Citing in-text from a play (short quotation)
If the quote is only one line place quotation marks around the quote then in paraphrases include the author's last name, act.scene.line. If the play is not divided into acts, scenes and lines then cite the page number in the paraphrases.
Example: "This is a sorry sight" (Shakespeare 2.2.26).
If the quote is two or three lines then place a forward slash between each line.
Example: "Come, you spirits / That tend on my mortal thoughts, unsex me here" (Shakespeare 1.5.46).
Citing in-text from a play (long quotation)
When quoting a conversation between two or more characters in a play, indent 1/2 an inch from the left margin then begin with the character's name in all capital letters and follow the name with a period. Do the same for each character.
Example:
HE. You saw nothing in Hiroshima. Nothing.....
SHE. I saw everything. Everything.. The hospital, for
instance, I saw it. I'm sure I did. There is a hospital
in Hiroshima. How could I help seeing it?....
HE: You did not see the hospital in Hiroshima. You saw
nothing in Hiroshima. (Dura 15-17)
Citing Prose Plays vs Verse Plays
When citing prose plays, use the page number first, followed by a semicolon and then other identifying information (e.g. Miller 9; Act 1). When citing verse plays with line numbers provided, use those instead of page numbers, separating division numbers with a period.
Citing a play published as a book
When citing a play in a bibliography first place the playwrights last name then first, the title of the play should be italics, then add the publisher and publication year.
Example: Shakespeare, William. Macbeth, Bedford/St. Martins, 1999.
Citing a play in an anthology
When citing a play from an anthology first cite the playwright, name of the play in italics, the name of the anthology also in italics, who the anthology was edited by then the publisher, publication year and page numbers.
Example:
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. William Shakespeare: The Complete Works, edited by _____Stanley Well et al., Oxford University Press, 1998, pp. 2501-2565.
The et al. is included when three or more contributors perform the same function.
Citing a play from a database
When citing from a database use the author's last and first name, the title of the play in italics, the name of the publisher, the publication year, the name of the database in italics and then the link to the database.
Example:
Shakespeare, William, et al. Macbeth. Yale University Press, 2005. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1nq91p.
Citing a play published as an eBook
When citing as an eBook use the author's last and first name, the title of the play in italics, then put the word "e-book" or if you have used a specific device then replace "e-book" with "[App/Service] ed.". Then use with the name of the publisher, the publication year.
Example: Shakespeare, William. The Winter's Tale, Kindle ed., Simon & Schuster, 2016.
Citing a play from web site
When citing as a play use the author's last and first name, the title of the play in italics, the name of the website in italics and web site link.
Example: Shakespeare, William. As You Like It, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, ______________http://shakespeare.mit.edu/asyoulikeit/index.html
Modern Language Association of America. MLA Handbook. Eighth ed. 2016. Print.
"MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications)." Purdue Writing Lab, https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_electronic_sources.html
Citing prose vs verse plays is from this library guide: https://rdc.libguides.com/c.php?g=529924&p=3624428
Visit the Purdue Owl
