Q 01/05

Which Latin phrase does John Keating whisper to his class beside photos of long-dead pupils in Dead Poets Society?

A) Tempus fugit

B) Carpe diem

C) Memento mori

D) Veni, vidi, vici

Answer · why

B) Carpe diem

Carpe diem comes from an ode the Roman poet Horace published around 23 BC. A more literal translation than the usual one is pluck the day, as if the m...

Q 02/05

Where do the boys of the revived Dead Poets Society sneak off after dark to read poems aloud to each other?

A) A lakeside boathouse

B) The chapel crypt

C) A disused barn

D) An old Indian cave

Answer · why

D) An old Indian cave

An old Indian cave was where Keating's own generation of the club had met as students. The interior seen on screen was a set built inside a warehouse.

Q 03/05

In Dead Poets Society, what must Keating's class do with a textbook introduction that rates poems by formula?

A) Rip the pages out

B) Learn it by heart

C) Rewrite it as a sonnet

D) Cross it out in ink

Answer · why

A) Rip the pages out

Rip the pages out is the order, because Keating rejects the idea that a poem's worth can be measured. The essay he condemns is the book's preface, tit...

Q 04/05

In Dead Poets Society, why does John Keating make his students take turns standing on top of his desk?

A) To cure their stage fright

B) To practise public speaking

C) To see things differently

D) To mock the headmaster

Answer · why

C) To see things differently

To see things differently is the lesson, a reminder to keep looking at life from a fresh angle. The classroom was a replica built on a soundstage, not...

Q 05/05

In Dead Poets Society, Neil Perry defies his father to act in which Shakespeare comedy?

A) A Midsummer Night's Dream

B) The Merry Wives of Windsor

C) Much Ado About Nothing

D) The Taming of the Shrew

Answer · why

A) A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream gives Neil the role of Puck, the mischievous fairy. Keating and the rest of the society are in the audience for his opening ...