To quote a play in MLA, cite the author and the division numbers, act, scene, and line, rather than a page number. For a play with numbered lines like Shakespeare, a citation looks like (Shakespeare 1.2.94–95): act 1, scene 2, lines 94 to 95. When you quote dialogue between characters, you set it off as a block and label each speaker in capital letters. Here is the full method.
The reason plays are cited differently from prose: line and scene numbers stay the same across every edition, while page numbers change from one printing to the next. Citing act.scene.line lets any reader find the passage in any copy.
How do you cite a play in MLA?
Use the author’s last name followed by the division numbers, separated by periods, from largest to smallest. For most plays that is act, scene, and line: (Shakespeare 1.2.94–95).
Separate each level with a period and use an en dash for a line range. If you have named the author in your sentence, the parenthetical needs only the numbers. The citation points to a full Works Cited entry for the play. For the general rules, see how to quote in MLA.
What if the play has no act or scene numbers?
Some modern plays are not divided into numbered acts and scenes. If the lines are numbered, cite by line, using the word “line” or “lines” the first time to make clear what the numbers mean: (Miller, lines 12–15). After you have established that, you can drop the word and give just the numbers.
If the play has neither line numbers nor act and scene divisions, fall back to the page number, the same as you would for prose. Use whatever stable division the edition provides, in order of preference: act.scene.line, then line, then page.
How do you quote dialogue between characters?
When you quote an exchange between two or more speakers, format it as a block quote. Start it on a new line, indent it half an inch, and write each character’s name in all capital letters followed by a period, then their line. If a character’s speech runs past one line, indent the continuation another half inch.
For example, set as a block:
HAMLET. To be, or not to be, that is the question.
HORATIO. My lord?
The block format with capitalized speaker names is what signals dialogue rather than a single quotation. For the mechanics of block quotes, see how to block quote.
How do you quote a single line versus a long passage?
For a short quote from one character, you can run it into your sentence with quotation marks and the citation after: Macbeth calls life “a tale told by an idiot” (5.5.26–27). For a passage longer than four lines, or any dialogue between speakers, switch to the indented block format with no quotation marks. The dividing line is the same four-line threshold used for prose in MLA. For where the citation goes relative to punctuation, see how to cite a quote.
FAQ
How do you cite a play in MLA?
By author and division numbers, not page: (Shakespeare 1.2.94–95) means act 1, scene 2, lines 94–95. Separate levels with periods.
How do you quote dialogue from a play?
Set it as a block quote, indented half an inch, with each speaker’s name in capital letters followed by a period before their line.
What if a play has no line numbers?
Cite by page number instead, the same as prose. Use whatever stable division the edition provides: act.scene.line first, then line, then page.
Do you use a page number when quoting Shakespeare?
No. Use act, scene, and line numbers, which are consistent across editions, rather than the page, which changes between printings.
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