venice High School

Napels High School

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Question 3 of 10

3. Julia Stiles stars in the 2001 adaptation of "Othello". What is the one letter title of this movie?

Answer: (One Letter)

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Question 4 of 10

4. "Romeo + Juliet" is the typical Shakespeare play, complete with the star-crossed lovers' deaths at the end. But it is different as it uses the Shakespearean language in a very modern setting, substituting guns for swords and daggers. Who plays the roles of Romeo and Juliet in this movie? Hint

Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst

Ben Affleck and Kate Winslet

Jake Gyllenhall and Julia Stiles

Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes

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Question 5 of 10

5. The Shakespeare play "Romeo and Juliet" opens with the narrator giving a synopsis of what is about to happen. In Baz Luhrmann's modern version, how was this portrayed? Hint

high school students reading a play

newspaper article

college lecture

news report on TV

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Question 6 of 10

6. 1999 was the year of a somewhat modernized "A Midsummer Night's Dream". It was set in the late nineteenth century when an adaptation of a device makes it popular item for both men and women. What was this device? Hint

watches

telephone

bicycle

spyglass

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Question 7 of 10

7. Who plays the part of Nick Bottom in the 1999 version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream"? Hint

Sam Rockwell

Bill Irwin

Roger Rees

Kevin Kline

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Question 8 of 10

8. "Hamlet" is one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. More than 50 versions are listed at imdb.com. Who played Hamlet in the modern version from 2000? Hint

Kenneth Branagh

Campbell Scott

Mel Gibson

Ethan Hawke

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Question 9 of 10

9. In 1996, a version of "Twelfth Night" was released, modernizing the story a bit and bringing it into the 19th Century, specifically the Victorian Era. Who of the following is NOT in this movie? Hint

Ben Kingsley

Helena Bonham Carter

Sophie Marceau

Imogen Stubbs

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Question 10 of 10

10. Though not modern, what 1998 film depicts the story of how Shakespeare came to write the play "Romeo and Juliet"? Hint

The Triumph of Love

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

Elizabeth

Shakespeare in Love

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: 10 Things I Hate About You

Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik) can't date until her sister Kat (Julia Stiles) does. Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) wants to date Bianca and arranges to have Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) date the "mean" Kat. The movie also stars David Krumholtz, Susan May Pratt, Andrew Keegan and Larry Miller.

2. In the modern version of "Taming of the Shrew", what is the name of the high school the main stars attend?

Answer: Padua High School

Padua is, of course, the city where "The Taming of the Shrew" takes place. For a more traditional movie, check out the 1967 version starring Elizabeth Taylor. For a more comical version, try to get your hands on the episode of TV show "Moonlighting" entitled "Atomic Shakespeare".

3. Julia Stiles stars in the 2001 adaptation of "Othello". What is the one letter title of this movie?

Answer: O

"O" stars Mekhi Phfifer as Odin, the only black student at a prep school. Desi (Stiles) is his girlfriend and Hugo (Josh Hartnett) is his best friend. Hugo is jealous of Odin and in love with Desi. "O" also stars Andrew Keegan and Rain Phoenix as Michael and Emily.

Answer: Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes

This stunning Baz Luhrmann creation blends the line between Elizabethean and modern. Though the words are strange to modern ears, the 20th century images help the audience better follow the story. It also stars Dash Mihok, Jamie Kennedy, John Leguizamo and Harold Perrineau Jr.

5. The Shakespeare play "Romeo and Juliet" opens with the narrator giving a synopsis of what is about to happen. In Baz Luhrmann's modern version, how was this portrayed?

Answer: news report on TV

By making the introduction a news report, and the synopsis at the end, it not only throws the show immediately into the 20th century, but it is also a good explanation for why the end of the play is given away at the beginning.

Answer: bicycle

The movie starts out with this trivia about bicycles. In the course of the movie, the people ride their bikes off into the woods, Demetrius (Christian Bale) chasing Lysander (Dominic West) and Hermia (Anna Friel). Demetrius is, in turn, chased by Helena (Calista Flockhart).

They get tangled in the plot of King Oberon (Rupert Everett) and his henchman Puck (Stanley Tucci) against Queen Titania (Michelle Pfeiffer).

7. Who plays the part of Nick Bottom in the 1999 version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream"?

Answer: Kevin Kline

Sam Rockwell plays Flute, Roger Rees plays Quince and Bill Irwin plays Snout. Kevin Kline's Nick Bottom joins them and Gregory Jbara as Snug in a play within a play, which is one of the funniest parts of "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

8. "Hamlet" is one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. More than 50 versions are listed at imdb.com. Who played Hamlet in the modern version from 2000?

Answer: Ethan Hawke

Mel Gibson starred in the 1990 version of "Hamlet". Kenneth Branagh directed and starred in his 4 hour version from 1996. Campbell Scott was in a 2000 made for TV version. Ethan Hawke's 2000 modern version of "Hamlet" is set in New York and deals with the murder of a company CEO, but follows the same classic Shakespeare storyline.

Answer: Sophie Marceau

Sophie Marceau played the part of Hippolyta in 1999's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Helena Bonham Carter plays the part of Olivia, Imogen Stubbs plays Viola and Ben Kingsley plays Feste. "Twelfth Night" also stars Nigel Hawthorne, Mel Smith and Richard E. Grant.

10. Though not modern, what 1998 film depicts the story of how Shakespeare came to write the play "Romeo and Juliet"?

Answer: Shakespeare in Love

I know it is not modern, but this movie made me really understand, for the first time, what "Romeo and Juliet" was really about. It is not a real story, but it makes a lot of sense. "Shakespeare in Love" won an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1998. Gwyneth Paltrow also won an Academy Award for Best Actress that year for her part as Viola.

It also starred Joseph Fiennes as Shakespeare and co-starred Geoffrey Rush, Judi Dench, Colin Firth and Ben Affleck, to name a few.

Source: Author bookworm78

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