how to format shakespeare quotes in an essay

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How to Cite Shakespeare

Last Updated: January 1, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Michelle Golden, PhD . Michelle Golden is an English teacher in Athens, Georgia. She received her MA in Language Arts Teacher Education in 2008 and received her PhD in English from Georgia State University in 2015. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 336,865 times.

Shakespeare’s works follow a unique citation method that is specific to them. All citations are done parenthetically, which means that they appear within the text of your paper inside parentheses. There is certain information that must be included in citations of plays, including the act, scene and line numbers. Format them properly so that your reader knows exactly where your quoted material comes from.

Including Parenthetical Citations

• Don’t use quotation marks for paraphrased material.

• Cite this quote as it appears in the original source, such as: Much Ado About Nothing (2.3.217–24).

Formatting Parenthetical Citations

• Separate each of these numbers with a period.

• Most modern scholars prefer using Arabic numbers, but both formats are acceptable. [5] X Research source
• Write upper-case Roman numerals (I, II, III, etc.) for the play’s act number. Use lower-case Roman numerals for the scene number (i, ii, iii, etc.). For example, (IV.ii.56–57).

• If the range of line numbers is under 100, write: 66–84.
• If the range of line numbers is over 100, write: 122–34.
• If the range of line numbers extends from under 100 to over 100, write: 90–104.
• Put an en dash between the line numbers. This dash is slightly longer than a hyphen but not as long as a dash.

• In MLA format, write: (Shakespeare 3.4.40)

• For example, the citation for a stage direction would read: 3.4.40.1. This means that the stage direction is at Line 1 after Line 40. [9] X Research source

• When citing fewer than four lines of verse, you will use quotation marks around the quoted material. Then write the parenthetical citation, and follow that with punctuation (a period, for example).
• When citing four or more lines, you will use a block quote. There are no quotation marks, and the ending punctuation (a period, for example) will go at the end of the last line. Then include the parenthetical citation.

Quoting Shakespeare in the Text

• Othello recalls, "Upon this hint I spake: / She lov'd me for the dangers I had pass'd, / And I lov'd her that she did pity them" (I.iii.166–168). In this option, you need to include quotation marks where the spoken passage begins.
• ”OTHELLO: Upon this hint I spake: / She lov'd me for the dangers I had pass'd, / And I lov'd her that she did pity them” (I.iii.166–168). In this option, include quotation marks before you name the character, since this is how the name appears in the text.

• For example, write: “OTHELLO: Upon this hint I spake: / She lov'd me for the dangers I had pass'd, / And I lov'd her that she did pity them” (I.iii.166–168). [13] X Research source
• If you are quoting prose, then omit the slash and instead use a comma.

• Indent one inch from the left margin. The entire block quote will be set apart from the rest of your paper. Indent every line of the block quote one inch from the left-hand margin.
• Omit quotation marks. Block quotes are set apart from the rest of your text. Therefore, you do not need to set them apart by using quotation marks. [16] X Research source
• For example: Hippolyta, I woo'd thee with my sword, And won thy love, doing thee injuries; But I will wed thee in another key, With pomp, with triumph and with revelling. (1.1.19–22)

• If you are quoting prose, then you don’t need to preserve the line breaks. These will differ depending on the publication in which the work appears.

• Indent one inch on the first line and include the first character’s name in capital letters. Follow the name with a period. Then add a space and start the character’s dialogue. When you need to start a new line, indent an additional ¼ inch (putting this line one and ¼ inches from the left margin).
• Start a new line when another character speaks. Again, put this character’s name in capital letters and follow it with a period. Add a space and start the character’s dialogue.
• Include the parenthetical citation at the very end of the dialogue block.
• For example: HAMLET. No, by the rood, not so: You are the queen, your husband's brother's wife: And--would it were not so!--you are my mother. QUEEN. Nay, then, I'll set those to you that can speak. (3.4.14-17)

Including a Works Cited Page

• Depending on the citation style, the works cited page may be called a “bibliography” or a “references” page.
• Don’t just list the play that you’re citing. You need to indicate the publication in which the play appears.
• Alphabetize the works cited page.
• Shakespeare, William. “The Comedy of Errors.” The Oxford Anthology of Tudor Drama. Ed. Greg Walker. Oxford, UK: Oxford U P, 2014. 682-722. Print.
• Shakespeare, William. Love Poems and Sonnets of William Shakespeare. New York: Doubleday, 1991. Print.
• Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Ed. Jill L. Levenson. New York: Oxford U P, 2000.
• Hamlet. By William Shakespeare. Dir. Dominic Dromgoole and Bill Buckhurs. Shakespeare's Globe, London. 25 April 2014. Performance.

• Each style is slightly different in terms of format. Follow one style for your entire paper.

• Align each entry on the left.

Community Q&A

• Italicize or underline the work’s title. It is important that you make the distinction in your paper between the title of a play and a character’s name. Many of these are one and the same, such as Richard III. [19] X Research source For example, for the title of the play, write: Macbeth . Do not underline or italicize if you are talking about the character of Macbeth. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/cite/
• ↑ http://drmarkwomack.com/mla-style/how-to-quote/quote-shakespeare/
• ↑ https://guides.library.duq.edu/c.php?g=983278&p=7124608
• ↑ https://libguides.css.edu/APA7thEd/APAFAQs
• ↑ https://bu.digication.com/wr100h2/Citation_Resources
• ↑ http://public.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/shakespeare/mla.html
• ↑ http://lib.pstcc.edu/c.php?g=106731&p=693753

About This Article

To cite Shakespeare, use parenthetical citations that include the act, scene, and line numbers at the end of the related passages. Be sure to cite both direct quotes and paraphrased sections! Remember to pull direct quotes from Shakespeare's original works rather than books about his works. When quoting a passage, always indicate which character is speaking by introducing them in your own writing, or including their name in capital letters at the beginning of the verse. To learn more from our English Ph.D. co-author, like how to include Shakespeare in a Works Cited page, keep reading the article! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Use Shakespeare Quotes

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You can make your essays interesting by adding a famous quote, and there is no source more illustrious than Shakespeare to quote! However, many students feel intimidated at the thought of quoting Shakespeare. Some fear that they may use the quote in the wrong context; others may worry about using the quote verbatim and missing the precise meaning, owing to the archaic Shakespearean expressions. Navigating these difficulties is possible, and your writing may be greatly enhanced if you use quotes from Shakespeare with skill and attribute the quotes correctly. 

Find the Right Shakespeare Quote

You can refer to your favorite resources, found in your school library, a public library, or your favorite content destinations on the Internet. With all theater quotations, make sure that you use a reliable source that gives you complete attribution, which includes the name of the author, the play title, the act , and the scene number.

Using the Quote

You will find that the language used in Shakespeare plays have archaic expressions that were used during the Elizabethan era . If you are unfamiliar with this language, you run the risk of not using the quote correctly. To avoid making mistakes, be sure to use the quote verbatim—in exactly the same words as in the original source.

Quoting From Verses and Passages

Shakespeare plays have many beautiful verses; it's up to you to find an appropriate verse for your essay. One way to ensure an impactful quote is to ensure that the verse you choose does not leave the idea unfinished. Here are some tips for quoting Shakespeare:

• If you are quoting verse and it runs longer than four lines, you must write the lines one below the other as you do when you write poetry. However, if the verse is one to four lines long, you should use the line division symbol (/) to indicate the beginning of the next line. Here is an example: Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, / Too rude, too boisterous; and it pricks like thorn ( Romeo and Juliet , Act I, Sc. 5, line 25).
• If you are quoting prose , then there is no need for line divisions. However, to effectively represent the quote, it is beneficial to first provide the contextual relevance of the quote and then proceed to quote the passage. Context helps your reader to understand the quote and to better grasp the message that you wish to convey by using that quote, but you should exercise caution when deciding how much information to supply. Sometimes students give a brief synopsis of the play to make their Shakespeare quote sound relevant to their essay, but it is better to provide short, focused background information. Here is a writing example in which a small amount of context, provided before a quote, improves its impact:

Miranda, daughter of Prospero, and the King of Naples' son, Ferdinand, are to get married. While Prospero is not optimistic about the arrangement, the couple, Miranda and Ferdinand, are looking forward to their union. In this quote, we see the exchange of viewpoints between Miranda and Prospero: "Miranda: How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, That has such people in't! Prospero: 'Tis new to thee." ( The Tempest , Act V, Sc. 1, lines 183–184)

Attribution

No formal Shakespeare quote is complete without its attribution. For a Shakespeare quote, you need to provide the play title, followed by act, scene, and, often, line numbers. It is a good practice to italicize the title of the play.

In order to ensure that the quote is used in the right context, it is important to reference the quote appropriately. That means you must mention the character's name who made the statement. Here is an example:

In the play Julius Caesar , the relationship of the husband-wife duo (Brutus and Portia), brings out the conniving nature of Portia, in startling contrast to Brutus' gentleness: "You are my true and honourable wife;/As dear to me as are the ruddy drops/That visit my sad heart." ( Julius Caesar , Act II, Sc. 1)

Length of the Quote

Avoid using long quotes. Long quotes dilute the essence of the point. In case you have to use a specific long passage, it is better to paraphrase the quote.

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Q. When citing a line from Shakespeare in an essay, I note the reference following the quotation. Do I include a bibliography with the cite, too?

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Was this helpful? Yes 21 No 12

Answered By: Katie Hutchison Last Updated: Dec 04, 2018     Views: 51151

Yes, you should do a bibliographic entry for the work as well.

Shakespearean citations look a little different than a typical in-text citation. Follow the below guidelines:

1. List the abbreviation for the title of the play you are citing. The MLA lists abbreviations for all plays; see the reference list of this article for more information. The abbreviation for the title of the play should appear in italics.

2. List the act, scene and lines that you are referring to. These should be separated by periods. Enclose your citation in parentheses. For example: (Mac. 1.3.14-17) refers to Act 1, Scene 3, Lines 14 to 17 of "Macbeth."

3. Omit the abbreviation for the title if the play you are referring to is clear from the context of your paper. In this case, the citation would simply appear as follows: (1.3.14-17)

4. Format your reference list entry in the following format: Author. Title of Play. Name of Editor. City of Publication, Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication. For example: Shakespeare, William. Macbeth . Ed. James Smith. Boston, English Play Press, 2010. Print. Be sure to italicize the name of the play.

1. List "Shakespeare" as the author's name, followed by a comma.

2. List the year of translation, followed by a comma, if translated. For example: trans. 2010,

3. List the act, scene, and lines you are citing, separated by periods. For example: 1.3.14-17

4. Enclose the entire citation within parentheses. For example: (Shakespeare, trans. 2010, 1.3.14-17). Only use this if the play you are citing is obvious and has been mentioned in your paper. If the play appears in the original Shakespearean English, you need only give the year of publication. In this case, omit "trans." from your citation. For example: (Shakespeare, 2010, 1.3.14-17).

5. Format your reference list entry in the following format: Author. (Year). Title. (Translator.). City, State of Publication: Publisher. (Original work published year). For example: Shakespeare, W. (2010). Macbeth. (B. Smith, Trans.). Boston, MA: English Play Press. (Original work published 1699). Be sure to italicize the name of the play. If the publication appears in the original Shakespearean, omit translation information from your citation. For example: Shakespeare, W. (2010). Macbeth. Boston, MA: English Play Press. (Original work published 1699).

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Comments (2)

• What should I do if I have multiple lines that are separate? For example, all in one sentence, I used a quote from act 1, scene 2, lines 67-68 and another from act 1, scene 2, lines 98-99. What would my in-text citation look like? by ai on May 11, 2022
• I think it should look like this: (1.2. 67-68, 98,99). Don’t quote me on this, I’m not too sure. by Helper on May 09, 2024

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A Guide to Citing Shakespeare in Academic Writing

• Nov 09, 2023
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Are you confident when it comes to citing Shakespeare? Shakespeare’s plays are so influential that many style guides have special rules for citing them. As a proofreader, you’ll need to look out for citations like these when working on academic writing and make sure they have been added correctly. 

If you’re not sure how to cite a play by Shakespeare accurately, don’t worry! In this blog post, we’ll set out the key rules for citing Shakespeare’s plays in some of the major referencing systems:

Keep reading to learn more.

How to Cite Shakespeare in MLA Style

MLA style recommends citing Shakespeare’s plays using act, scene, and line numbers rather than standard page numbers. For example:

A Midsummer Night’s Dream addresses love early on (Shakespeare 1.1.234–235).

However, if your client has cited more than one of Shakespeare’s plays, they will need to replace the author’s name with the source title. This is because MLA referencing doesn’t use a date of publication in citations, so the title helps readers distinguish between sources by the same author.

In addition, for Shakespeare’s plays, MLA style suggests a series of standard abbreviations for use in citations. Your client should use these rather than shortening titles themselves:

Shakespeare touched on this theme many times (e.g., MND 1.1.234–235; TN 1.1.1; Rom. 1.1.181), suggesting the nature of love was a point of fascination for him.

The passage above, for example, cites A Midsummer Night’s Dream ( MND ), Twelfth Night ( TN ), and Romeo and Juliet ( Rom. ), with the abbreviations keeping the citations succinct.

Meanwhile, the format for Shakespeare’s plays in an MLA “Works Cited” list will depend on how your client accessed the source (e.g., online or a print anthology). However, entries should always include full publication details for the version cited in the document.

How to Cite Shakespeare in APA Style

APA referencing uses its author–date citations when citing Shakespeare. The main issue to look out for is the date, which should include two dates separated by a forward slash:

Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare, 1597/2021) is the most famous love story ever written.

The first year here (1597) refers to the year the play was originally published. The second (2021) is the year of publication for the specific edition referenced. In this respect, Shakespeare plays follow the standard rules for reprinted works in APA referencing .

The other key point relates to quotations and paraphrases from Shakespeare plays, which should be cited with act, scene, and line numbers rather than page numbers:

It is at this point we encounter the famous line from the balcony scene: “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” (Shakespeare, 1597/2021, 2.2.35).

This shows that the quote comes from act 2, scene 2, line 35 of Romeo and Juliet .

In an APA reference list, meanwhile, Shakespeare plays are typically cited as reprinted books (i.e., with an original date of publication at the end of the reference). Make sure to check your client includes the edition cited, as line numbers can vary between versions.

How to Cite Shakespeare in Chicago Style

Chicago style varies depending on the version of this system used (i.e., footnote citations or parenthetical author–date citations ). However, there are two things that always apply:

• The Chicago Manual of Style suggests using act, scene, and line numbers when citing classic English plays, including Shakespeare plays.
• Writers should include the edition of the text used for clarity on line numbers.

In the footnote version of Chicago referencing, then, the first footnote might look like this:

1. William Shakespeare, The Tempest , ed. Alden T. Vaughan and Virginia Mason Vaughan (London: Bloomsbury, 2011), 1.1.20–26. References are to act, scene, and line.

Here, for example, the citation is for lines 20 to 26 in act 1, scene 1 of The Tempest . The full publication information and the sentence “References are to act, scene, and line” would be only required on the first reference, though: subsequent citations can typically be shortened .

A Chicago author–date citation of the same passage, meanwhile, would look like this:

We see this early on in The Tempest (Shakespeare 2011, 1.1.20–26).

Both versions of Chicago style also require the full publication details for the version cited in the bibliography/reference list, so make sure to check if this information is present.

How to Cite Shakespeare in MHRA Style

In the MHRA referencing system , Shakespeare’s plays should be cited using the guidelines for citing plays and other long works (i.e., classic works with established subdivisions such as scenes, books, cantos, and similar). In practice, this means:

• The edition used should be included in the first footnote citation.
• Citations should include act, scene, and line numbers (not page numbers).
• Act numbers should be given in Roman numbers ( small capitals ).
• Scenes and line numbers should be given in Arabic numerals.

In practice, then, the first citation of a Shakespeare play would look like this:

1. William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice , ed. by Peter Holland (London: Penguin Classics, 2015), ɪɪ. 3. 15.

For subsequent citations of the same play, MHRA suggests shortening the footnote to just the author’s name and the pinpoint citation (still given with act, scene, and line numbers):

2. Shakespeare, ᴠ . 1. 18–25.

However, if there could be doubt about the play in question (e.g., if your client is citing more than one Shakespeare play in a single document), footnotes should give the play name instead:

2. William Shakespeare, The Tempest , ed. by Alden T. Vaughan and Virginia Mason Vaughan (London: Bloomsbury, 2011), ɪ. 1. 20–26.

3. The Merchant of Venice , ᴠ . 1. 18–25.

In the bibliography entry, meanwhile, your client should include the full publication details.

Reference Variations

We’ve offered some brief guidelines on how to present Shakespeare plays in reference lists for the systems above, but this can depend on how your client has accessed the source.

For example, a student using APA referencing might access a Shakespeare play online and reference it as a website. As long as all the relevant source information is given, this is usually fine. Your role will be to check references for clarity and consistency.

Nevertheless, if you’re not sure about the reference format for a Shakespeare play in a specific system, make sure to look it up (either online or in the relevant style guide).

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General information about MLA and Shakespeare

Italicize the titles of the plays – Macbeth (for the play), Macbeth (for the character)

You may abbreviate the title of the play in the parenthetical citation ( check with your teacher first )

• Macbeth – Mac.
• Hamlet – Ham.
• Usually use Arabic numbers (1.5.4-5) or (2.1.110-13)
• Some teachers still prefer Roman numerals (II.iv.4-6)
• If author’s name mentioned in the text, only put the page number in parentheses, otherwise (author’s last name #).
• If there are no different sources between quotes – can use  (#) 

In-text citations - short quotes

Quotes longer than three lines should begin on a new line.

• if one line, put it in quotation marks within your text:

• If two or three lines, include the quote within your text but use the forward slash to indicate the separate verses:

One Shakespearean protagonist seems resolute at first when he asserts, “Haste me to know’t, that I, with wings as swift / As meditation … / May sweep to my revenge” ( Hamlet 1.5.35-37).  

(notice the forward slash is separated from the text by spaces. the ellipsis ... is used to indicate that some of the text was not included)

In-text citations - long quotes or dialogue

Direct quotes (long quotes or dialogue) – Quotations four lines or more or dialogue are formatted with  a block quote. Set the quotation off from your text. Indent one inch (2.54 cm.) for left margin. Capitalize the character’s name, followed by a period. Indent all subsequent lines an addition ¼ inch (.64 cm):

POLONIUS. Well be with you, gentlemen!

HAMLET. Hark you, Guildenstern, and you too! At each ear a hearer. That great

baby you see there is not yet out of his swaddling-clouts. ( Ham. 2.2.383-386)

In-text Citation: Citing an Indirect Source (Quoting a Source in a Source)

If there are no page numbers on the electronic source, use only the author name or the first main word of the title. However, you can indicate where the material came from in your text.

There are occasions where you may find a source that quotes another source that you want to use in your paper. Ideally, you would find the original source to ensure you understand the context of the quote. If you do decide to use the quote from the source you are using, however, you must recognize both sources . For example, in the Critical Insights series, we have a popular book of critical analysis called Things for Apart. One of the chapters, written by Amy Sickels, is entitled "The Critical Reception of  Things Fall Apart."  In her essay, she quotes Keith M. Booker. This is the quote you decide you want to use:

Booker makes the point that the "African novel is always a complex hybrid cultural phenomenon that combines Western and African cultural perspectives" (qtd. in Sickels 43).

The citation in the Works Cited page (remember you need a hanging indent):

Sickels, Amy. “The Critical Reception of Things Fall Apar t." Things Fall Apart ,  edited by M. Keith Booker, Salem Press, 2011, pp.  33-52.

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Want to go more in-depth? Check out these guides

• Guide to MLA In-text Citations (Scribbr) A guide to using in-text citations in MLA style. This will be helpful for other sources you will cite beyond Shakespeare's work.
• Guide to MLA Works Cited Pages (Scribbr) A comprehensive guide to preparing the works cited page for an MLA paper (also known as a reference list or bibliography).
• MLA Style (Purdue Online Writing Lab) An extensive guide to MLA style covering both formatting and citations.
• ZoteroBib (aka zbib) A fast, free bibliography generator, powered by the same parser used for Zotero. This tool is more reliable than other bibliography generators. Remember to change the bibliography style from 'American Psychological Association 7th edition' (the default) to 'Modern Language Association 9th edition'. You are responsible however for double-checking the accuracy of citation outputs. You can always ask a librarian for assistance with citations!

The works of Shakespeare, like many plays, have consistently numbered acts, scenes, and lines. These numbers should be used in your  MLA  in-text citations, separated by periods, instead of page numbers.

The Works Cited entry follows the format for a book, but varies depending on whether you cite from a standalone edition or a collection. The example below is for a standalone edition of  Hamlet .

If you cite multiple Shakespeare plays in your paper, replace the author’s name with an abbreviation of the play title in your in-text citation.

Citing a play from a collection

If you use a collection of all or several of Shakespeare’s works, include a Works Cited entry for each work you cite from it, providing the title of the individual work, followed by information about the collection.

Note that play titles remain italicized here, since these are works that would usually stand alone.

If you cite several works by Shakespeare, order them alphabetically by title, and replace “Shakespeare, William” with a series of three em dashes after the first one.

Citing multiple Shakespeare plays

If you cite more than one Shakespeare play in your paper, MLA recommends starting each in-text citation with an abbreviated version of the play title, in italics. A list of the standard abbreviations can be found  here ; don’t make up your own abbreviations.

Introduce each abbreviation the first time you mention the play’s title, then use it in all subsequent citations of that play.

Don’t use these abbreviations outside of parentheses. If you frequently mention a multi-word title in your text, you can instead shorten it to a recognizable keyword (e.g.  Midsummer  for  A Midsummer Night’s Dream ) after the first mention.

Quoting Shakespeare in MLA

Shakespeare quotations generally take the form of verse or dialogue.

Quoting verse

To quote up to three lines of verse from a play or poem, just treat it like a normal quotation. Use a forward slash (/) with spaces around it to indicate a new line.

If there’s a stanza break within the quotation, indicate it with a double forward slash (//).

If you are quoting more than three lines of verse, format it as a block quote (indented on a new line with no quotation marks).

Quoting dialogue

Dialogue from two or more characters should be presented as a block quote.

Include the characters’ names in block capitals, followed by a period, and use a hanging indent for subsequent lines in a single character’s speech. Place the citation after the closing punctuation.

Oberon berates Robin Goodfellow for his mistake:

Frequently asked questions about MLA citations

No, do not use page numbers in your MLA in-text citations of Shakespeare plays. Instead, specify the act, scene, and line numbers of the quoted material, separated by periods, e.g. (Shakespeare 3.2.20–25).

This makes it easier for the reader to find the relevant passage in any edition of the text.

How do I cite multiple Shakespeare plays in an MLA paper?

If you cite multiple Shakespeare plays throughout your paper, the MLA in-text citation begins with an abbreviated version of the title (as shown here), e.g. ( Oth.  1.2.4). Each play should have its own Works Cited entry (even if they all come from the same collection).

If you cite only one Shakespeare play in your paper, you should include a Works Cited entry for that play, and your in-text citations should start with the author’s name, e.g. (Shakespeare 1.1.4).

Adapted from:

Caulfield, Jack. “How to Cite Shakespeare in MLA.”  Scribbr , June 2022, www.scribbr.com/mla/shakespeare-citation.

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How to Cite Shakespeare in MLA Referencing

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• 14th September 2019

Is this a dagger I see before me ? No. It’s a blog post about citing Shakespeare in MLA referencing. And that’s even more useful than a dagger, especially if you’re currently writing an essay . But how do you cite a Shakespeare play when using MLA referencing ? Let us explain.

Citing Shakespeare in MLA Referencing

When citing Shakespeare, you will need to adapt the basic MLA citation format slightly. The biggest difference is that, rather than page numbers, you need to give act, scene and line numbers:

Macbeth’s soliloquy lays the ground for his later torment, betraying his mental fragility early on (Shakespeare 2.1.33–61).

Here, we’re citing act 2, scene 1, lines 33–61 of the play Macbeth . Most MLA citations of Shakespeare will use this citation format. Some editions of Shakespeare plays feature paragraph numbers instead of line numbers, but you can use these for pinpoint citations as well.

Citing Multiple Shakespeare Plays

We have cited “Shakespeare” in the example above because he is the author. However, if you are referencing more than one Shakespeare play in the same essay, you will need to use the play title in citations instead. For example, we could cite both Othello and Macbeth as follows:

Shakespeare’s characters often express regret immediately after a misdeed, such as when Othello describes Desdemona’s death as “horrible and grim” ( Othello 5.2.236) or when Macbeth admits to being “afraid to think” about what he has done ( Macbeth 2.2.64).

Here, we’re citing act 5, scene 2, line 236 of Othello and act 2, scene 2, line 64 of Macbeth . Using the play titles in the citations makes it absolutely clear which text we’re citing each time.

In addition, if you’re citing multiple plays repeatedly, you can abbreviate the title of each play in citations. Othello , for example, could be cited as just Oth. to minimise repetition:

Iago’s reaction speaks volumes at this point ( Oth . 3.3.234).

You will still need to give the full title in the Works Cited list, though.

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Shakespeare in the Works Cited List

In the Works Cited list , standalone Shakespeare plays are cited in the same way as any book:

Surname, First Name. Title . Editor/Translator (if applicable). Publisher, Year of Publication.

In practice, then, we could cite a print edition of Macbeth as follows:

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth . Edited by Keith Carabine. Wordsworth Editions, 2005.

The format differs slightly if the work cited is part of an anthology . In this case, treat the poem or play like a chapter from an edited book. For example:

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth . The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works , edited by Stanley Wells and Gary Taylor, Oxford University Press, 2005, pp. 969–994.

Here, we have the details of the container volume and the page range for the play as well. It is worth noting, though, that MLA referencing italicizes the titles of plays even when they are part of a larger anthology. This differs from a book chapter title, which would be in quote marks.

And if you’d like anyone to check the referencing in your writing, give our specialist proofreading services a try.

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• How to format Shakespearian quotations

There are three main ways to quote from Shakespeare properly. See the format below depending on how much of the play you are quoting. This is also done in proper MLA format.

CITATION EXAMPLE – a quotation where more than one person speaks:

…An early example of this lies in Viola/Cesario’s first meeting with Olivia.  Viola is silencing Maria so that Olivia can say what she wishes about Orsino.  Olivia does not want to discuss it and quickly changes the topic:

OLIVIA. Sure you have some hideous matter to deliver when the courtesy of it is so fearful.  Speak your office.

VIOLA. It alone concerns your ear… My words are as full of peace as matter.

OLIVIA. Yet you began rudely.  What are you?  What would you?

VIOLA. The rudeness that hath appeared in me have I learned from my entertainment. (I.v.198-206)

Olivia’s choice to call Cesario’s work “hideous” and “fearful” is very forward of her

(198-99).  In the Elizabethan era, a lady of her calibre would never express herself in

such a vulgar way. ….

CITATION EXAMPLE – a quotation where only one person speaks just one line of text:

Olivia further uses language in a masculine fashion when discussing Cesario.  In one specific scene, Olivia resembles a persistent male in a modern day bar.  In the scene, Olivia asks Caesario, “Tell me what thou think’st of me ” (III.i.136).  This is reminiscent of the pick-up line, ‘So, baby, what do you think of me so far?’ This sort of banter continues as Olivia responds with, “I would you were as I would have you be” (141).  This shockingly begs an expected…

CITATION EXAMPLE – a quotation where only one person speaks more than one line of text (use a / to separate lines of text):

Another situation occurs during one of Olivia’s asides.  She has sent for Cesario to come and see her and is plotting how to win his love.  She questions what to do with him: “How shall I feast him?  What bestow of him? / For youth is bought more oft than begged or borrowed,” (III.iv.2-3).  Olivia is suggesting that a man can buy love, perhaps with gifts and flattery, if the object of desire is young…

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A Guide To Writing Shakespeare Essays, Including Pitfalls & Tips

William Shakespeare is undoubtedly one of the most significant personalities of the world and culture in particular. This dramatist is considered to be an inventor of literary English language, an inventor of modern theater, and the greatest poet in the history of England. Starting in the 15th century, Shakespeare’s poems and plays have been published in a lot of countries and translated into almost all languages of the world. It is no wonder that students have to write a Shakespeare essay despite their disciplines and specialization. The assignments vary. You might get a task to analyze the sonnets or a play of a famous playwright and writer, write a book report, or say some words about his life in a Shakespeare biography essay. No matter what is your writing about, experts from  ProHighGrades  collected some ideas and essential tips that will help.

How to Write a Shakespeare Biography Essay

If you are to write essays about the background of a great author, you need to know his biography, and the peculiarities of the time he lived in. Here are some ideas:

• Describe the town he was born and lived. Stratford-upon-Avon was a small English town, and his family was among the noble ones. You can analyze the primal education and the reasons to move to London.
• Literature resources give a little knowledge of young Shakespeare. No one knows the real day of birth. The authors know he was baptized in April. History did not save much about his school or university education. The period which starts in the year 1585 and finishes in 1593 is called “the lost years of Shakespeare.” An excellent attempt to analyze and make suggestions concerning his real life and a search for additional facts will amaze the professors.
• You can analyze the relationship between Shakespeare and other people. Some works and pages contain suggestions about his love, friends, etc. A good Shakespeare biography essay will try to study the stories related to the company surrounding him. Study the writers he mailed.
• Finally, his last years and death are covered in mystery as well. You can try to find a reason why Shakespeare left a big part of his property to his daughter Susanna. Write about a real reason to move back to Stratford.

A good story about a simple man, people to follow him, the political and historical circumstances and terms, the rights of a human of Shakespeare’s society, popular suggestions, and references to his biography from other sources deserve to appear in an excellent Shakespeare essay.

How to Write an Essay About Shakespeare’s Works

Everybody read the author. Students compose tons of writings, where they give information about his collection of works. In order to claim some originality and score free points on exclusiveness, you need to consider many things:

• All the essays about Shakespeare’s literature are written. People wrote about the classic plays after his sonnet or plots. Scholars read, search, and research the significance of his works in almost every paper. You need something contemporary. New plays and interpretations of the texts appear today (for example, a fresh Hamlet play with Benedict Cumberbatch). New movies come from Hollywood and other countries. Take them into account. Many original Shakespeare essay topics are reserved for you
• If you are in despair, choose a way that worked for centuries. Analyze the title of a particular poem or play. A Midsummer Night’s Dream , the plays entitled by names ( Romeo and Juliet , Macbeth , Much Ado About Nothing and others are a reason to write a good, short essay about William Shakespeare.
• A good idea is to analyze the characters of Shakespeare. His plays are not all full of action, but characters are deep. Conflicts, emotions, experience, and background stand behind every one. To make a Shakespeare paper better, reading work is not enough. Try to watch the performance of actors from plays and movies. Usually, they do not make an exact copy of the text but bring the new interpretation.
• Good Shakespeare essay examples choose famous critics for referencing. A catchy quote or a properly referenced idea will make your essay worth money and effort. Remember that the question you ask in the Shakespeare paper must find its answer despite the length of a paper, and a number of essay pages needed.
• Adjust your essay to a discipline. In every Shakespeare text, you can find something for a history, sociology, culture, linguistics, psychology, arts, mythology, and literature essay.

Shakespeare was not a simple person and now has a truly global identity. His impact on his and further times are great. Many people study him, and increasingly significant numbers will no doubt do so in the future. You can also count on the guys from EditProofRead to check out your paper to make sure it’s good.

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The Correct Way to Cite Shakespearean Works

If you quote directly or paraphrase from a source, you must cite the source within the text. This can be problematic when you are citing a classical work such as a Shakespearean play, because classical works are published in so many different formats that page numbers become meaningless. Luckily, both the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) set guidelines for the proper in-text citation of Shakespearean plays.

Citing Shakespeare in MLA Format

List the abbreviation for the title of the play you are citing. The MLA lists abbreviations for all plays; see the reference list of this article for more information. The abbreviation for the title of the play should appear in italics.

List the act, scene and lines that you are referring to. These should be separated by periods. Enclose your citation in parentheses. For example:

(Mac. 1.3.14-17) refers to Act 1, Scene 3, Lines 14 to 17 of "Macbeth."

Omit the abbreviation for the title if the play you are referring to is clear from the context of your paper. In this case, the citation would simply appear as

follows: (1.3.14-17)

Format your reference list entry in the following format:

Author. Title of Play. Name of Editor. City of Publication, Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication. For example: Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Ed. James Smith. Boston, English Play Press, 2010. Print. Be sure to italicize the name of the play.

Citing Shakespeare in APA Format

List "Shakespeare" as the author's name, followed by a comma.

List the year of translation, followed by a comma, if translated. For example:

trans. 2010,

List the act, scene, and lines you are citing, separated by periods. For example:

Enclose the entire citation within parentheses. For example:

(Shakespeare, trans. 2010, 1.3.14-17).

Only use this if the play you are citing is obvious and has been mentioned in your paper. If the play appears in the original Shakespearean English, you need only give the year of publication. In this case, omit "trans." from your citation. For example:

(Shakespeare, 2010, 1.3.14-17).

Author. (Year). Title. (Translator.). City, State of Publication: Publisher. (Original work published year). For example: Shakespeare, W. (2010). Macbeth. (B. Smith, Trans.). Boston, MA: English Play Press. (Original work published 1699).

Be sure to italicize the name of the play. If the publication appears in the original Shakespearean, omit translation information form your citation. For example:

Shakespeare, W. (2010). Macbeth. Boston, MA: English Play Press. (Original work published 1699).

Need help with a citation? Try our citation generator .

• Louisiana State University: MLA Citation of Shakespeare
• Carson-Newman College: List of MLA Abbreviations for Shakespearean Titles
• Pursue Online Writing Lab: APA Abbreviations
• Purdue Online Writing Lab: APA Reference List for Books

Structuring the Shakespeare Essay ( AQA GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

Structuring the Essay

Answering just one essay question can seem daunting. However, examiners just want to see your ideas and opinions on the Shakespeare play you have studied. The guide below will enable you to best express these ideas and opinions in a way that will gain the highest marks. It includes guides on:

Answering the question

Planning your essay, writing your essay.

As Paper 1 requires you to answer two questions in 1hr 45min, you have 52 and a half minutes to plan, write and check your Shakespeare essay. A good rule of thumb is to spend:

• 7 minutes analysing the question and the extract
• 7-10 minutes of planning
• 30-35 minutes of writing

It is always a good idea to use the rest of your time to review what you’ve written, make any adjustments and check your spelling and grammar. Remember – SPaG in this question is worth 4 marks.

Students usually think that spending more time on writing will gain more marks, but this isn't true: more essay doesn’t mean more marks! Examiners prefer shorter, well-planned responses that have a clear argument throughout.

Indeed, long essays that are unstructured and sprawling can in fact lose marks for being unfocused. Therefore, it is vital to always set aside time to write a plan.

Regardless of which Shakespeare play you study, the type of question you’ll need to write an essay for will be the same. You will be asked a question that asks you to analyse and write in detail about an aspect of the play. Your answer will need to address both an extract from the play that you will be given and the play as a whole.

It is tempting to jump straight in and start analysing the extract immediately. However, completing the steps below first will ensure you answer the question in the way that examiners are looking for.

6 key steps to answer the Shakespeare exam question effectively:

1. The very first thing you should do once you open your exam paper is to look at the question:

• This sounds obvious, but it’s really crucial to read through the question a few times 
• Why is this important? Regardless of what subject you’re being examined in, the single biggest mistake most students make in their exams is not reading the question through carefully enough that they answer the question they think they’re being asked, rather than the question they’ve actually been asked 
• It’s especially important to get this right in your GCSE English Literature exams, because you only have five essay questions to answer across two papers, so if you misread a question, you’re potentially costing yourself a large number of marks

2. Identify the keywords of the question

• The keywords are the focus of the question: the specific themes, ideas or characters the examiners want you to focus on
• For the above question, the keywords of the question are “the effects of the conflict between the Capulet and Montague families” 
• This is the theme the examiners want you to explore in your essay
• Do not be tempted to write a question on a related theme, even if you have revised more for it: this will affect your overall mark badly, as you won’t be directly answering the question! 
• Although this is a related theme, your answer won’t be focused on the question and will lose you marks

3. Critically evaluate the idea or theme of the question in terms of the play as a whole

• Think: what is this question asking, and what is it not asking?
• It is asking you to explore conflict – an ongoing fight or struggle – between the two families
• The question is not asking you to explore any other conflict, for example, conflict among families (Juliet’s conflict with her own family)
• Again, writing about related ideas will actually lose you marks as you aren’t answering the exact question you have been set. The examiner isn’t going to reward you extra marks for information that is factually correct or demonstrates a great understanding of the play if the information is not relevant to the question being asked

4. Now you have identified and evaluated the key idea or theme of the question, read the contextual information above the extract:

• At this point in the play, the Prince has arrived…
• This information, alongside your knowledge of what the theme the examiners are asking you to explore in the question, are vital clues that help you decode the extract

5. Contextualise the extract further yourself, before reading it

• Think: what else happens before and after this point in the play?
• Which characters are involved?
• How does it link to other parts of the text?
• Therefore, even at this stage, it is good to think about how the theme of the question develops before and after this point in the play

6. Read the extract with all of the above information (the keywords from the question; the context) in mind

• This will enable you to pick out quotations and analyse only the most relevant parts of the extract in the context of the play as a whole, and the question you have been set

Planning your essay is absolutely vital to achieving the highest marks. Examiners always stress that the best responses are those that have a logical, well-structured argument that comes with spending time planning an answer. This, in turn, will enable you to achieve the highest marks for each assessment objective. The main assessment objectives are:

• Your plan should include all aspects of your response, covering all of the assessment objectives, but mainly focusing on AO1:
• Your overall argument, or thesis (AO1)
• Your topic sentences  for all your paragraphs (AO1)
• The quotations you will be using and analysing from the extract (AO1)
• The quotations you will be using and analysing from elsewhere in the play (AO1)
• A sense of why Shakespeare makes the choices he does (AO2)
• A sense of what contextual factors give further insight into the ideas and theme presented in the question (AO3)
• Therefore, a plan may look like the following:

Some other tips:

• The questions have been designed to enable as many students as possible to write essays 
• Examiners say that the inclusion of a counter-argument is often unnecessary and unhelpful
• It can affect your AO1 mark negatively
• Think of the extract as a stepping stone to the whole text
• Examiners prefer an “integrated approach”:  paragraphs which include related analysis of both extract and the whole play 
• Examiners dislike essays which treat the extract and the rest of the play as “separate entities”: when students analyse the extract in the first half of their essays, and then the rest of the play in the second half of their response – t his would mean your answer doesn’t cover the full scope of the question, and your AO1 mark would be affected 

Given the time pressure of the exam, there is always a temptation for students to do without a plan, especially if they feel they understand the focus of the question well. However, this is a mistake. 

The exam board states: “Where students have written a plan, there is often a sense of a coherent and organised response, for which references and quotations have been selected to support the student’s argument.”

What this means is that writing a plan not only enables you to achieve the highest AO1 marks (for organisation of argument) but also helps you select the most precise quotations and references, which will lead to a more relevant analysis of the writer’s methods (AO2).

Once you have read and evaluated the question, read and analysed the extract and created a clear plan, you are ready to begin writing. Below is a guide detailing what to include.

Your essay should include:

• An introduction with a thesis statement
• A number of paragraphs (three is ideal!), each covering a separate point. It’s a great idea to start each paragraph with a topic sentence  
• A conclusion

Introduction

• Your introduction should aim to answer the question – clearly and briefly
• The best way to do this is to include a thesis statement
• A thesis statement is a short statement (one or two sentences) that summarises the main point or claim your argument is making:
• You should include the exact words from the question in your thesis statement
• Examiners want to see your own opinion : your interpretation of what Shakespeare is trying to show
• Your thesis statement should also attempt to explain why you think Shakespeare has presented his characters in the way he has: what is he trying to say overall? What is his message?:
• A good way to think about this is to ask: what is Shakespeare’s one big idea in terms of the characters or themes addressed in the question?
• Include contextual ideas and perspectives to help explain Shakespeare’s intentions
• Including Shakespeare’s message or one big idea helps create a “conceptualised response”, for which examiners award the highest marks
• An example of a thesis statement:

Thesis statement:

“Shakespeare presents the effects of the conflict between the Capulet and Montague families as destructive and ultimately self-defeating. He does this to challenge contemporary ideas on family ties and honour, suggesting that conflicts such as these only end in an inescapable cycle of violence.”

• You will not be rewarded for including the same information twice, so don’t waste time repeating yourself
• “I believe that Shakespeare presents the effects of the conflict…” ❌
• “Shakespeare presents the effects of the conflict between the Capulet and Montague families as … in order to show …” ✅
• This will ensure your response is to what examiners call the “full task”
• A topic sentence is an opening sentence which details the focus of its paragraph
• It should include the words of the question
• All topic sentences must relate to your thesis
• They should be seen as sub-points that provide a more specific and narrower focus than your thesis statement
• Everything that follows a topic sentence in a paragraph must support the point it makes

Example of a topic sentence:

“Shakespeare presents the effects of conflict between the Capulets and the Montagues as fatal, even for those characters who do not wish to fight.”

• This is what examiners call an “integrated approach”
• Don’t separate your analysis of the rest of the play into different paragraphs
• The examiners stated that the best students “dip in and out of both the extract and the whole text to select details which support their argument as appropriate”
• You may have learned PEE, PEAL, PEED or other structures for your paragraphs
• However, examiners often say that although these are excellent for learning what to include in essays, they can be limiting in an exam
• Instead, be led by the ideas in the text, and prove your own argument (both the overall thesis, and your topic sentences)
• This can result in improved marks for AO1
• A conclusion for a Shakespeare essay should only summarise the proof you have provided for your thesis
• It only needs to be two or three sentences long
• It should include the words of the question and your thesis
• Remember, you do not get rewarded for including the same information twice

An example of a conclusion:

“In summary, Shakespeare presents the effects of the conflict between the Capulet and Montague families as disastrous, not just for those directly involved in the struggle, but even for those characters who wished to escape the conflict. Romeo and Juliet’s deaths – as well as the untimely murders of Mercutio and Tybalt – show how irrational family ties and ideas about honour bring about only endless violence and destroy even the youngest and most innocent bound up in these conflicts.”

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Nick is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. He started his career in journalism and publishing, working as an editor on a political magazine and a number of books, before training as an English teacher. After nearly 10 years working in London schools, where he held leadership positions in English departments and within a Sixth Form, he moved on to become an examiner and education consultant. With more than a decade of experience as a tutor, Nick specialises in English, but has also taught Politics, Classical Civilisation and Religious Studies.

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Quality academic research on literature should include masterpieces of famous poets and writers. So, citing Shakespeare MLA is essential. His works contain various characters that can be used for the comparative and contrastive study of various features. Shakespeare’s plays and poems are a good choice for students to make their paperwork unique and valuable. That is why it is important to know how to cite and quote his works and collections.

When citing Shakespeare plays in MLA format, the Works Cited entry follows the format for a book but varies depending on whether you're citing from a standalone edition or a collection. For example, to cite a standalone edition of Hamlet, the citation format would be:

Our  papers writing service  will help you get involved in the rules of presenting an entry of a writer's works in the reference list and in-text citation. Keep reading, and you will find out all the information about citing Shakespeare in MLA style.

Citing Shakespeare MLA: Single Play

When citing Shakespeare in MLA, you should be aware of presenting reference to the source used: plays from a collection or single ones with separate editions. These two options have differences in citation. Single play typically consists of acts and scenes and is cited much like a book. By referring to a particular scene or dialogue, you should point out a number of an act, scene, and line, separated with periods. The general formula is reflected in the table below. Keep in mind punctuation used after each entry element and MLA writing format .

Here is an example of this citation:

Note that numbers used in in-text citation mean act 4, scene 3, lines 305-308.

Shakespeare MLA Citation: A Play From Collection

If you use one play or several plays from Shakespeare’s collection of works, MLA citing Shakespeare helps you place a correct entry in references. When alluding to several plays, you should cite every play in your paper separately. Thus, an entry includes information about an individual work and title of collection. The general formula of play citation from collection is as follows:

An example of this citation is given below:

How To Cite Shakespeare MLA: Multiple Shakespeare Plays

MLA citing Shakespeare for multiple plays is a little bit different from other citations. In this case, you should list every play in alphabetical order in the reference list. When citing particular characters and their dialogue in your work, you should mention an abbreviation of Play Title in parentheses. Generally, citation entry takes a look:

An example is as follows:

Dealing with abbreviations, you should be careful to use an appropriate system of shortenings of Shakespearian titles.

Quoting Shakespeare in MLA

Expressing real examples from an original, you often need to quote a line or even a complete dialogue sticking to MLA citation for Shakespeare . In accordance with the specificity of literary work, the page is not mentioned in citation but numbered lines instead. When it comes to quoting a verse with up to three lines, it is taken in quotation marks, and each line is separated with slash (/). In-text citation is given after a quote.

When a quote contains more than three lines, you should format it as a block quote. In this case, there should be an introductory sentence with semicolons at the end and present quotation close to the original. It concerns quoting dialogue too.

Maybe you need MLA citation for short story , open one more blog we prepared for our users. You will find it useful for sure.

Final Thoughts on Citing Shakespeare MLA

Utilizing Shakespear’s poetry, you should obligatorily know how to cite Shakespeare play MLA and place it in your reference list. Also, to express the original text as a background for research, it is necessary to quote a verse or a part of dialogue. We have presented the general formulas for citing the writer's works above. It is essential to keep those rules as it helps you avoid plagiarism in your research paper.

In case you need to conduct an analysis of various litersture works, you might also be interested in our guide on  citing a short story MLA .

If you require help with formatting quotes or others, you can just place an essay order with StudyCrumb and get what you need.

Emma Flores knows all about formatting standards. She shares with StudyCrumb readers tips on creating academic papers that will meet high-quality standards.

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• How to Quote | Citing Quotes in APA, MLA & Chicago

How to Quote | Citing Quotes in APA, MLA & Chicago

Published on April 15, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Jack Caulfield. Revised on May 31, 2023.

Quoting means copying a passage of someone else’s words and crediting the source. To quote a source, you must ensure:

• The quoted text is enclosed in quotation marks or formatted as a block quote
• The original author is correctly cited
• The text is identical to the original

The exact format of a quote depends on its length and on which citation style you are using. Quoting and citing correctly is essential to avoid plagiarism which is easy to detect with a good plagiarism checker .

Table of contents

How to cite a quote in apa, mla and chicago, introducing quotes, quotes within quotes, shortening or altering a quote, block quotes, when should i use quotes, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about quoting sources.

Every time you quote, you must cite the source correctly . This looks slightly different depending on the citation style you’re using. Three of the most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

Citing a quote in APA Style

To cite a direct quote in APA , you must include the author’s last name, the year, and a page number, all separated by commas . If the quote appears on a single page, use “p.”; if it spans a page range, use “pp.”

An APA in-text citation can be parenthetical or narrative. In a parenthetical citation , you place all the information in parentheses after the quote. In a narrative citation , you name the author in your sentence (followed by the year), and place the page number after the quote.

Punctuation marks such as periods and commas are placed after the citation, not within the quotation marks .

• Evolution is a gradual process that “can act only by very short and slow steps” (Darwin, 1859, p. 510) .
• Darwin (1859) explains that evolution “can act only by very short and slow steps” (p. 510) .

Complete guide to APA

Citing a quote in mla style.

An MLA in-text citation includes only the author’s last name and a page number. As in APA, it can be parenthetical or narrative, and a period (or other punctuation mark) appears after the citation.

• Evolution is a gradual process that “can act only by very short and slow steps” (Darwin 510) .
• Darwin explains that evolution “can act only by very short and slow steps” (510) .

Complete guide to MLA

Citing a quote in chicago style.

Chicago style uses Chicago footnotes to cite sources. A note, indicated by a superscript number placed directly after the quote, specifies the author, title, and page number—or sometimes fuller information .

Unlike with parenthetical citations, in this style, the period or other punctuation mark should appear within the quotation marks, followed by the footnote number.

Complete guide to Chicago style

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Make sure you integrate quotes properly into your text by introducing them in your own words, showing the reader why you’re including the quote and providing any context necessary to understand it.  Don’t  present quotations as stand-alone sentences.

There are three main strategies you can use to introduce quotes in a grammatically correct way:

• Add an introductory sentence
• Use an introductory signal phrase
• Integrate the quote into your own sentence

The following examples use APA Style citations, but these strategies can be used in all styles.

Introductory sentence

Introduce the quote with a full sentence ending in a colon . Don’t use a colon if the text before the quote isn’t a full sentence.

If you name the author in your sentence, you may use present-tense verbs , such as “states,” “argues,” “explains,” “writes,” or “reports,” to describe the content of the quote.

• In Denmark, a recent poll shows that: “A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters” (Levring, 2018, p. 3).
• In Denmark, a recent poll shows that support for the EU has grown since the Brexit vote: “A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters” (Levring, 2018, p. 3).
• Levring (2018) reports that support for the EU has grown since the Brexit vote: “A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters” (p. 3).

Introductory signal phrase

You can also use a signal phrase that mentions the author or source, but doesn’t form a full sentence. In this case, you follow the phrase with a comma instead of a colon.

• According to a recent poll, “A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters” (Levring, 2018, p. 3).
• As Levring (2018) explains, “A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters” (p. 3).

Integrated into your own sentence

To quote a phrase that doesn’t form a full sentence, you can also integrate it as part of your sentence, without any extra punctuation .

• A recent poll suggests that EU membership “would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters” in a referendum (Levring, 2018, p. 3).
• Levring (2018) reports that EU membership “would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters” in a referendum (p. 3).

When you quote text that itself contains another quote, this is called a nested quotation or a quote within a quote. It may occur, for example, when quoting dialogue from a novel.

To distinguish this quote from the surrounding quote, you enclose it in single (instead of double) quotation marks (even if this involves changing the punctuation from the original text). Make sure to close both sets of quotation marks at the appropriate moments.

Note that if you only quote the nested quotation itself, and not the surrounding text, you can just use double quotation marks.

• Carraway introduces his narrative by quoting his father: “ “ Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, ” he told me, “ just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had ” ” (Fitzgerald 1).
• Carraway introduces his narrative by quoting his father: “‘Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had ” (Fitzgerald 1).
• Carraway introduces his narrative by quoting his father: “‘Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had’” (Fitzgerald 1).
• Carraway begins by quoting his father’s invocation to “remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had” (Fitzgerald 1).

Note:  When the quoted text in the source comes from another source, it’s best to just find that original source in order to quote it directly. If you can’t find the original source, you can instead cite it indirectly .

Often, incorporating a quote smoothly into your text requires you to make some changes to the original text. It’s fine to do this, as long as you clearly mark the changes you’ve made to the quote.

Shortening a quote

If some parts of a passage are redundant or irrelevant, you can shorten the quote by removing words, phrases, or sentences and replacing them with an ellipsis (…). Put a space before and after the ellipsis.

Be careful that removing the words doesn’t change the meaning. The ellipsis indicates that some text has been removed, but the shortened quote should still accurately represent the author’s point.

Altering a quote

You can add or replace words in a quote when necessary. This might be because the original text doesn’t fit grammatically with your sentence (e.g., it’s in a different verb tense), or because extra information is needed to clarify the quote’s meaning.

Use brackets to distinguish words that you have added from words that were present in the original text.

The Latin term “ sic ” is used to indicate a (factual or grammatical) mistake in a quotation. It shows the reader that the mistake is from the quoted material, not a typo of your own.

In some cases, it can be useful to italicize part of a quotation to add emphasis, showing the reader that this is the key part to pay attention to. Use the phrase “emphasis added” to show that the italics were not part of the original text.

You usually don’t need to use brackets to indicate minor changes to punctuation or capitalization made to ensure the quote fits the style of your text.

If you quote more than a few lines from a source, you must format it as a block quote . Instead of using quotation marks, you set the quote on a new line and indent it so that it forms a separate block of text.

Block quotes are cited just like regular quotes, except that if the quote ends with a period, the citation appears after the period.

To the end of his days Bilbo could never remember how he found himself outside, without a hat, a walking-stick or any money, or anything that he usually took when he went out; leaving his second breakfast half-finished and quite unwashed-up, pushing his keys into Gandalf’s hands, and running as fast as his furry feet could carry him down the lane, past the great Mill, across The Water, and then on for a mile or more. (16)

Avoid relying too heavily on quotes in academic writing . To integrate a source , it’s often best to paraphrase , which means putting the passage in your own words. This helps you integrate information smoothly and keeps your own voice dominant.

However, there are some situations in which quoting is more appropriate.

When focusing on language

If you want to comment on how the author uses language (for example, in literary analysis ), it’s necessary to quote so that the reader can see the exact passage you are referring to.

When giving evidence

To convince the reader of your argument, interpretation or position on a topic, it’s often helpful to include quotes that support your point. Quotes from primary sources (for example, interview transcripts or historical documents) are especially credible as evidence.

When presenting an author’s position or definition

When you’re referring to secondary sources such as scholarly books and journal articles, try to put others’ ideas in your own words when possible.

But if a passage does a great job at expressing, explaining, or defining something, and it would be very difficult to paraphrase without changing the meaning or losing the weakening the idea’s impact, it’s worth quoting directly.

If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• ChatGPT vs human editor
• ChatGPT citations
• Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
• Using ChatGPT for your studies
• What is ChatGPT?
• Chicago style
• Paraphrasing
• Critical thinking

 Plagiarism

• Types of plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Academic integrity
• Consequences of plagiarism
• Common knowledge

A quote is an exact copy of someone else’s words, usually enclosed in quotation marks and credited to the original author or speaker.

In academic writing , there are three main situations where quoting is the best choice:

• To analyze the author’s language (e.g., in a literary analysis essay )
• To give evidence from primary sources
• To accurately present a precise definition or argument

Don’t overuse quotes; your own voice should be dominant. If you just want to provide information from a source, it’s usually better to paraphrase or summarize .

Every time you quote a source , you must include a correctly formatted in-text citation . This looks slightly different depending on the citation style .

For example, a direct quote in APA is cited like this: “This is a quote” (Streefkerk, 2020, p. 5).

Every in-text citation should also correspond to a full reference at the end of your paper.

A block quote is a long quote formatted as a separate “block” of text. Instead of using quotation marks , you place the quote on a new line, and indent the entire quote to mark it apart from your own words.

The rules for when to apply block quote formatting depend on the citation style:

• APA block quotes are 40 words or longer.
• MLA block quotes are more than 4 lines of prose or 3 lines of poetry.
• Chicago block quotes are longer than 100 words.

If you’re quoting from a text that paraphrases or summarizes other sources and cites them in parentheses , APA and Chicago both recommend retaining the citations as part of the quote. However, MLA recommends omitting citations within a quote:

• APA: Smith states that “the literature on this topic (Jones, 2015; Sill, 2019; Paulson, 2020) shows no clear consensus” (Smith, 2019, p. 4).
• MLA: Smith states that “the literature on this topic shows no clear consensus” (Smith, 2019, p. 4).

Footnote or endnote numbers that appear within quoted text should be omitted in all styles.

If you want to cite an indirect source (one you’ve only seen quoted in another source), either locate the original source or use the phrase “as cited in” in your citation.

In scientific subjects, the information itself is more important than how it was expressed, so quoting should generally be kept to a minimum. In the arts and humanities, however, well-chosen quotes are often essential to a good paper.

In social sciences, it varies. If your research is mainly quantitative , you won’t include many quotes, but if it’s more qualitative , you may need to quote from the data you collected .

As a general guideline, quotes should take up no more than 5–10% of your paper. If in doubt, check with your instructor or supervisor how much quoting is appropriate in your field.

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• Writing Tips

How to Cite Shakespeare in APA Referencing

3-minute read

• 8th July 2019

To cite, or not to cite? That is the question. But many referencing systems have special rules for citing The Bard , so the second question might be ‘How do I cite it?’ Here, then, we take a look at how to cite Shakespeare in APA referencing as part of an academic paper .

Citing Shakespeare in APA means giving the author’s surname and two years of publication: one for the original text and another for the edition you’re referencing. Give both dates in the in-text citation, separated by a forward slash:

Hamlet is a play concerned with death (Shakespeare, 1599/2004).

If you’re quoting or paraphrasing a play, give a pinpoint citation as well. For Shakespeare, this will mean citing act, scene, and line numbers. For instance:

Yorick is ‘a fellow of infinite jest’ (Shakespeare, 1599/1992, 5.1.191–192).

Here, for example, we’re citing act five, scene one, lines 191–192 of Hamlet . The advantage of using act, scene, and line numbers rather than page numbers is that they should be consistent across editions of Shakespeare’s work, so other people can look up the reference even if they don’t have the same version of the text.

Listing Shakespeare in an APA Reference List

The format for a Shakespeare play in an APA reference list should include the names of any editors or translators. APA also suggests providing a date of original publication for republished texts :

Surname, First Initial. (Year of Publication or Translation). Title of play . (Translator Initial(s). Surname(s), Trans.). Editor Initial(s). Surname(s). (Ed.). Publisher. (Original work published date)

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If your edition of the play does not have a translator or an editor, simply leave out these details. In practice, then, we would list an edited version of Hamlet in the original Shakespearean English like this:

Shakespeare, W. (1992). Hamlet, prince of Denmark . C. Watts & K. Carabine (Eds.). Wordsworth Editions. (Original work published 1599)

Online Editions of Shakespeare Texts

The format is a little different for an online version of a text. In this case, you will need to provide a date for when the text was uploaded or last updated, as well as a URL for where it can be found:

Shakespeare, W. (2016). Hamlet, prince of Denmark . B. Mowat & P. Werstine (Eds.). https://www.folgerdigitaltexts.org/html/Ham.html#line-1.3.0 (Original work published 1599)

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