Trivia Quiz on 18th Century Literature
Updated: Tuesday, November 25, 2025
A ready-made literature and history quiz that you can use in virtual and in-person events (Zoom, Teams, YouTube Live, Twitch, conferences, meetings, classrooms, etc.)
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A brisk multiple-choice quiz exploring key authors, characters, and works of 18th-century literature. Perfect for testing literary knowledge and sparking discussion in social or classroom settings.
Dive into an 18-question trivia dedicated to the writers, characters, and satirical spark of 18th-century literature. This quiz covers major figures and works — from Swift, Defoe, and Pope to Voltaire and Boswell — with accessible multiple-choice questions that suit both casual players and literature buffs. It’s designed to be duplicated and launched instantly for live or online play: ideal for book-club nights, classroom warm-ups, virtual happy hours, history nights, or streaming events on platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, YouTube Live, Twitch, Kick and more. A few questions enable leaderboards for friendly competition, while the rest keep the pace lively and informative, making it simple to engage participants and spark conversation about the age’s themes, satire, and storytelling.
1. Who wrote "To err is human to forgive divine"
A) John Dryden
B) Alexander Pope essay on criticism
C) William Wordsworth
D) Samuel Johnson
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2. The author of Moll Flanders wrote which more famous work
A) A Journal of the Plague Year
B) Robinson Crusoe
C) Roxana
D) Captain Singleton
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3. Name the first ship from which Gulliver was shipwrecked in 'Gulliver's Travels'
A) Sea Venture
B) Endeavour
C) Antelope
D) Hopewell
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4. In what literary work would you find the yahoos
A) Moby-Dick
B) The Odyssey
C) Don Quixote
D) Gulliver's Travels
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5. Which Daniel Defoe character was born in Newgate Prison
A) Robinson Crusoe
B) Captain Singleton
C) Moll Flanders
D) Colonel Jack
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6. In addition to writing novels, Jonathan Swift also wrote social and philosophical commentary. In one satirical piece, "A Modest Proposal," what did he suggest should be made out of the skin of children?
A) Gloves
B) Shoes
C) Handkerchiefs
D) Belts
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7. What profession had Lemual Gulliver when he was shipwrecked
A) Captain
B) Navigator
C) Carpenter
D) Ships surgeon
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8. In Gulliver's Travels, what is the name of the flying island inhabited by scientific theorists
A) Lilliput
B) Balnibarbi
C) Laputa
D) Glubbdubdrib
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9. Who created the fictional character 'Tristram Shandy'?
A) Jonathan Swift
B) Charles Dickens
C) Jane Austen
D) Laurence Stern
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10. How was Tristram Shandy (fictional character) circumcised
A) By a barber-surgeon using a lancet
B) During infancy by a physician in a routine procedure
C) In infancy during a misadventure with a surgical instrument
D) A Sash window fell on it
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11. In Gulliver's Travels, from what did the scientists seek to get sunshine
A) Turnips
B) Lettuce
C) Cucumbers
D) Radishes
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12. Whose Dictionary of the English language was published in 1755
A) Noah Webster
B) Robert Cawdrey
C) Samuel johnson
D) James Murray
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13. In Gulliver's Travels name the flying island
A) Balnibarbi
B) Glubbdubdrib
C) Luggnagg
D) Laputa
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14. Who wrote the satire Candide published in 1759
A) Voltaire
B) Jonathan Swift
C) Denis Diderot
D) Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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15. In Swifts Gullivers Travels What Is Gullivers Profession
A) Physician
B) Navigator
C) Cartographer
D) Surgeon
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16. What Was The Name Of William Wordworths Sister
A) Mary
B) Elizabeth
C) Ann
D) Dorothy
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17. Who Wrote Gullivers Travels
A) Jonathan Swift
B) Daniel Defoe
C) Charles Dickens
D) Jane Austen
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18. Whose Life Was The Subject Of James Boswell's Biography, Published In 1791
A) Jonathan Swift
B) Alexander Pope
C) William Shakespeare
D) Samuel Johnson
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