Conundrum: Tetralogies
Shakespeare wrote two tetralogies of history plays. The First Tetralogy consists of the three Henry VI plays and Richard III. The Second Tetralogy is set before these (like the second Star Wars trilogy is set before the first one) and consists of Richard II, Henry IV Part One, Henry IV Part Two, and Henry V. Today’s Conundrum questions are about these tetralogies.
1. Name a character who appears in three plays in one of the tetralogies, and another Shakespeare play outside of the tetralogies.
2. Name a character who appears in all four plays in a single tetralogy.
3. Name a character who appears in both tetralogies.
4. Name a character who appears in Richard II and Henry V, but neither Henry IV play.
UPDATE: All four questions answered correctly by Micah. See comments for answers.
May 20th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Hey, I actually know this. It helps that I just finished watching An Age of Kings.
1. Bardolph appears in all the plays in the Second Tetralogy except Richard II, and Merry Wives of Windsor.
2. Queen Margaret appears in all the plays in the First Tetralogy.
3. Humphrey of Gloucester and John of Bedford, two of Henry V’s brothers, appear in both tetralogies.
4. Isn’t the Aumerle of Richard II the same character as the Duke of York who dies in Henry V?
May 20th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Wow. I have to see An Age of Kings.
Micah, you are four for four. Very impressive!
1. Bardolph is the answer I had in mind. I would also have accepted Mistress Quickly, who appears in the same four plays.
2. Margaret is the answer I had in mind. I would also have accepted her husband, Henry VI, who makes a cameo as a ghost in a dream sequence in Richard III.
3. Gloucester and Bedford are both good answers. The answer I had in mind was Mortimer.
4. He is indeed. I thought this would be the stumper. Nice work!