The Tempest Challenge Quiz
The Tempest by William Shakespeare · 8 multiple-choice questions with answers · about 6 min
Test your knowledge of The Tempest with 8 challenge questions with answers and explanations — the hardest questions — exam-style thinking. Ideal for revision once you have read the whole play.
The hardest questions — exam-style thinking. Drawn from the whole play — contains spoilers.
Skills tested: Language, Theme, Character, Inference · Difficulty: Challenge
The Tempest Challenge questions
The answers and an explanation for each question appear as you play, and on the answer-key page of the printout.
- Caliban says his profit from learning language is that he knows how to curse. What is he pointing to?
He cannot learn any words but curses · Miranda taught him only to swear · He prefers his mother's language · Education has served his masters, not him
- What does Trinculo's first thought on finding Caliban - that he could show him for money in England - suggest?
Trinculo plans to free Caliban later · Caliban is famous in Naples already · Europeans see the islander as a curiosity · England has outlawed such shows
- Caliban's speech beginning 'the isle is full of noises' surprises many readers. Why?
It is the only speech he ever gives in prose · He reveals here that he can perform magic · The 'monster' speaks some of the play's finest verse · He speaks it to Prospero as an apology
- In 'Our revels now are ended', what does Prospero say about the world itself?
It will be restored once he returns home · It will dissolve like the vanished masque · It is ruled by fortune and by stars · It can be mastered by enough study
- What prompts Prospero to choose forgiveness over revenge?
Gonzalo begs him on his knees to forgive · Miranda threatens to leave him for ever · Ariel says he would pity them, were he human · Alonso offers him the crown of Naples
- What finally drives the resolution of the play?
Alonso's victory over Antonio in battle · Prospero's choice to forgive his enemies · Caliban's confession of his plot · Ariel's refusal to obey any more
- Prospero says of Caliban, 'this thing of darkness I acknowledge mine'. What might this admit?
That Caliban is his long-lost son · That he plans to take Caliban to Milan · That Caliban was right all along · Some responsibility for what Caliban has become
- What is the 'tempest' of the title, beyond the storm itself?
A war about to break out across Italy · The inner turmoil Prospero stirs and feels · Caliban's fury at losing his island · Miranda's grief for her lost mother
More The Tempest practice: all The Tempest quizzes · characters quiz · themes quiz · plot recall quiz · read The Tempest free
Original questions written for Pagine. Quotations are from the public-domain text.
Frequently asked questions
Is this The Tempest Challenge quiz free?
Yes. All 8 questions are free with answers and explanations. Play online with instant feedback, or print it as a test with an answer key — no sign-up needed.
What does the The Tempest Challenge quiz cover?
8 challenge questions drawn from every part of The Tempest. The hardest questions — exam-style thinking. It tests language, theme, character, inference at challenge level.
Does it contain spoilers?
Yes — it draws on the whole play, including the ending.
Can I use it with a class?
Yes. Print it with the answer key for a reading check, homework or revision lesson, or share the link so students can take it online.
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