Monday, April 27, 2026


🚀 50 Important MCQs on William Shakespeare for Competitive Exams (UGC NET, BA, MA English)

 

🚀 50 Important MCQs on William Shakespeare for Competitive Exams (UGC NET, BA, MA English)

William Shakespeare is one of the most frequently asked authors in English literature exams. Questions are often based on his plays, sonnets, characters, and literary contributions.

This post provides 50 carefully selected MCQs with answers and explanations to help you score high.


📘 Quick Revision: Key Facts


Shakespeare MCQs (1–25)

1. Who is known as the “Bard of Avon”?

A. John Milton
B. William Wordsworth
C. William Shakespeare
D. Geoffrey Chaucer
Answer: C


2. William Shakespeare was born in:

A. 1550
B. 1564
C. 1575
D. 1600
Answer: B


3. Which of the following is a tragedy?

A. Twelfth Night
B. Macbeth
C. As You Like It
D. The Tempest
Answer: B


4. Hamlet is set in:

A. Italy
B. England
C. Denmark
D. France
Answer: C


5. Who is the wife of Macbeth?

A. Desdemona
B. Cordelia
C. Lady Macbeth
D. Ophelia
Answer: C


6. “To be, or not to be” is from:

A. Othello
B. Macbeth
C. Hamlet
D. King Lear
Answer: C


7. Othello is a:

A. Comedy
B. Tragedy
C. History
D. Romance
Answer: B


8. Who kills Duncan?

A. Banquo
B. Macbeth
C. Malcolm
D. Macduff
Answer: B


9. The character Iago appears in:

A. Hamlet
B. Othello
C. Macbeth
D. King Lear
Answer: B


10. Shakespeare wrote:

A. 20 plays
B. 30 plays
C. 37 plays
D. 50 plays
Answer: C


(Continue…)


Shakespeare MCQs (26–50)

26. Who is the daughter of King Lear?

A. Juliet
B. Cordelia
C. Ophelia
D. Desdemona
Answer: B


27. The Merchant of Venice is a:

A. Tragedy
B. Comedy
C. History
D. Epic
Answer: B


28. Shylock is a character in:

A. Othello
B. Hamlet
C. Merchant of Venice
D. Macbeth
Answer: C


29. Who said “All the world’s a stage”?

A. Hamlet
B. Macbeth
C. Jaques
D. Lear
Answer: C


30. Romeo and Juliet is a:

A. Comedy
B. Tragedy
C. History
D. Epic
Answer: B


31. Juliet belongs to the:

A. Montague family
B. Capulet family
C. York family
D. Lancaster family
Answer: B


32. Shakespeare wrote how many sonnets?

A. 100
B. 120
C. 154
D. 200
Answer: C


33. “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” is from:

A. Sonnet 18
B. Sonnet 29
C. Sonnet 116
D. Sonnet 130
Answer: A


34. Who is Desdemona’s husband?

A. Hamlet
B. Othello
C. Macbeth
D. Lear
Answer: B


35. Who kills Othello?

A. Iago
B. Cassio
C. Himself
D. Desdemona
Answer: C


36. Banquo is a character in:

A. Hamlet
B. Macbeth
C. Othello
D. Lear
Answer: B


37. Ophelia appears in:

A. Macbeth
B. Hamlet
C. Othello
D. Lear
Answer: B


38. Who kills Hamlet?

A. Claudius
B. Laertes
C. Himself
D. Polonius
Answer: B


39. Shakespeare’s plays were performed in:

A. Globe Theatre
B. Royal Theatre
C. Oxford Theatre
D. London Hall
Answer: A


40. The Globe Theatre is in:

A. Paris
B. London
C. Rome
D. Venice
Answer: B


41. Which play features witches?

A. Hamlet
B. Macbeth
C. Othello
D. Lear
Answer: B


42. “Out, damned spot!” is said by:

A. Lady Macbeth
B. Juliet
C. Ophelia
D. Cordelia
Answer: A


43. Who is Hamlet’s father?

A. King Hamlet
B. Claudius
C. Polonius
D. Laertes
Answer: A


44. Who kills King Duncan?

A. Macbeth
B. Banquo
C. Macduff
D. Malcolm
Answer: A


45. As You Like It is a:

A. Comedy
B. Tragedy
C. History
D. Epic
Answer: A


46. Who is Rosalind?

A. Queen
B. Heroine
C. Villain
D. Servant
Answer: B


47. Shakespeare belonged to:

A. Romantic Age
B. Victorian Age
C. Elizabethan Age
D. Modern Age
Answer: C


48. Which play is a history play?

A. Hamlet
B. Henry V
C. Macbeth
D. Othello
Answer: B


49. Who is the villain in Othello?

A. Cassio
B. Iago
C. Brabantio
D. Roderigo
Answer: B


50. Shakespeare died in:

A. 1600
B. 1616
C. 1625
D. 1590
Answer: B


🎯 Exam Strategy for Shakespeare

✔ Focus on characters + quotes + genres
✔ Remember famous lines and speakers
✔ Practice sonnets + themes

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