Shakespeare's plays follow a singular method of quotation specific to them. All references are parenthetical, which means that, in the text of your essay, they appear in parentheses. You must include certain information in your references to plays, including act, scene, and line number. Format them properly so that the reader knows exactly where the quoted material is coming from.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Include Parenthetical References
Step 1. Use parenthetical references to Shakespeare's plays
Parenthetical references are references found in regular parentheses in the body of your essay. Regardless of the style of reference you use, Shakespeare's plays are cited in a unique way. They are always cited with parenthetical references that appear in the text of your essay rather than indicated by a footnote or endnote.
Step 2. Include the reference at the end of the passage you are going to quote
When citing an excerpt, you must wait until the end of the section to be cited before including the reference. Sometimes the snippet may be long (for example, a dialogue between two characters), in which case the reference should go to the end of the entire snippet.
Step 3. Cite paraphrased material
If you are not going to include the original fragment in your essay but instead are going to paraphrase a fragment, you still need to indicate where it came from. You must include a reference in the same format that you would use for a quote.
Avoid using quotation marks for paraphrased material
Step 4. Go back to the original source
You may find a quote from a Shakespeare play in another written play (for example, a critique of the play you're writing about). While Shakespeare's quoted text might be just what you want to use, in order to properly quote and reference it, you need to go back to the original play or sonnet. This will help you read the quote in its proper context.
Reference this quote as it appears in the original source. For example: Much ado about nothing (2.3.217–24)
Part 2 of 4: Formatting Parenthetical References
Step 1. Include the act, scene, and line numbers of the play in the reference
Theatrical works are divided into acts, scenes, and lines. When quoting Shakespeare, you provide the reader with a roadmap to where they can find the quoted material.
Each of these numbers must be separated by a period
Step 2. Choose Arabic or Roman numerals to indicate the act or scene of the play
When providing the act and scene number of the play, it is possible to write it either in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) or in Roman numerals (I, II, III, etc.). You must choose a format and be consistent when using it. Line numbers are always written in Arabic numerals.
- For the most part, modern scholars prefer the use of Arabic numerals, although both formats are acceptable.
- Write uppercase Roman numerals (I, II, III, etc.) for the act number of the play and lowercase for the scene number (i, ii, iii, etc.). For example: (IV.ii.56–57).
Step 3. Quote ranges of line numbers appropriately
The cited material corresponds to certain lines in the work. When the text comes from more than one line, it is necessary to include the range of line numbers.
- If the range of line numbers is less than 100, you should write 66–84.
- In case the range of line numbers is greater than 100, you should write 122–34.
- If the range of line numbers extends from less than 100 to more than 100, you should write 90–104.
- You must put a dash between the line numbers. This is a little longer than a dash but not as long as a long dash.
Step 4. Avoid using page numbers
Page numbers should be included in most other references, but Shakespeare's plays are an exception. His plays have been reproduced in so many different formats and publications that there is no consistency in page number. For this reason, you should never refer to page numbers when quoting a text from a Shakespeare play.
Step 5. Include Shakespeare's name in case you are comparing him to another author
In general, if you are only going to talk about Shakespeare's plays in your essay, you don't need to put their name in the reference in parentheses. However, in case you are going to compare it with another author, you need to distinguish between one and the other by indicating the author in the reference in parentheses.
In the Modern Language Association (MLA) format, you should write "(Shakespeare 3.4.40)"
Step 6. Abbreviate the name of the work if necessary
You may need to frequently distinguish between two different plays in the parenthetical references. Do not write the full name each time but instead, you can abbreviate the title. For example, you can write "JC" instead of Julius Caesar, "Mac." instead of Macbeth, "Rom." instead of Romeo and Juliet, etc. This is how they would appear in your essay: (Mac. 1.3.15-20).
Step 7. Enter the line number of the dimension
In case you are going to quote the annotations that are provided in a play, it is necessary that you inform the reader where you get them. To indicate dimensions, provide the line number at the end of the reference.
For example, the reference for a dimension would be "3.4.40.1". This means that the dimension is on line 1 after line 40
Step 8. Put the score in the correct way
The location of the punctuation at the end of the snippet will depend on the amount of text you are citing.
- If you are citing less than 4 lines of verse, you should use quotation marks around the quoted material. Then, put the reference in parentheses and put the punctuation after it (for example, a period).
- If you are citing four lines or more, you must use a block citation. It does not use quotation marks and the final punctuation (for example, a period) is at the end of the last line. Then put the reference in parentheses.
Part 3 of 4: Quote Shakespeare in Text
Step 1. Introduce the speaker
When quoting a passage, you need to indicate the character who is speaking (unless the verse comes from a sonnet). It is possible to introduce the speaker in your own writing or to include the name of the character in capital letters at the beginning of the verse. For example, you can choose between these two options:
- Othello recalls: "Encouraged by this insinuation, I spoke: / She loved me for the dangers she had run / And I loved her for the pity she showed for them" (I.iii.166–168). For this option, you must include quotation marks at the beginning of the spoken passage.
- "OTHELLO: Encouraged by this insinuation, I spoke: / She loved me for the dangers she had run / And I loved her for the pity she showed for them" (I.iii.166–168). For this option, you must include quotation marks before naming the character because his name appears this way in the text.
Step 2. Use a slash (/) to separate less than 4 lines of verse
When citing verse in linear form, the citation of the text will not be in block form. This is reserved for fragments of less than 4 lines. In case you have 2 or 3 lines of verse, you must separate them by a space, a slash and a space.
- For example, write: "OTHELLO: Encouraged by this insinuation, I spoke: / She loved me for the dangers she had run / And I loved her for the pity she showed for them" (I.iii.166–168).
- In case you are quoting prose, omit the slash and put a comma in its place.
Step 3. Use block quotes for 4 or more lines of verse
Longer excerpts are separated from the body of the essay by a block citation. This appears as an indented set of lines in cases where you are quoting 4 or more lines of verse.
- Indent 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the left margin. The entire block appointment will be separated from the rest of the essay. Each line of the block quote should be indented 2.5 cm (1 inch) from the left margin.
- Skip the quotes. Block citations are separated from the rest of the text and therefore do not need to be distinguished by using quotation marks.
-
For instance:
Hippolyta, I have courted you with my sword
And, hurting you, your love I have conquered.
But I'm going to marry you on another throne:
With feast, celebration and rejoicing. (1.1.19–22)
Step 4. Keep the line breaks from the original verse in a block quote
Divide each line in the same place where it divides in the original.
In case you are going to quote prose, it is not necessary to keep the line breaks, which will differ depending on the publication in which the work appears
Step 5. Format the dialogue between two characters in the correct format
If you want to quote a dialogue between two or more characters, you must format this segment as a block quote.
- Indent the first line by 2.5 cm (1 inch) and include the first character's name in capital letters. After the name, put a period, then leave a space and start the dialogue for that character. By the time you need to start a new line, you should apply an additional 0.25 inches (6 mm) indent, making this line 1.25 inches (3 cm) from the left margin.
- Start a new line when another character speaks. Again, this character's name must be capitalized and followed by a period. Leave a space and start the character's dialogue.
- Include the reference in parentheses at the end of the dialog block.
-
For instance:
HAMLET. No, by the blessed cross, that I do not forget.
You are the Queen, married to your first husband's brother
And … I wish it wasn't like that … You are my mother.
GERTRUDIS. Good. I will put you in front of whoever makes you speak with more agreement. (3.4.14-17)
Part 4 of 4: Include a Works Cited Page
Step 1. Include the publications or books you have used
You need to include a "works cited" page in your essay. This page lists the published material you used to write your essay, which may include a collection of Shakespearean plays, a single volume with a play, or an anthology of the works of several different authors.
- The works cited page may be called a "bibliography" or "references", although this will depend on the style of reference.
- Avoid just mentioning the play you are quoting. You need to indicate the publication in which this work appears.
- Sort the works cited page alphabetically.
-
This is a sample entry for an anthology:
Shakespeare, William. "The comedy of mistakes". The Oxford Anthology of Tudor Drama. Ed. Greg Walker. Oxford, UK: Oxford U P, 2014. 682-722. Printed version
-
This is a sample entry for a collection of the works of a single author:
Shakespeare, William. Love poems and sonnets by William Shakespeare. New York: Doubleday Publishing, 1991. Printed version
-
This is a sample entry for a single work:
Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Ed. Jill L. Levenson. New York: Oxford U P, 2000
-
This is a sample entry for a live play:
Hamlet. By William Shakespeare. Dir. Dominic Dromgoole and Bill Buckhurs. Shakespeare's Globe, London. April 25, 2014. Performance
Step 2. Follow a consistent format
You could choose to use one of several formats, including the MLA, the American Psychological Association (APA), or the Chicago Manual of Style, although this will depend on your preferences and class requirements.
Each style differs slightly in format. You should follow a single style for the entire essay
Step 3. Include the works cited page as the final page of your essay
The works cited page starts on a new page at the end of the essay. You should title this page "Works Cited" with the words centered and in bold at the top.