> Student Resources> Shakespeare FAQ> FAQ: Shakespeare's Works

What was the influence of Commedia Dell Arte on The Taming of the Shrew?
What was the influence of Commedia Dell Arte on The Taming of the Shrew?

How many quarto editions of Richard III were printed?
How many quarto editions of Richard III were printed?

Study Questions for Macbeth
Some common questions with detailed answers to help students understand Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Why did Shakespeare use so much blood imagery in his play Macbeth?
Blood has both symbolic and literal meaning in Macbeth, and so it is one of the major motifs throughout the play.

Are Shakespeare's Works in Old English?
A look at Old English, Middle English, and Early Modern English, which is the language of Shakespeare.

Language of Hell: Shakespeare's Weird Sisters
They commence their incantations, chanting in tones wild and unearthly, and heard only during the intervals of a thunder-storm...

Iambic Pentameter
Everything you need to know about Shakespeare's primary meter: iambic pentameter.

Shakespeare's Seven Ages of Man
In which play would you find the passage on the seven ages of man?

Hamlet's Slings and Arrows
In Hamlet's third soliloquy, what is the meaning of the phrase, "slings and arrows"?

Heebie-jeebies: The Curse of Macbeth
A look at the unlucky Scottish play "Macbeth" and why actors fear it so.

Trochaic Tetrameter in Shakespeare
A look at the meter of poetry known as trochaic tetrameter, and how Shakespeare uses it in the enchanted speech of his magical characters.

Shakespeare and Tennis Balls
Tennis balls are significant in which Shakespearean play?

How Many Pays Did Shakespeare Write?
How many plays did Shakespeare actually write? Tough question! Find out why...

Popularity of Much Ado About Nothing
Was "Much Ado About Nothing" popular in Shakespeare's day?

The Three Apparitions in Macbeth
A look at the three apparations shown to Macbeth by the Three Weird Sisters.

Shakespeare and the Green-Eyed Monster
In which play does Shakespeare mention the "green-eyed monster"?

The Murder of Hamlet's Father
How does Hamlet's father die? Who kills him? Find out...

King Lear's Wife
Where is King Lear's wife? Is she mentioned in the play?

Hamlet Goes to School
Where was Hamlet studying before he returned to Denmark?

Shakespeare's History Plays
How many history plays did Shakespeare write?

Authorship of Titus Andronicus
Could someone other than Shakespeare have penned "Titus Andronicus"? It is so unlike Shakespeare's other dramas.

Alternate title of King Henry VIII
Does "Henry VIII" have an alternate title?

The Death of Queen Gertrude
In "Hamlet", how does Queen Gertrude die?

Shakespeare: Jaws of Death
In which play does Shakespeare mention "jaws of death"?

Shakespeare's Jolly Falstaff
In how many plays does Falstaff appear?

Shakespeare's Prince of Darkness
In which play would I find the line "the prince of darkness is a gentleman"?

Troilus and Cressida: Comedy or Tragedy?
Was Troilus and Cressida always classified as a comedy?

Shakespeare's Sources for The Winter's Tale
What was Shakespeare's primary source for The Winter's Tale?

Shakespeare's Bell, Book, and Candle
To what does "bell, book, and candle" refer in Shakespeare's "King John"?

Shakespeare's Ides of March
What are the "ides of March"?

Shakespeare, Henry VI, and The War of the Roses
The Henry VI plays revolve around which war? Find out...

Envy, Macbeth, and Malcolm
Why does Macbeth envy Duncan's son, Malcolm?

First Printing of Hamlet
When was the first printing of "Hamlet"? Let's see...

Which Shakespearean plays are classified as tragedies?
Which Shakespearean plays are classified as tragedies?

Which plays are classified as comedies?
Which plays are classified as comedies?

Which plays are considered romances?
Which plays are considered romances? Find out...

The Shakespeare Apocrypha
What is the Shakespeare Apocrypha?

Shakespeare's Shortest Play
Which is the shortest Shakespearean play?

Something is Rotten in the State of Denmark
Which character says, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark"?

Shakespeare's Longest Play
Which is the longest Shakespearean play?

The Death of Ophelia
How does Ophelia die in "Hamlet"?

Shakespeare and Valentine's Day
Does Shakespeare mention Valentine's Day? Find out...

Which male character has the most lines?
Which male character has the most lines? Find out...

The Merchant of Venice in Shakespeare's Day
Was "The Merchant of Venice" performed in Shakespeare's time?

Does Shakespeare mention any birds in his plays?
Does Shakespeare mention any birds in his plays?

Rhyming Lines in Shakespeare
Which play contains the most rhyming lines?

Saint Crispian's Day (Saint Crispin's Day)
In the movie "Renaissance Man", one of the soldiers recites a poem about Saint Crispian's Day. Where did the lines originate?

The Murder of Henry VI
In Shakespeare's "3 Henry VI", how does Henry VI die?

What is a headborough?
What is a headborough? Find out...

Shall I Die?
Did Shakespeare write a poem called, "Shall I Die?" Find out...

Henry Bolingbroke
Who was Henry Bolingbroke? Let's find out...

Richard Burbage and Richard III: William the Conqueror was before Richard the Third!
Did Richard Burbage ever play Richard III? Find out...

Shakespeare's Rosalind
Rosalind is the heroine of which play?

First Printing of Love's Labour's Lost
When was Love's Labour's Lost first published? Find out...

Who was Dr. Simon Forman?
Who was Dr. Simon Forman and why is he so important? Find out...

Syracuse and Shakespeare
Which modern musical is based on "The Comedy of Errors"? Find out...

Does Shakespeare ever mention dogs?
Does Shakespeare ever mention man's best friend? Let's find out...

Shakespeare's Doctors
Are there any doctors in Shakespeare's plays? Find out...

Which female Shakespearean character has the most lines?
Which female Shakespearean character has the most lines? Find out!

How many of Shakespeare's plays are set in Italy?
How many of Shakespeare's plays are set in Italy? Find out!

Caliban... Cannibal?
Is "The Tempest" based on Montaigne's essay "On Cannibals"? Find out...

Does Lady Macbeth have a first name?
Does Lady Macbeth have a first name? Find out...

Macbeth: First Performance
The first recorded performance of Macbeth was in April, 1610. Find out more...

Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and Abraham Lincoln
“Macbeth” was Abraham Lincoln’s favorite play. The well-read president would often entertain guests by quoting his favorite passages. Eerily, less than a week before his assassination

daw
Henry VI Glossary - daw

Hefner, Polanski, and Macbeth
What do Heff, Polanski, and Shakespeare have in common? Find out...

This Sun of York
To what or whom does "this sun of York" refer in the opening lines of "Richard III"? Find out...

The Basilision Doron
Information on the Basilicon Doron and its relation to Shakespeare

Shakespeare's "Woman Scorned"?
Did Shakespeare write the famous line "like a woman scorned"? Fin out here...

To be or not to be
To be or not to be...

The world is my oyster
Did Shakespeare coin the phrase "the world is my oyster"?

Reasons for Macbeth
Did Shakespeare write Macbeth for a particular person? Find out...