When citing plays, you must be sure to include some of the most essential information. This includes the title of the play, the scene, the act number, the line number, the publisher and the date. Using the correct style is also important. The Modern Language Association (MLA) format is widely used for both essays and papers. But how do you cite a play in MLA?
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In order to properly cite a play in MLA, you need to know a few key facts. Plays, like novels and poems, have titles, scene numbers, act numbers, and line numbers. These items are listed on the Works Cited page. You should also list the name of the playwright, the name of the theater, and the date of publication in brackets.
If you are quoting dialogue, you may need to enclose it in quotation marks. For instance, Polonius says to Laertes, “to thine own self be true”. However, this doesn’t mean you have to do the same with every quote. Rather, you should follow the pattern for all new lines. Also, a character’s dialogue should be preceded by a comma and a period.
Another way to cite a play in MLA is to use an abbreviated title. This allows you to cite multiple plays by the same author. Additionally, it allows you to avoid repetition. A common example is using the title of a Shakespeare play, like Hamlet.
MLA style also requires that you cite the playwright in a parenthetical citation. The citation includes the playwright’s last name, the play title, and the year it was published. Usually, this is followed by the page number and the act number. You can even include a quote from the play. Finally, you should enclose the citation in quotation marks.
The same is true if you cite a play that contains only lines. In this case, you don’t need a page number. Instead, you must specify the line(s) you are quoting in your first citation. After that, you can omit the line numbers in subsequent citations.
Play references look very similar to the standard MLA book citation. This is because they are usually included in multivolume works. However, they are cited differently when they are included in anthologies. Moreover, the MLA Handbook recommends that you include the anthology name in italics.
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Among the many other play references you might see, you should also be aware of the Measure quote. The Measure quote is a reference to the play’s title. It is one of the most obvious ways to show that you are citing a play in the proper manner. To find out more about the Measure quote, you can visit the MLA style guide.
While there are other play references you might need to learn about, the MLA style guide is your best resource. Using it will ensure that you don’t confuse the Act and the Measure quote. And, by following the correct style, you will be sure to avoid plagiarism.
