How to Cite Quotes From a Play Using MLA Format

The Modern Language Association is an authority on documentation style, and its rules are the preferred form of writing for most English research papers. Citing sources within your text in MLA format is slightly different for plays than the usual book citation. It is more important for a citation to include act and scene number than a page number, though both are required. Remember to include a full source in your works cited list. Your cited source follows rules similar to those for regular books.

Instructions

  1. Quotes

    • 1

      Type quotation marks around short quotes of one to three lines, following the MLA rules for punctuation. If the quote is in the middle of a sentence, put a comma before the first quotation mark.

    • 2

      Type the author's name followed by act number in parenthesis after your quote. Put a period, the scene number, and another period and add the line number from the scene. For example, "And I take the sardines. No, I leave the sardines. No I take the sardines" (Frayn 1.1.15).

    • 3

      Put your punctuation for the whole sentence after the citation parenthesis. For example, "It's no good you going on. I can't open sardines and answer the phone" (Frayn 1.1.39-40).

    • 4

      Indent your quote 1 inch from the left if dialogue appears between two characters or the quote is longer than three lines. Write the name of the character in all capital letters, followed by a period.

    • 5

      Type a new character's name with a new line in your text. Use stage directions exactly as they appear in your text between lines of dialogue.

    Works Cited List

    • 6

      Structure your citation source by author's last name, then first after a comma. Type a period after the name. Follow this with an italicized title and a period. Include the translator if appropriate, prefaced by "Trans." and ending with another period.

    • 7

      Name the edition of your work. Add the city of the publishing house, followed by a colon. Name the publishing house followed by a comma and give the copyright date. End with a period.

    • 8

      Type the italicized anthology name after the name of the play if the play is part of an anthology. Put the name of the play in quotes. Give the editor's name after the title prefaced by "Ed." and followed by a period.

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